Engaging students early and often is key to long-term success — but many institutions are seeing diminishing student interest in traditional communications like emails, call campaigns, and direct mail.
Today’s students prefer the convenience and responsiveness of digital communication. They are accustomed to getting responses in 45 seconds or less — and if they don’t hear back, they move on. That’s why it’s essential for institutions to provide instant guidance and support on the channels students prefer to use.
Harness the Power of Your Website
Statistically, when your prospective students are looking for answers, they come directly to your website first. In fact, students visit your website more than Google to find the information they need.
When Dallas College first partnered with AdmitHub, the majority of their prospective students used their website as the primary point of contact. Their demographics include a high percentage of first-generation college students, so they needed a way to provide intuitive support and relevant guidance — right on their website
To address their students’ most urgent needs, Dallas College launched Ali, a personalized web chatbot that could automatically and instantly answer a wide range of student questions 24/7. Students can choose to communicate with Ali in more than 100 languages, ensuring that they receive helpful, automated responses in their language of choice.
Enhance Student-Centric Communication
It’s important to show students how much they matter, especially in times of crisis. Dallas College first used AdmitHub’s COVID-19 chatbot to address students’ urgent questions at the onset of the pandemic. Students embraced the web chatbot immediately. In fact, more than 15,000 students used Ali in the first two months alone — and their response was overwhelmingly positive.
Through thousands of student interactions, Dallas College’s chatbot expanded its knowledge base to become an expert on topics including enrollment, admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and even community resources.
Providing authentic interactions and encouragement during this uncertain time helped Dallas College build trust and expand their reach within their community. This is just one way that web chat can be used to support students at pivotal moments in their educational journey.
Integrate Web Chat Into Your Engagement Strategy
Since AdmitHub’s Web Chat can help institutions answer common student questions automatically, it enables your institution to engage in authentic and meaningful student conversations at scale. But the real magic happens when you fully integrate your chatbot into your overall student engagement strategy.
Dallas College enhanced their student engagement by using Ali as a source of lead generation, connecting with students across departments and through multiple channels, including SMS text messaging. This campaign helped the institution drive positive student outcomes while generating hundreds of additional leads — demonstrating the power of incorporating web chat into a full-scale student engagement plan.
Take the Next Step With Web Chat
While there is no magic solution for communicating effectively with your students, one of the best ways to drive student success is to deliver accurate, timely information on the channels they prefer to use.
Are you interested in engaging your students with instant, around-the-clock support on your website? Sign up for a demo to learn more about AdmitHub’s Web Chat today.
