Walsh University Experiences a 36% Engagement Boost with Concept3D Interactive Map + Integrated Tours
Overview: Walsh University and Concept3D
Walsh University, a private Catholic institution located in North Canton OH, sought a modern and flexible solution to improve campus navigation and visitor experiences. With a focus on accessibility and engagement, they partnered with Concept3D to implement an interactive map and virtual tour.
“Going from a PDF map to an Interactive 3D rendered map really takes us to the next level. Our admissions department will run with this when talking to potential students. If they’re here or out of state, they get a real good feel of what campus looks like.”
Sean Ferguson, Director of Marketing
Challenges with Static PDF Maps & Cost-Prohibitive Virtual Tours
Before adopting Concept3D’s interactive map, Walsh University experienced significant challenges with a homegrown PDF campus map and a virtual tour hosted by an alternative vendor that only allowed updates once a year, at a cost.
“It was once a year, annual updates, and sometimes things around here change that we can’t wait a year to share. Between that and the cost of renewal, we started to look at different solutions.” – Sean Ferguson, Director of Marketing
Their PDF campus map proved wasteful, cumbersome to update and unaligned with the university branding.
“We’d have stacks of paper that just got thrown away at the end of the day.” Josh Steck, Web and Digital Communications Manager
A Step Towards an All-In-One Solution
After discovering Concept3D as a dynamic, flexible and cost effective option that offered an integrated tour experience and easy updates, Walsh University opted not to renew with their previous vendor and officially made the switch to a more robust and user-friendly platform.
“We felt that a new interactive map paired with the virtual tour would really elevate us.” – Sean Ferguson, Director of Marketing
Key Features and Benefits
A Powerful MarCom Tool
Partnering with Concept3D brought Walsh University an untapped, multi-functional tool that offered key differentiating features that supported their student engagement and recruitment efforts.
- Improved mobile compatibility
- Real-time, blue dot wayfinding
- Ease to use for students, faculty, alumni and visitors
“I love the fact that someone can pull up the map on their phone, see their blue dot, and walk around campus knowing where they are in real time. That’s very different from anything we’ve had before” – Sean Ferguson, Director of Marketing
Beyond Marketing: Admissions Use Cases
The Interactive Map also proved invaluable for major campus events, such as Welcome Week, by providing:
- Temporary categories to highlight event-specific locations
- Directions to campus access points, check-in tents, dorm entrances and parking areas for parents
“Our admissions department will be utilizing the map even more as we get into their undergraduate events throughout the Spring, and even into our summer student orientation” – Sean Ferguson, Director of Marketing
A Dashboard for Data-Informed Insights
A detailed dashboard that presents data on search term trends allowed Steck to optimize SEO based on what students searched most often, which unsurprisingly turned out to be food. Their on-campus grill ranked top of the list for what students were seeking. Steck proactively added key information to the location description including hours and dietary accommodations.
“The dashboard has been useful because we’re able to see what students are looking for. I’m able to analyze the page and see what the most common searches are and make sure those items are providing the information people are seeking up front.”
Josh Steck, Web and Digital Communications Manager
Enhanced Branding & Customization
The university fully customized the map to align with the university’s branding, ensuring accurate colors, font and logos.
“We have full control over everything – you can tweak so many little things and not have to wait for someone else to make the update.” – Josh Steck, Web and Digital Communications Manager
The team has been very impressed with the quality, detail and accuracy of the 3D renderings throughout the map; even citing that the walls of an underground tunnel were depicted to a tee.
Results & Moving Forward
Concept3D’s Interactive Map has already had a tremendous impact on Walsh University’s student engagement efforts since implementation.
“We’ve already had over 5,200 visits to the map in a short time frame. We’ve also noticed our monthly average total of tours on either our admissions, tour or resident life tracks are up 36% over our previous vendor.”
Sean Ferguson, Director of Marketing
The team is excited to see how their form submissions grow following the next full admissions cycle, and already have a direct Slate integration that will feed inquiries to their CRM. The continued partnership with Concept3D will add a lever to Walsh University’s student recruitment strategy as they move towards a new year.
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