Website redesign and an integrated content strategy help boost views of Stanford APARC’s research and publications webpages.
The Stanford Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) is the University’s hub for research and education on contemporary Asia. The focus of the Center’s mission on producing and disseminating original research, however, did not translate into views of its research- and publications-related website content.
On APARC’s previous website, the main research page consisted of nondescript thumbnails linked to a mix of the Center’s programs, active research projects, and past projects. There was no distinction among these elements, and no clear sense of the expertise of APARC scholars and the range of research areas they pursue. Similarly, the publications main page consisted of an old-fashioned looking catalog that did not convey the Center’s excellence in sharing scholarship and insight on pressing Asia-Pacific topics.
Both pages received a small number of views on average. The research page ranked #39 in the Google Analytics report of page views per year, the publications page ranked #52.
Double the number of views of the main research and publications pages in one year.
The work on improving the research and publications pages was part of a broader redesign project of the entire APARC website.
I structured the new research page as a gateway to APARC’s research areas, using fresh copy that explains the scope of the Center’s expertise and a menu that allows users to easily explore research categories along with current research projects and their related publications. Each such research project received its own redesigned page.
The publications page also received a complete makeover including a regularly updated showcase of featured publications, new sections highlighting the Center's two original book series, and a better search tool that allows users to explore the entire body of work by APARC scholars.
Under my direction, the APARC communications team began producing a wealth of blog and news articles that explain the benefits and impacts of APARC scholars’ research, including feature stories, podcasts, and video interviews. These enable the team to continuously strengthen the internal link architecture of its content marketing.
Within a year, APARC achieved a 320% increase in views of the main research webpage and a 186% increase in views of the main publications webpage.
