Mapúa Boosts Online Presence; Launches Sleeker, Meatier Website

The Mapúa Institute of Technology has a new face online and it is sleeker, faster and meatier.

The premier technological school has beefed up its global digital presence by launching a newly designed andimproved website during the Institute’s 87th Foundation Week.

“With ABET accreditation, Mapúa has just raised the bar in engineering and IT (information technology) education. We thought that that message should reflect in all communication mediums and that include our website,” said Ms. Arlyn S. Onte, director of Mapúa’s Corporate Communications Office (CCO).

The US-based ABET is the recognized international accreditation agency that accredited 10 engineering and computing programs of the Institute. An ABET accreditation essentially makes the graduates of these 10 programs at par with those of their foreign counterparts.

“Our digital presence and persona should be able to immediately project our vision to become a global center of excellence in education,” she said. “Our new website is a reflection of Mapúa’s stance. It does not only speak locally, it considers itself as a global player and, thus, it will play that part excellently.”

The CCO head also pointed out why it is important for any organization to have an effective website, which she described as a “24/7 messenger.”

She said: “A website has gone far beyond the idea of being a digital brochure. It can do more than being a sales tool for an institution, a person, a product, or a cause. We recognize and acknowledge that the website and other digital platforms, for that matter, could form a community and an engagement that transcends geographical barriers. The web helps get across ideas, and can even form decisions.”

For chief information officer Brian O. Co, the new site also aims to showcase Mapúa’s world-class programs, highly trained faculty staff and its state-of-the-art facilities.

“There are a lot of people who do not really have that in-depth knowledge of Mapúa - what it stands for, what our programs are, what our innovations are, what are we currently active in. So, the site will serve as a bridge in terms of giving that information to them,” Mr. Co said. “We want to make sure that people who are looking for information on the website would be able to find it as useful and as efficiently as possible.”

The alumni, and even students and staff, can also get updates about the Institute’s activities through the website.

Since the site is a reflection of Mapúa as a whole, Mr. Co said those involved in the redesign gave it a more modern and cleaner look, with more relevant and up-to-date information.

Uniquely Mapúa

Mapúa’s Development Office for Information Technology (DOIT), CCO, Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Office of the Vice President for HRD, Legal and Operations have closely collaborated to work on the new site and give it a more systematic and coordinated structure.

To highlight the biggest events at the Institute, a “Banner” feature has been prominently displayed at the top of the home page. It also carries more photos to captivate and attract its target audience.

Ms. Onte said every element of the website was designed based on the browsing behavior of the readers.

“We studied their (visitors) eye pattern, their browsing behavior, how they actually search through all the elements. We wanted to give the audience enough excitement so that they would click more. We wanted to create interest that would hopefully result to a nod, and eventually convince them that Mapúa is seriously changing the landscape of education,” explained Ms. Onte.

Beyond the aesthetics and user-friendly interface, the Mapúa website contains useful, informative and relevant content.

“The content is more important than the color, layout, and aesthetics of an effective site. The design will lead you to browse more. But the content--the words, the facts, the service it can provide, the legacy, the proof of excellence--these are the real elements that make the new Mapúa website distinct and unique in its own right,” she said.

She added: “TV commercials, print ads, and billboards can miss its target audience… However, a website is different. You do not accidentally land in one’s homepage. You have to be willing to click a link, or type a URL -- and no one is forcing you to do that. And once you get a viewer to peek on your website, you have to seize that opportunity with your audience. You have to make sure that your best elements are on display and that your message is reflected on how the website looks and functions.”

The Institute is planning to make the website more interactive in the future, said Ms. Onte. One plan, she said, is to get the community’s participation by inviting them to submit photos. The selected photos will be featured in the website.

Mr. Co, meanwhile, said another plan is to post a list of faculty members and their fields of expertise. He said this is for the benefit of local and foreign students who are planning to study in the Institute.

“The website is a tool for students, so, we have to maximize that tool,” he said.

Disclaimer: The original article has been archived from its original site (mapua.edu.ph) and is no longer viewable. The story was originally published on March 20, 2012, written by David Joseph C. Gonzales for the Corporate Communications Office of Mapúa Institute of Technology (now known as Mapúa University). Original source: http://mapua.edu.ph/News/Default.aspx?newsID=621&Month=3&Year=2012