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Taryn Champion23/02/22 20:305 min read

5 Ways To Boost Successful College Applications For Your RTO

5 Ways

Client Relationship Management (CRM) systems assist colleges to manage communications and processes that relate to the student lifecycle. Internal processes from discovering a course, through to enrolment are done on an RTO student management CRM. Tenure, graduation, and post-graduation are made simple with a well-rounded and suitable student management system.

To give you an idea of what mistakes to avoid when selecting a CRM system for your college, we wanted to highlight the things you might be doing wrong already. 

Using A College CRM To Enhance Student Engagement

The engagement between your college and students has become the heart of retaining or keeping a student interested. The expectation of a quick and user-friendly platform has become the norm. Makes sense, since according to Smart Insights, more than half of the world now uses social media (58.4%) and users demand simplicity from the systems they use.

Moreover, 91% of companies with over 10 employees use a CRM, and this number continues to grow. Because CRMs in higher education are more common, it is important for colleges to stay one step ahead by selecting a student management CRM that is current, drives engagement through applications, and makes student enrolments easy for the end-user.

Generating enquiries is the easiest way to boost applications for your college and should not be taken for granted. With the right CRM, your college can turn an enquiry into an application, leaving no room for the words “bounce rate”.

Have a look at how easy online applications can be.

When looking for a CRM to keep students engaged and interested, make sure it has these features:

 

Choose a college CRM that has application templates functionality

When a student visits your college website and likes what you have to offer, the ideal next step would be the completion of an application form. An application form is completed online and usually includes sections of personal information, education, educational history, etc. Because submitting an application is generally the final step a student takes to enroll at an institution, this stage should not be taken lightly and should therefore form a central part of the student management CRM that you choose for your college.

Always opt for a CRM that offers customisable application templates that not only make the process simple for your students, but that requires minimal coding and is effortless to set up. Not only will this save you time and money but investing in a CRM that you can buy and then build, allows you to customise your application template according to your college needs, one step at a time.

 

1. Use Application Templates that are readily available

Application templates that are readily available will more than likely save you time to set up. With templates, you no longer have to spend lots of hours creating documents from step one. Moreover, templates allow even the non-designers to create a great-looking form, which helps in projecting a more professional image of your education institution.

Opt for a CRM that gives you the flexibility to not only select custom information tabs, but also the look and feel of your business. When building your college website, it is essential to have your logo and leverage your corporate identity to remain consistent.

 

2. Use Autofill to save time and avoid the dreaded “bounce”

Autofill is a feature that fills in an entire form based on a user’s profile based on previously stored information. This was first introduced in 2011 by Chrome and has since been used by businesses globally due to its excellent time-saving benefits. When searching for a CRM for your college, autofill should be a standard feature. Individuals often look for the quickest, easiest way to complete templates. Take job applicants, for example, most often when a job application process requires many fields to be completed and autofill is not part of the CRM system, some applicants might fall away due to having to manually complete the form. This can often result in a high bounce rate.

By selecting a CRM that has an autofill feature, students will be more likely to fill in their information as most of it is inputted for them. Moreover, unwanted user input errors can be avoided since typing is prone to errors.

 

3. Let your potential students come back later with Save & Continue feature

This feature allows users to do exactly what it says: save the semi-completed application form and continue later. Perhaps your college has a stringent application form, that requires ample detail from prospective students? Give them the luxury to save their semi-completed form and continue with it later. This feature is known to increase the chances of users completing the form, and therefore has a positive impact on conversions. Make sure the CRM you choose for your college has ‘save & continue’ as a basic feature.

 

4. Use digital signatures to bind agreements from the onset

Digital signature technology has many advantages. It can result in substantial cost savings, increase operational efficiency, and have a positive impact on the retention of students. Because college applications are mostly conducted online, having a digital signature feature as part of your CRM means students don’t need to track down parents or guardians when their signatures are required. College applications are made easier with this feature, and this keeps them proactive and competitive. When choosing a CRM for your college, reap the benefits by ensuring digital signatures are a standard feature.

 

5. Use online tools that are mobile-friendly

According to Statcounter the Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet Market Share Worldwide equates to 54.98% mobile users, 42.54% desktop users, and 2.47%tablet users. These statistics alone show how important it is to have a mobile-friendly CRM. However, it doesn’t just end there. To give students a good experience, your mobile-friendly CRM, just as your desktop version, should be super easy to use. Students are more inclined to stay on a website that is easy to use, meaning a mobile-friendly, seamless experience will reduce your bounce rate, giving you those boosted applications you’ve been waiting for.

If you’re looking to boost applications for your RTO, choosing the right college CRM is your best step forward. Let us show you how Wisenet can meet all these needs and more.

Fill in your details below and we will get back to you to book a consultation.

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Taryn Champion

Hey there, ed-tech enthusiasts! I'm Taryn Champion, your trusty blogger for all things education technology and Wisenet-related. During the day, I'm busy turning ideas and updates into captivating stories, and when the sun sets, I shift gears to savour precious family moments. When I'm not blogging, you'll catch me discovering new restaurants, enjoying craft activities, or getting lost in an inspiring book. Let's dive into this thrilling edtech adventure together. Buckle up and enjoy the journey!

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