Barnsley College

“Genius Division has completely transformed the way our site looks and is managed. We are now confident that the back end systems are up to date and secure. The website is proving to be a major asset for attracting new students and as a valuable resource for existing students and staff.”

Sue Tazzyman, Barnsley College

Within the first 10 months of going live the new Barnsley College website proved itself to be an effective marketing tool by helping to attract 4936 applicants to apply for courses across a wide range of subjects. When compared to the same time the previous year, it boasts 30% more users.

Project Objectives

When we first met with Barnsley College they explained that although their site was already popular and successful it wasn’t working as hard as it could in terms of front line marketing. The College wanted to attract new students, promote their courses and improve upon the user experience. They also wanted to greatly improve the management of their existing back-end system, allowing them greater flexibility and making it easier to create and edit content. Making the website a valuable resource for both prospective and current students alike was also a requirement. 

Our Work

We worked with the college to develop a responsive website built on WordPress, an easy to manage, versatile content management system. We created a series of pages which were simple to navigate and included a comprehensive course guide which enabled users to filter and search for course subjects. An on-line application system was developed for students wishing to apply for courses and search functionality was used for general information, courses, news and events. We ensured the College’s branding was consistently integrated throughout the website.

Creating a Positive Impact

As a result of our work with the College, the website has had over 81,000 page views within the first 10 months of being live. The previous website was not made for mobile users and our practice of ensuring we design for all devices has made this possible. Individual user sessions are up 17.9%, proving it continues to engage with existing users and fulfil the remit we were set. By developing a system which is now easy to update and manage we have provided the College with a website that they can take forward and update without incurring future problems. 

• 5,815 courses applied for in 10 months following launch
• 4,936 course applicants in 10 months following launch
• 81,424 page views in first 10 months
• 17.9% increase in session visits

How we can help your business

Our design and development experience means we can offer a range of solutions for new and existing clients who face similar issues based on the model we created for Barnsley College. Our knowledge of working with large complex organisations means we can assist companies who have experienced a growth in size and found that they need a website which will enable them to manage their information and systems more effectively. We can also assist businesses who want to promote their brand and enhance their current marketing strategies. 

Our knowledge and flexible approach to each project we work on means we can re-design and develop your website to reflect the changes that your business may experience.