Phases for CCBC website redevelopment

New website coming summer 2023!

The College has identified broad goals and re-aligned resources to purchase a new web content management system and redesign the website. The overall goal of the redevelopment initiative is to improve the current CCBC website by developing a more sustainable CMS infrastructure and improving the user experience for both site end users and CMS users.

On September 15, 2021, CCBC officially launched a multi-phase, multi-year project to redevelop its website.

1) Fall 2021 - Conduct user experience research

With the implementation of the new myCCBC platform for applicants and current students, CCBC's focus is on the website and mapping the ideal cross platform experience for prospective students to improve enrollment, support retention, and ensure student success.
  • Create a strategic plan with detailed timeline and agreed upon milestones mapped to deliverables. — Complete*
  • Develop a User Research Plan outlining goals, which models and methods will be used to attain them, and explanation of how the work will fit into the overall project timeline. — Complete *
  • Develop a User Research Report presenting all collected data, analyzing results, and laying out specific recommendations for redevelopment of the site. — Complete *
  • Curate a set of prospective student user personas emblematic of CCBC’s important user types. — Complete *
  • Curate a set of prospective student persona-based user journey maps outlining how users currently accomplish their most important tasks and showing how to improve these journeys in the redeveloped site. — Complete *
  • Analyze survey and interview feedback to understand how to build a better user community. — Complete*

*CCBC credentials are required to access files.

2) Winter 2022 – Develop a strategy for the college's public facing website

Building on the work in Phase 1, our web strategy partner will help us create a comprehensive strategy and implementation project plan to improve the CCBC student user experience by transforming the website and maximizing our use of the recently launched student portal.
  • Develop website redevelopment goals, baseline data and assessments to measure success at the completion of the project. — Complete
  • Explore myCCBC to analyze the capabilities of the Engage platform and CCBC’s implementation plan while assessing its potential role in the overall student user experience. — Complete *
  • Develop a user experience roadmap report. — Complete *
  • Research content management and governance models and resource needs. — Complete
  • Survey the CMS market across various categories. — Complete *
  • Research current data feed methods to recommend content automation and personalization best practices. — Complete
  • Develop a Gantt chart summarizing the activities and major milestones in the project plan. — Complete
  • Develop a full project communication plan. — Complete

*CCBC credentials are required to access files.

3) Summer 2022 – Acquire CMS

CCBC will issue an additional RFP to acquire a new CMS based on the research and requirements developed in earlier phases. — Complete
  • Participate in CMS demos to compare product features and capabilities. — Complete

4) Fall 2022 – Design page layouts, information architecture and server environment

CCBC will rely heavily on its web strategy partner in this phase to layout the information architecture and accompanying navigational schema for the new site and myCCBC based on the established user experience roadmap and the functional parameters of the newly acquired CMS and the Engage platform.
  • Research server hosting options. — Complete *
  • Set up the new production and development environments. — In progress
  • Audit content. — Complete
  • Develop a preliminary sitemap for www.ccbcmd.edu. — Complete
  • Develop a recommended sitemap for myccbc.ccbcmd.edu. — Complete
  • Design flexible landing pages for digital marketing campaigns.— Complete
  • Create wireframes. — Complete
  • Begin usability testing. — Complete *
  • Begin to document CMS environment, including server architecture, hosting and integrations. — In progress *

*CCBC credentials are required to access files.

5) Winter and Spring 2023 – Build site

With the initial CMS implementation complete, the CCBC Marketing team will begin building out the website and collaborating with myCCBC content stakeholders to transition identified content to that platform.
  • Conduct prelaunch usability testing.
  • Based on the results of the content audit of the existing website, migrate select content from Sitecore to the new CMS and craft new content.

6) Summer 2023 – Train users and document customizations

Begin to develop a culture of digital accessibility among our content teams and stakeholders.
  • Create training manuals, resource guides and video tutorials.
  • Train CMS users.

7) Fall and Winter 2023 – Launch site and plan for the future

Launch site

Shortly after launch we will ask our consultants to certify accessibility.

  • Complete requirements for WCAG 2.1 AA certification to ensure the front-end design, including navigation, content and features are accessible.
  • Reset SEO and link referrals.

Plan for the future

CCBC seeks to create a uniformly positive user experience that maximizes its major web platforms to engage users throughout the student lifecycle in a way that is effective and sustainable. The Marketing Department will work with the advisory committee to help ensure that the work completed in this project is maintained and optimized over time.
  • Finalize functional documentation of how all of the components of the CCBC website are integrated, how the process will operate, and how the tools are intended to be used.
  • Develop a 5-year continuous improvement plan with assessments, resource needs, quality assurance checks, and projected development projects.