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Here’s what you need to know about how the new site looks and functions:
Home Page
The most visited page of our site is the home page. Now we encourage visitors to learn more about AFS in general and they can identify which content is more relevant to them. Adding more content to the home page is also key in our search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. The more keywords and phrases relevant to our overall mission and focus, the more visitors we’ll collect from web searches.
Study Abroad
To match the new application portal, the study abroad website pages have been designed with an intuitive program finder that will help applicants find the program that is right for them. Resources like information about scholarships and frequently asked questions are all linked from relevant pages and content recommendations.
More information on the new application portal can be found below.
Host Family
The main tool on our host family page is Meet the Students, and this tool will remain the same. Host students will be highlighted as they were before, at least for now. A lot of fancy coding happens behind the screen to keep this zip code-based search working the same way it has been. Aside from this, we are putting impact stories in the forefront. Having potential host families read about the impact of hosting and having their questions answered is a top priority. We know that host families come to us mostly from word-of-mouth, and so a robust and professional looking website gives visitors the reassurance that we are a serious and supportive organization. There will continue to be a Learn More form in this section to collect lead information.
Volunteer and Educators
Volunteer and school engagement are major priorities in our latest strategic plan. The tools and resources for volunteers and educators have been migrated to the new site with an updated look and feel; they are just as accessible as they have always been. We will continue to improve these sections of our site as our strategy develops with new hires and approaches.
Team Sites
“Team Profiles” are the new way for area teams to create, manage, and share content with their local audiences. We’ve created new templates that teams can fill in with their information and implemented simple tools like Google Calendars to make it easy to keep your local communities informed. Visitors can see who their local contacts are, what events are going on, and other relevant information. Our marketing team has been and will continue to work closely with all teams who currently have a site to ensure data is carried over to this new platform.
Fundraising and Alumni Affairs
Did you know that more than 90% of our individual financial support comes from people who have either studied abroad or are connected to AFS in some other way? It’s no surprise, then, that two key sections of our site are devoted to all kinds of alumni engagement and ways to support AFS-USA. In particular, we have restructured the Alumni section to make the navigation more intuitive.
Student Portal and Global Link
The look of the participant application is going to look a little different than it has in years past. The application will live on Salesforce; the information from student applications will not immediately transfer to Global Link. Instead study abroad applicant information will appear in Global Link after an applicant completes key stages of the application. These three stages are Account Creation, Submission of the Pre-Application, and Transfer to the Partner. This is a significant change from our current process.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that each participant’s application information will live in Global Link and that our participant application will once again be the same application used by our international partners. By joining AFS International in launching the new application, we are hoping that we will decrease the time it takes our partners to review applications, and that it will improve and ease the process of getting our participants accepted by our partners.
In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to share more information about this transition, as any new processes that impact applicants and volunteers are developed and finalized. In the meantime, if you have questions, concerns, or you just want to chat about the new application and process, feel free to call Caitlin Schneider at 646-751-2126 or email at cschneider@afsusa.org.
As is typical with any new edition of a website or way of doing things, you should expect hiccups here and there. You can help us improve by providing your valuable feedback!
We will have more details to follow. Questions can be directed to marketing@afsusa.org.
Join us in exploring the possibilities and discover the new afsusa.org!
Warmly,
Your friends at AFS-USA |
