Southeastern Community College 1500 West Agency Road you ...€¦ · AMPERS YOU SHOULD KNOW Your...
Transcript of Southeastern Community College 1500 West Agency Road you ...€¦ · AMPERS YOU SHOULD KNOW Your...
Jeff Ebbing Director of Marketing and Communications
Southeastern Community College
1500 West Agency Road West Burlington, IA 52655
Dear Jeff:
Thank you for the opportunity to present this proposal to Southeastern Community College. We would welcome the opportunity to put our talents and resources to work for SCC by helping the
college with its website redesign needs outlined in the RFP.
Today, your brand story leads your content marketing. Without a story that can be told over and
over again — we call that marketing frequency — you are left with empty marketing calories.
Weak stories don’t nourish the brand.
We bring a holistic, strategic marketing approach to help turn up the wattage of your website.
Websites are not closed-system products, but the core of a digital ecosystem. We help you leverage the entire system.
The secret to a great website is not programming. Great websites are built with a process that understands:
» Compelling content
» Anticipatory user experience » Eye-flow research
» Story-flow analysis
» Brand enhancement
We’d like to integrate the new website into one cohesive narrative that will tell the story of SCC. This will help establish a strong and energized tone for recruiting new students.
Yours in moving the needle,
Rachael Holland, Account Executive Bryan Earnest, President/Partner
[email protected] [email protected] 319.553.7320 | cell 563.380.8804 319.553.7291 | cell 319.240.3056
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
COMPANY OVERVIEW
OUR EXPERIENCE
AMPERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
REFERENCES
SOLUTIONS MENU WITH PRICING
AMPERAGE DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM
OUR PROCESS 13
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INVESTMENT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
DELIVERABLES/SCOPE OF WORK
SCHEDULE
AMPLIFIED DIGITAL DASHBOARD
PAYMENT
APPENDIX A | FOCUS GROUPS
APPENDIX B | AMPERAGE MANAGED HOSTING
APPENDIX C | SEOBOOSTSM 37
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Awareness Interest Desire Action
WHAT YOU TOLD US Southeastern Community College (SCC) has identified several challenges with the
existing SCCIowa.edu site. Here’s what we heard you say.
You need a secure site with seamless navigation, so users do not get frustrated and leave
the site without taking action (i.e., request a tour, apply, donate, etc.). Most importantly,
you need a simplified website that is focused on prospective students. What will drive prospective students to take action once they get to the website? How do visitors know
what products or services SCC offers? Or what product is the right fit for them?
The existing site has thousands of pages, which makes it difficult for users to break
through the clutter and get the information they need — no matter what device they’re
on. You cannot afford to lose prospective students due to poor user experience (UX).
THE SOLUTION
To begin a project of this scale, we strongly suggest starting with research. In addition to our standard website research practices, we advise holding focus groups to gain an
understanding of what prospective students are truly looking for when it comes to UX.
AMPERAGE also will complete an in-depth intake session with key internal stakeholders, analyze your Google Analytics and begin to work on recommendations for what content
should live on the new site.
After an initial review of your Google Analytics, we recommend taking a fresh approach
and start anew with your site map. Your current site has 3,300 individual items. Within the
past year, your top 1-500 pages had more than 50 page views each and pages 501-3,300 had fewer than 50 page visits. Among the 3,300 pages on SCCIowa.edu, there
have been approximately 1,500 page views for your top 100 pages. This gives us a good starting point in recommending what content can be removed from the site.
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Throughout the process, we will employ various forms of UX testing to validate that end
users are getting information as quickly and intuitively as possible.
PRICING
AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising offers a streamlined, easy-to-manage pricing structure. All AMPERAGE projects or components are bid in advance with a
comprehensive scope of work for client approval based on an hourly rate of $120.
Should the scope of work change at SCC’s request after work has begun, a change order will be submitted in writing for approval before proceeding. Process simplicity, from
project bid to final invoice, is an objective of ours on any project. We understand and
appreciate the complexities involved in navigating marketing/purchasing/agency relationships. We hope to make each engagement as smooth and mutually beneficial as
possible.
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COMPANY OVERVIEW
For more than 20 years, AMPERAGE Marketing &
Fundraising has been providing technical solutions for our clients. We’ve produced more than 750 websites,
which contain a large repository of custom-built components on a wide variety of platforms. Whether it’s
a custom-built Content Management System,
proprietary Customer Relations Management software, online donation tracking for philanthropic campaigns,
deep API integration with 3rd-party software companies,
custom-built components and plug-ins for websites and online SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM
(search engine marketing) statistical tracking tools,
we’ve been consistently providing effective and high-quality solutions for our clients.
AMPERAGE’s art directors and web designers are ready to meet your needs and exceed your expectations. The
design team shares a commitment to integration, brand
integrity and graphic solutions that deliver results. When it comes to telling and selling, our copywriters have
found powerful ways to provoke thought and tug
heartstrings for hundreds of clients.
Focused on your specific target audiences, AMPERAGE
will provide a strategy and design that ensures your investment results in a website that effectively serves
SCC.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
» Web development
» Fundraising division
» High-end video production team
» Offline media planning and placement department
» Digital media planning and placement department
» Public relations department, including crisis
communications
» Qualitative and quantitative research
» Marketing and messaging plans
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SUMMARY OF AMPERAGE
The noun amperage refers to the strength of an electrical current. AMPERAGE increases the magnitude of your brand’s current strength. Your brand strength is measured by your
humanized benefits, your sales messaging simplicity, your digital ecosystem and the
overall power your brand radiates.
Attention goes where energy flows. That’s why we are brand strategy advisers and
content providers. Our goal is measurable results, so our mission — and our branding line — is Move the Needle.
We’ve immersed ourselves in college storytelling for 40 years, partnering with over 30 colleges and universities along the way. We go beyond just tactics; we develop
integrated marketing strategies and campaigns that connect you with your target audience and motivate them in measurable ways for electrifying results.
AMPERAGE becomes a partner and an extension of your team. We are flexible, bring high energy and new ideas to the table, and collaborate with our clients for long-lasting
partnerships.
STAY CONNECTED WITH US
AMPERAGEmarketing.com
Facebook.com/AMPERAGEmarketing
Youtube.come/User/AMPERAGEmarketing
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OUR EXPERIENCE
Before we dig into the technical aspects of a website redesign, we invite you to explore some of our work.
INDIAN HILLS | LIFE. CHANGING. | IndianHills.edu
Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) in Ottumwa needed a new website that effectively communicated their Life. Changing. brand messaging to prospective
students, current students, alumni, donors, faculty, staff and visitors.
AMPERAGE, in conjunction with the IHCC project team, designed a responsive site,
focused on an engaging user experience using large responsive images, infographics, appealing video content and distinctive typography. Indian Hills had already
identified OmniUpdate to program the new site, so AMPERAGE collaborated with
the programmers throughout the project. The new site clarifies and highlights Indian Hills’ academic, social and financial strengths and differentiators to prospective students
and clearly increases the awareness of the quality of programs across all college
divisions. AMPERAGE is currently working with Indian Hills on an SEOBoostSM program.
” I would recommend AMPERAGE for any marketing project, large or small, that you
would like completed in a professional manner, while adhering to your brand standards and representing the most important aspects of your organization. AMPERAGE has
certainly helped us move the needle, and I truly believe they will do the same for your
organization.”
BIANCA MYERS, Indian Hills Community College
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BLACK HAWK COLLEGE | THE NEW BHC.EDU | BHC.edu
Black Hawk College, a community college with campuses in Moline and Galva, Ill.,
needed an exciting, experiential, intuitive website that connected – first and foremost to
prospective students considering Black Hawk for their college education. AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising led the Black Hawk College team through a process to build a
website that focuses on the brand the college has spent valuable time and resources
developing, while maintaining focus on the end user.
Using bright colors, photographs of real students, dynamic video content and
optimized copy, AMPERAGE developed a user-friendly environment that clarifies and highlights Black Hawk College’s academic, social and financial strengths and
differentiators to prospective students. This digitally optimized application of Black Hawk College’s brand complements Black Hawk’s ongoing marketing and promotional efforts
while creating an opportunity for the college to showcase its tone, message and identity
in a more interactive environment.
Similar to SCC, Black Hawk began their website redesign process with thousands of
pages. After careful review and working in tandem with the project team, the site was reduced to closer to 400 pages. Black Hawk is currently undergoing an accessibility plan
with AMPERAGE to ensure they remain WCAG 2.0 -AA level compliant.
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AMPERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Your AMPERAGE team works to keep your audiences emotionally engaged. We immerse
ourselves in what it means to be a part of the SCC family. Our team of strategists stands
ready to cut through the advertising clutter with solutions that deliver results. In addition to those named here, you have access to a team of 50-plus marketing professionals.
RACHAEL HOLLAND | ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Prior to joining AMPERAGE, Rachael spent eight years in higher education. She gained an understanding of marketing challenges and strategies firsthand as the regional director
of business development for Kaplan University. She moves the needle by understanding
the needs of clients and finding solutions that deliver measurable results. Rachael will work directly with SCC and serve as the point-of-contact for your website redesign
project.
MARK MATHIS III | CHIEF CREATIVE & STRATEGY OFFICER/PARTNER Prior to founding AMPERAGE (then ME&V), Mark was an assistant general manager and
former vice president of programming and operations for KWWL TV in Waterloo. He is an
avid writer, having published two books and written over 800 One-Minute Marketer® blogs. Mark conducts research and oversees the creative and strategic direction of our
clients.
JIM INFELT | CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER/PARTNER Jim brings a long track record of success and unparalleled expertise to his position as
chief digital officer for AMPERAGE’s interactive division. He oversees digital marketing,
which includes all web development, inbound and outbound marketing efforts, including SEO and SEM, as well as new product development.
ERIN BISHOP | DIRECTOR OF MARKETING/RESEARCH STRATEGIST
Prior to joining AMPERAGE, Erin served as a program manager at Strategic Marketing Services (SMS) at the University of Northern Iowa. Erin excels at leading teams through the
successful development, administration and presentation of market research and analysis projects.
TIFFINI KIELER | CREATIVE DIRECTOR Before leading AMPERAGE’s design team, Tiffini served as marketing designer at The
Courier. Clients benefit from her exceptional design skills and project management
abilities.
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ANNETTE SCHULTE | DIRECTOR OF WRITING
Annette shepherds AMPERAGE’s writing efforts to ensure content is on point, on time and fits the medium. Prior to joining AMPERAGE, Annette worked for the Jacobsen Institute
(part of the John Papajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Iowa) where one
of her latest projects was writing their entire website. She moves the needle by understanding your strategic goals and delivering well-crafted content that resonates
with target audiences to achieve results. She is especially adept at research and
synthesizing complex concepts.
KAITLYN WOLF | INTERACTIVE PROJECT COORDINATOR Kaitlyn orchestrates many types of digital projects and collaborates with her interactive
team members to conduct client trainings on using their new or redesigned websites.
Kaitlyn is in frequent communication with the account services team to ensure content entry, platform updates and website and app development is conducted quickly and
effectively.
KURT ZENISEK | LEAD WEB DEVELOPER Kurt’s passion for technology drives him to stay on the cutting edge of web development
progress and innovation. His design process always aims to create the right combination
of aesthetics and usability that will move the needle for each client online. Kurt provides the knowledge and resources clients need to make informed decisions when building
their online presence and creating high-quality outcomes. He implements research-
based methods that produce effective results for high customer satisfaction from the client and the client’s target audience.
KAITLYN BEHNKEN | ACCOUNT MANAGER
As an account manager, Kaitlyn is responsible for the relationships between AMPERAGE and our clients. She interfaces with relevant departments to ensure each client project
results in exceptional client satisfaction and measurable results. Kaitlyn moves the needle with her attention to detail and dedication to AMPERAGE’s client relationships and
internal productivity. In addition to your account executive, Kaitlyn immerses herself in
the day-to-day tasks for your website redesign, making sure we’re meeting your goals and target deadlines.
OTHER RESOURCES
AMPERAGE will communicate with SCC if an outside consultant is needed on a project and will obtain prior approval.
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REFERENCES
JOHN MEINEKE
Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Black Hawk College | BHC.edu
309.796.5000
Client projects include: Website redesign, programming, website maintenance, hosting
and media placement
DR. BIANCA MEYERS
Director of Marketing & Alumni Relations
Indian Hills Community College | IndianHills.edu
641.683.5302
Client projects include: Research, branding, communications audit, graphic design,
consulting, digital media placement and OmniUpdate website redesign
JACKI MISKIMINS
Director of Marketing
Vantage Point | Vantagepnt.com
605.995.1784 [email protected]
Client projects include: Website redesign, programming, hosting and web maintenance plan
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SOLUTIONS MENU WITH PRICING
WE DON’T BUILD WEBSITES. WE BUILD DIGITAL ECOSYSTEMS.
Websites are just a product: Your needs are deeper and wider. Our web development is shifting to more information logistics or content systemization. Websites are not closed-
system products, but the power core of a holistic marketing ecosystem. We leverage the
entire system. So, we don’t build websites; we build full power, digital marketing ecosystems.
Our philosophy is to integrate, optimize and coordinate complex digital networks to
make websites more efficient and responsive to the many new interconnections,
components, transformations and iterations yet to be released.
AMPERAGE DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM
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There are really six tenets to strong web ecosystem integration. There are many more
areas to consider for a website, but these six make up most of the high-level ecosystem construction.
6 TENETS OF A STRONG WEB ECOSYSTEM
1. User-Centricity—Our process includes user testing and end user feedback
through retinal-tracking research or click-path analysis at touchpoints throughoutthe website building process.
2. Simplicity Orientation—With all the clutter, we know people prefer loud and literal
approaches that provide quick access with minimal clicks and interpretation.
3. Wireframe Architectural Approach— A comprehensive content and user
experience plan is developed first. Then a carefully constructed web wireframebecomes the fundamental blueprint for success.
4. Cross-channel Alignment—The website is not an island. It is the energy core,
driving engagement and conversions and serving all other platforms. There needs
to be brand alignment throughout the ecosystem.
5. Video Rich—Video content is growing at a rapid rate (live and pre-developed).
Video must be a central part of your content strategy.
6. Landing Page Philosophy—Websites are great, but they are usually poor landing
pages for pay-per-click marketing. You need a single-focused, user-centric
landing site that boosts conversions, increases Google quality scores, and
eliminates searcher confusion and frustration (and decreases bounce rates).
It’s about strategy, not just tactics. It’s about the platforms, not just programming. It’s
more than templates and style sheets.
Our approach is broader and deeper than most digital production houses. When your mission statement is move the needle, you need more than iStock photos and coding.
You need authenticity, a participatory orientation, shareable content and a simplistic,
humanized approach.
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OUR PROCESS
There’s a lot of information to go over with a website, from the basics to the technical and everything in between. Let us break it out for you here. The chart on the following
page is intended to give you a high-level overview, summarizing your website redesign
project. Please refer to the deliverables portion of this proposal for your scope of work.
Our website process consists of the stages shown here. AMPERAGE and SCC will engage
with OmniUpdate (OU) in the programming, testing, training and launch phases.
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TASK
SCC PROJECT RECAP Refer to deliverables section of proposal for detailed scope of work
Research
Intake session in West Burlington, IA
Focus groups
Competitive analysis Analysis of reports generated from proprietary software services
Website
Architecture
Site map development (2 revisions
Wireframe development (2 revisions)
OU components integration 3rd-party integration
Mood board (2 revisions)
Design
3 distinct homepage designs (2 revisions)
3 interior page designs (2 revisions) 2 mobile designs (2 revisions)
Photography
20 stock images ($50 each after 20 images)
UX Testing
Homepage testing
1 interior page testing
Content
Development
Keyword cloud research Up to 35 core keywords
Writing of homepage and up to 10 subpages, including H1 headlines
Content Transfer
Send HTML files to OU up to 100 pages of existing content
Transfer elements from 100 pages to OU (photos, copy, external links to PDFs, etc.)
Transferring of press releases, blog posts and other large content
within 100 pages in the last 12 months
TASK
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SCC PROJECT RECAP Refer to deliverables section of proposal for detailed scope of work
Template Style
Guide
Template-based and architecture to support future landing pages
and microsites
Programming
AMPERAGE will provide HTML files to OU to integrate into their content management system
Training &
Support
Training provided by OU
30 days free support after launch
AMPERAGE
Managed
Hosting
Dedicated Hosting on AMPERAGE’S Web server (includes Amazon
EC2 Cloud Based Server with fast streaming speeds [same system used by Netflix],1.25 TB of bandwidth, 50 gigabytes of storage, 24/7/365
monitoring, 99.5% Uptime)
Upgrades and management by a certified server specialist Redundant backups with granular recovery
Multiple daily back-up
Brute force prevention CMS integrity scanning
Ongoing
Maintenance
Maintenance plan TBD
SEOBoostSM
Website assessment and research
Keyword cloud development (35 Keywords) Write and/or rewrite 30 pages
On-page optimization (Title tags, alt tags, meta descriptions, URL’s,
keyword density, duplicate copy) Optimization audit and refinement
Deep website technical audit and refinement
Weekly SEO optimization audits (MOZ)
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INVESTMENT
In all cases, no verbal communication shall override information presented in this proposal. This quote shall remain valid for 90 days.
WEBSITE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT
Website Redesign Includes 2 trips to West Burlington
$60,600
Focus Groups (2) Includes travel & $50 incentive up to 20 participants
$9,340
OU CMS Integration Client expense with OU
OU Modules Client expense with OU
Total Investment $69,940
ALA CARTE ITEMS INVESTMENT
Additional Content Transfer $1,920 per 100-page blocks
Additional Page Writing $4,800 per 10-page blocks
POST LAUNCH INVESTMENT
AMPERAGE Managed Hosting Pro-rated at launch date
$1,045/year
SEOBoostSM
6 months post launch (12-month program) $12,000 ($1,000/month)
Ongoing Maintenance TBD
WCAG 2.0 Accessibility Plan 6 months post launch
TBD
________________________________________________________________________
Mark Mathis III, Partner/Chief Creative & Strategy Officer Date
2/24/20
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
We want to make each interaction a positive and easy experience for SCC. Our goal is
to deliver outstanding customer service and part of achieving that is setting clear
expectations for each project we coordinate.
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
In addition to your account executive, we assign an account manager to be your primary contact with AMPERAGE. The account manager’s primary responsibility is to
manage the day-to-day relationship and project and to ensure that the appropriate
team members are involved as needed. This manager also oversees your budget.
INITIAL DOWNLOAD MEETING
Once we establish a partnership, we meet with your management team for a detailed download meeting covering all parts of your project. AMPERAGE team members may
include your account executive, account interactive project coordinator and chief
digital officer. This helps ensure the accuracy of our proposed estimates and introduces the teams to one another.
DOCUMENT PROJECT STATUS We use a deadline-driven client relationship management system to generate a timeline
that outlines each phase of your website project. Your account manager stays in
frequent communication with you to ensure your project is on track. You will have meetings with your account manager and other members of the AMPERAGE team
throughout the life of the project that will be mapped out during the scheduling stage.
CREATIVE BRIEF
Before we begin any creative development, we draw up a creative brief with you to
ensure all creative elements support and enhance your brand. This provides the creative direction for campaigns, marketing and advertising. Once you sign off, work begins.
CREATIVE REVIEW
Once the creative is developed, we review it internally to make sure it meets the criteria
outlined in the creative brief. When we are satisfied that everything is on target, we share it with you.
MANAGING BUDGETS The AMPERAGE team carefully manages your budget and ensures we are following the
scope of work. It is our job to regularly bring ideas and strategies that produce results.
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DELIVERABLES
AMPERAGE DIGITAL SCOPE OF WORK
The following scope of work details what is included in the AMPERAGE Marketing &
Fundraising website construction agreement. We know there may be change orders or changes of mind concerning look and feel during the building of the web product. We
try to accommodate a reasonable allowance of changes in our proposals; however, we
outlined the limitations in this document.
Change orders that cross the reasonable-level threshold will be bid in advance and
charged separately from the base proposal. A definition of “change requests” is spelled out in detail in this agreement. Any additions to the scope of work will cause a change in
the investment total and may cause a delay in the completion deadline. If work is not
included in the scope, it should not be assumed to be in the scope or part of this agreement.
The AMPERAGE website product includes:
INTAKE MEETING
The process begins by selecting members of the AMPERAGE team to meet with SCC in West Burlington, Iowa. During this meeting, we will clarify goals and prepare to launch
into the research phase.
RESEARCH
Pre-flight Plan — AMPERAGE will curate key background information and competitive
best practices during this stage. Our research includes the following:
» Focus groups (see Appendix A for scope of work)» Analysis of competitive websites
» Analysis of reports generated from proprietary software services (such as Google, Moz
and Woo Rank)
WEBSITE ARCHITECTURE
Wireframe and Site Map — As part of our website architectural planning process,
AMPERAGE will provide you with a site map and wireframe plan for your new website.
We will require an approval to both site map and wireframe before beginning design. AMPERAGE will present a comprehensive site map of all needed pages and areas of the
website. A site map contains a list of all the web pages accessible to crawlers or users. It
also provides the critical framework for how users will navigate through your website. Please review this site map carefully for errors and omissions. You will be asked to
approve and sign off on the site map. Please pay special attention to navigation
because these can be some of the costliest change orders in terms of programming
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time.
A website WIREFRAME is a schematic or screen blueprint that provides a visual guide of
how the skeletal framework will be arranged. The wireframe also works in tandem with
the site map. It helps you define the information hierarchy of your design. Our wireframes are designed with UX as a priority.
Your approval of the site map and wireframe allows us to move to the next stage of web development. Carefully review and ask questions because this will lock in much of the
foundational functionality of your site. This foundation may not be made of stone, but it is
in terms of hours of coding time. You will be able to add pages to your site using the content management system (CMS), but changes to the functionality of the site map
and wireframe will trigger a change order.
There are 2 ROUNDS of wireframe and site map revisions included in this scope of work.
All other work on the wireframe or site map will incur hourly fees.
Mood Board — Your mood board is a collage that AMPERAGE uses to arrange a set of
ideas — themes, images, fonts —to provide insight into the website design work going
forward. It allows us to begin to show you the process visually and the overarching look
and feel we might be utilizing on your site. This is your creative concept moving forward. AMPERAGE will refer to SCC brand standards when creating the mood board. There are
2 ROUNDS of revisions included in this scope of work.
Pages — First, remember you will be able to add pages through your CMS. This scope
includes transferring 100 OR FEWER pages prior to launch.
Components — AMPERAGE will work with OU to identify components for your new site. In
addition to your existing plugins (academic catalog, events calendar, site search and site check), AMPERAGE may recommend: OU Insights, Email Campaign Manager,
Course Catalog, Faculty Directory, OU Blogs, OU Mashup, Emergency Alerts, OU Calendar, Campus Map and Calculator. If any OU components require a fee, these fees
will be assumed by the client.
DESIGN
Custom Design — AMPERAGE will provide up to 3 DISTINCT DESIGN options based on the
chosen wireframe for your homepage. AMPERAGE will allow up to 2 ROUNDS of revisions
based upon the chosen wireframe for the homepage. Once the homepage design has
been approved, AMPERAGE will provide up to 3 SEPARATE interior page template
designs as well as mobile design. Upon approval of graphics, we will provide the design
files to OU. After 2 ROUNDS of revisions to the design, all future design changes will be
invoiced at our hourly fee.
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Template Style Guide — Based on the selected homepage and subpage designs,
AMPERAGE will provide SCC with 1 LANDING PAGE TEMPLATE and 1 MICROSITE TEMPLATE
(homepage and subpage) to be used for future promotional pages.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Although we prefer you to be authentic with your web brand and use photography of
your people and target audiences, we will provide access to up to 20 STOCK PHOTOS for
your website. If additional stock images are required, there will be a $50 charge for each.
AMPERAGE encourages you to work with a photographer for your site. We would be
happy to arrange and coordinate the photography for your new site.
USER EXPERIENCE TESTING
Because AMPERAGE is data-driven, a standard practice for AMPERAGE digital is to send
the HOMEPAGE and 1 SUBPAGE of the website to an independent organization for user
experience testing. This will give insight as to what your audience will be looking for and how easily and quickly they can get to areas of interest. Depending on the specific goals
established for your site, AMPERAGE may use retinal scanning applications, click-path
analysis or direct competitor comparison testing to validate the design, functionality or navigation of your site. The results of these various testing methods will be used to adjust
and refine the navigation and functionality.
MOBILE-RESPONSIVE DESIGN
AMPERAGE will provide layout files after adapting and compressing the homepage and
interior pages for displaying the website on mobile devices. This design is a scalable version of the custom desktop design, so you see what the site will look like on a
smartphone. It is easy to become enamored with the larger desktop design, but pay
close attention to the mobile design: It represents more than half of your website viewing.
AMPERAGE will provide 2 DISTINCT OPTIONS for the design. You will be allowed up to 2
REVISIONS for one of the mobile-responsive design options.
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WRITING YOUR SITE
Many people fail to see the value of a website rewrite. The changes in search engine optimization (SEO) make writing your site of paramount importance.
In this agreement we will provide 2 WRITING deliverables:
1. CREATIVE THEME AND VOICE FOR YOUR WEBSITE. This will be presented at the
wireframe stage of the AMPERAGE website process. This is the “big idea” stage for your
website.
2. WRITING OPTIMIZED COPY FOR THE HOMEPAGE AND 10 SUBPAGES. This includes alt
tags, meta descriptions and content for the 11 TOTAL PAGES.
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Content Transferring and Optimizing — You have an abundance of content for your
current site. Part of our process will be to help you simplify the presentation of current
content.
We would strongly suggest starting over with the entire navigation. It would allow you to
start anew and prioritize what sections and pages are most relevant to your end users and provide an improved, more intuitive UX-tested navigation rather than reconfiguring
what is already in place.
From there, AMPERAGE will work with your team to identify pertinent information to be
included on the new site. The strategy we recommend is performing a detailed analysis
of your top 50 pages that need extra marketing power behind them. We will work with you to determine which pages will need a total refresh (e.g., H1 headlines, SEO writing,
photography, etc.) and which pages may just need a new headline. A part of this
process also will be determining what the right number of pages SCC’s new site should have.
Pages will be written in blocks and sent to you for review. This will help move the project
along instead of writing all pages and sending everything at once for client approval.
» AMPERAGE will send HTML files to OmniUpdate up to 100 PAGES of your existing
website copy for your new site.
» Additional pages can be transferred at the request of SCC in blocks of 100 pages (this item has been bid as a separate line item).
» AMPERAGE will search-engine optimize your content for the HOMEPAGE and up to 10
SUBPAGES, including your H1 headlines.
» Additional pages can be optimized at the request of SCC.
» AMPERAGE will provide keyword cloud research and up to 35 CORE KEYWORDS.
» AMPERAGE will transfer elements from those 100 pages of your current site to
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OmniUpdate, including photos, copy and external links to PDFs and other documents,
external links to email addresses, links to pre-existing extranet-intranet sections and links
to THIRD PARTY applications as well as links to graphic elements. As the site content is
being developed, if some additional integration is needed beyond simply linking that would require API (application program interface) research and development, that
may not be covered under the scope of this agreement and we would provide a
separate bid. » Transferring of press releases, blog posts and other large content sections on the
allotted 100 pages will be limited to material developed in the last 12 MONTHS prior to
launch. Older material will require a separate proposal. Large databases will need to be bid separately.
If you would prefer AMPERAGE to rewrite these additional pages, we can provide a
separate agreement based on groupings of 10 PAGES at a time. We do this so the
overall project can keep moving forward as we develop new, optimized copy for each page. This process also makes it easier for internal and legal department approvals of
body copy.
CHANGE ORDERS
A change order is simply a change in the scope of work that may alter the final
agreement amount and/or the completion date. Most changes can be accomplished without added time or added fees. Yet there are times in the website building process
when you might change your mind concerning look and navigation as well as
expanding or reducing functionality of certain features. This kind of change order is like changing an architect’s plan for a building during construction. We do our best to
accommodate most changes without additional charges, but many late-project
alterations — after signoffs have been implemented — incur increased costs, such as overtime or additional resources. We will keep you informed when requests or
suggestions deviate from the stated scope of work before overages and additional fees
would be incurred. An estimate of the time and effort, along with the associated costs, will be presented to you in advance so you can approve any overages. Also, note that
these types of alterations will delay the final launch date. Here are a few examples of
when these fees may take effect:
» Changes to the design of the site beyond the design approval stage
» Significant changes to the approved site map and navigation after the approval stage
» Structural changes to the approved wireframes
» Changes to the foundational behavior of software that provides an end-to-end solution. For example, modifying how a shopping cart or e-commerce solution
functions
» Any changes of modules or widgets (removing or reinstalling) after they have been approved
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Please pay attention to each stage approval (for example, design stage) and keep in mind that mobile responsiveness cannot be finished until all formatting is completed. All
changes or revisions after approvals may be subject to additional charges or a bid for
work.
PROGRAMMING YOUR SITE
OMNIUPDATE INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES & RESPONSIBILITY
OmniUpdate offers a proprietary CMS and associated modules. AMPERAGE will provide
consultation services in relation to the site navigation, the overall improvement of the user experience, brand enhancement and strategies for increasing engagement and
conversions as well as enhancing SEO. Any additional module integration beyond OmniUpdate’s proprietary product offerings will have to be accomplished via linking to
third-party vendors or through i-framing.
The core services that AMPERAGE will provide include consultative strategy, establishing
page templates, providing design services and creating the static prototype pages in
HTML. Files will then be provided to OmniUpdate to integrate into its content management system. AMPERAGE will create a style guide page to show how each of
the HTML elements will be styled when used. Once OmniUpdate completes the
integration, content entry will then be addressed by either AMPERAGE or SCC as defined within the confines of this agreement.
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SUGGESTED OU MODULES
Forms — We will include 4 OU FORM ASSETS (short, up to 20 FORM FIELDS, email-based
contact forms) including the Contact Us application forms. Multipage forms, more involved layouts or integration with existing databases/services may require additional
time and cost.
Calendar/Upcoming Events — AMPERAGE will use the OU Calendar module to integrate
into the site.
Social Media Integration — AMPERAGE recommends adding the OU Mashup module for
social media integration.
Search — AMPERAGE recommends continuing with the OU Search module. AMPERAGE
will work with SCC and OU to determine if the standard search option or advanced
option would best suit SCC.
Google Maps — We can use a module that offers integrated directions and the ability to
display them as walking or driving directions (using Google Maps’ directions data) shown
directly on the site and as a link to be viewed on the full Google Maps service.
Interactive Media — AMPERAGE will provide state-of-the-art streaming capabilities for
videos. We can include a photo gallery to deepen the visual aspect of the site as well.
Newsroom — This will be regular content entry, and it will update the homepage when a
new post is entered.
Embedding Videos — AMPERAGE will use the standard YouTube i-frame embedded
code to embed video on the new site.
Blog and Static Pages — These are included in the programming of the design and initial
site setup using standard pages and the OU Blogs module.
Changes to the core functionality of modules could result in additional charges beyond
the scope of this proposal.
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WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION
Website SEO — As a part of programming your site, we will incorporate certain technical
search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. AMPERAGE will also equip your site with
SEO tools you can use for more granular SEO refinement, including Yoast SEO, a specific module that assists in optimizing your site and measuring where it falls short. This standard
level of SEO on websites is a consideration during planning. However, full SEO efforts
should be bid separately due to the unique nature of the work. As part of this agreement, AMPERAGE will include 17 SEO SPECIFIC SERVICES AND FUNCTIONALITIES
within the scope of this agreement. These services include:
» Setup site for search engine
spiders to crawl
» Document type declaration » CSS and JavaScript accessibility
» Add descriptive image alt
attributes » Display 404 error messages
» Implement canonical breadcrumb
URLs » Establish proper page hierarchy
» Create balanced directory
structure
» Reduce code bloat
» Reduce HTML table usage
» Use absolute links in navigation » Check for broken links
» Find ways to increase page load
speed » Eliminate duplicate content
» Implement proper heading tag
hierarchy » Use search engine-friendly links
» Install YOAST
W3C Compliance and WCAG Compliance — AMPERAGE will install a module to ensure
that all features of OmniUpdate conform with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
guidelines: WCAG 2.0. This will be addressed in both the design and programming
stages. This site will meet the “AA” level of compliance set forth in the ADA Act.
AMPERAGE offers an accessibility plan six months post launch to identify any
programming issues, content concerns, broken links, module updates, etc. From the accessibility report, AMPERAGE will offer recommendations on fixing any bugs and will
offer a quote based off the site needs.
Google Analytics — AMPERAGE will install and configure Google Analytics tracking
codes on your website for accurate real-time reporting of website traffic and user statistics. You’ll be able to access your Google Analytics account for insight into your
website users and their content interests.
Security — OmniUpdate is as secure as any other website platform. It’s important that all
OmniUpdate updates be made to your site to ensure your site’s security. Post-launch, our
services are charged on an hourly basis to make standard OmniUpdate updates.
Quality Assurance and Testing — Quality assurance and testing are included as part of
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our standard programming. Testing is done for Internet Explorer 11, Firefox, Safari, Chrome
and Edge. At launch, your OmniUpdate site will be optimized for current web browsers; capabilities with future browser updates may require an upgrade and will be billed at an
hourly rate.
MOBILE COMPATIBILITY
Tablet /Phone Compatibility — Mobile compatibility is a native feature for everything we
build, so there’s no added cost. Plus, we provide a high-resolution icon for users who save
the site on iOS devices (we set the default scale of the site to fit the device).
Mobile Responsiveness — AMPERAGE will program the site to automatically display the
mobile-optimized design depending on the device being used to access the website. This will not have a separate domain name due to the nature of the main site being
responsive; all links will work and use the optimal design regardless of the
device/computer being used.
TRAINING & SUPPORT
Prior to the site launch, AMPERAGE will provide consultation for SCC during the transition from the development stage (provided by AMPERAGE) to the live production (OU CMS
integration). AMPERAGE will also communicate with OU over technical aspects.
OU will be responsible for provided training its platform and AMPERAGE will provide
support if necessary.
OU will be responsible for training on the CMS. AMPERAGE provides 30 DAYS of free
support via our help desk phone or by email during business hours when your site goes
live. This may include working with OU on refining materials provided by AMPERAGE, content formatting, etc. After the 30 DAYS, if additional support is needed, it will be
provided at AMPERAGE’s standard hourly rate or you may purchase a support package.
WEBSITE HOSTING
AMPERAGE offers a turnkey hosting environment for PHP based sites and support solution
off-site. If you decide to have us host your site, our service level agreement guarantees 99% server uptime, site backups and storage with a full-time server administrator
monitoring the process. We can also provide off-site management and support,
whichever you prefer. Please see Appendix B for your managed hosting agreement.
PRIVACY POLICY
AMPERAGE will use SCC’s existing privacy policy. SCC will keep this policy up to date.
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ONGOING MAINTENANCE
Websites require maintenance. Below we have identified areas where you may need additional support for things such as software updates, bug fixes, compliance updates,
etc. These fees are outside of the website redesign scope of work.
WCAG Compliance — As noted above, AMPERAGE will run an accessibility report six
months post launch to identify any maintenance needs. AMPERAGE will offer recommendations on fixing any bugs at that time and will offer a quote based off the
site needs. We recommend running this report every six months as new content gets
added to the site. The six month post-launch report is included in your investment.
Website Maintenance — AMPERAGE offers website maintenance and support packages
that will be administered at the request of SCC. If SCC reaches the limit on its allocated
hours before the end of the contract, SCC will be billed at our standard hourly rate of
$120/hour over and above the monthly allotment. If requested by SCC, a time estimate will be given before work begins on a maintenance and support job.
The following items are included in the website maintenance or support: » Web-related client questions
» Assistance with adding/removing content, pages and images
» Changing user access » Addressing website bugs/glitches
Items NOT included in the website maintenance and support are as follows: website functionality changes, layout changes, writing website content, stock photography,
search-engine optimization, hosting, SSL certificate, email hosting or email support.
SEOBoostSM — Six months post launch, AMPERAGE recommends implementing an
ongoing SEOBoostSM program. Details on this service can be found in Appendix C.
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SCHEDULE
Timelines are important guidelines. Variables that impact the timeline the most are
research complexity, 3rd-party component integration and the number of change orders.
This chart shows a standard timeline for a web project. AMPERAGE will schedule an
intake meeting with SCC and OmniUpdate to establish project deadlines for each party.
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AMPLIFIED DIGITAL DASHBOARD
Today, it takes much
more than Google
Analytics to move the needle for your
website. It requires
analytics with on-demand reports that
allow you to track your
onsite and offsite performance.
We offer our clients an amplified digital
dashboard. This
dashboard allows you to see live actions users
are taking on your
website such as: visitor behaviors, device
type, city, pages
visited, SEO rankings, keywords, actions,
social networks, etc.
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PAYMENT
PROPOSED TERM AND FEE STRUCTURE
Southeastern Community College Website Redesign & Development
February 24, 2020
AMPERAGE will work with SCC to determine a payment schedule that fits your needs.
Typically, an initial installment of one-half of the projects selected will initiate the job. If
progress invoices are requested, billing can be expected within 20 days of completion of project milestones. Payment will be due within 30 days of the date of invoice, unless a
separate agreement is made in writing.
The investment does not include out-of-pocket expenses such as custom photography or
domain/URL purchase, renewal, taxes or additional travel.
Target deadlines and timelines will be determined upon receipt of the signed quote. The
quote is subject to revision and may include a 10% contingency fee if the scope of work
is changed at the client’s request. Quote is valid for 90 days. AMPERAGE reserves the right to bill for work in progress. The website hosting and SSL will be invoiced upon the go-
live date of the website. SEOBoostSM and website maintenance will be invoiced monthly.
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APPENDIX A | FOCUS GROUPS
It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.” SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL
Research is the foundation to your website redesign. AMPERAGE will work closely with
SCC to develop goals for all research phases prior to any research being conducted. We will deliver results and recommendations upon completion of each part. As part of the
research scope of work above, we are also recommending focus groups.
The AMPERAGE research team works to connect you with students in order to motivate
measurable results. We do that by asking the right people the right questions for the right results—results that are not only measurable, but actionable. The results provide you with
insights you need to make high-level, knowledge-based decisions, rather than relying on
uninformed assumptions. This electrifying combination gives us the tools we need to move the needle for you.
Research Objective
The objective for this project is to dig into your target audience. Research will help us
understand what is most important to students when choosing a college. It will also allow
SCC to develop a targeted messaging and tactical strategy to reach the identified target audiences.
In order to meet this objective, AMPERAGE recommends conducting 2 focus groups. This will allow us to compare the wants, needs and desires of the groups in order to identify
your ideal target market.
Research Purpose
Why a focus group? When the study of people is limited or reduced to faceless statistics, the human side of business is lost. Introducing the human factor, focus group research is
a valid method of understanding people from their own frame of reference. This
humanistic approach provides an opportunity to “walk in the moccasins” of the participants, seeing things from their points of view in terms of their needs. The group
setting allows us to collect personal and group feelings, perceptions and opinions. Some
of the best feedback and ideas come from the discussions that participants have amongst themselves as they share their opinions regarding the topics presented by the
moderator.
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How It Works
What the participants in the group say during their discussion is the essential data in focus groups. An ideal focus group session consists of 8-10 participants with a minimum of 6
participants needed to constitute a valid sample. Each session will last approximately 90
minutes.
Methodology
AMPERAGE’s methodology is designed to minimize your involvement while maximizing your knowledge. This powerful combination moves the needle for all of our focus group clients. There are 4 steps to conducting focus groups.
STEP 1: PLAN In this step, we will formalize the goals and objectives for the research and
finalize the group logistics—scheduling the dates, times, etc. The 2 sessions would be facilitated in 2 days.
We recommend holding the focus groups at SCC facilities. AMPERAGE will coordinate all details to ensure a seamless experience for SCC.
The interview guide and informed consent/confidentiality release will also be developed during this stage. AMPERAGE, with input from SCC, will write 1 interview guide that will be
used for all sessions. Each session will begin with general questions to put participants at
ease and encourage participation. As the session continues, questions will move to more specific topics. When appropriate, AMPERAGE will also offer participants the opportunity
to further engage in the discussion by participating in activities and group exercises.
STEP 2: RECRUIT
We will partner with SCC to recruit participants using a combination of telephone and email, targeting prospective students that inquired with SCC but did not enroll. This list will
be provided by SCC admissions. From that list, AMPERAGE will recruit 10 participants for
each group, in an effort to seat 8 people per group.
We highly recommend over-recruiting, because we know that some participants will not
follow through with their commitment and cancel at the last minute or simply not show up for the date and time they are scheduled.
We recommend offering participants a light meal or light refreshments during the sessions depending on the chosen time of the sessions. We also recommend offering participants
$50 to show your appreciation for their time.
STEP 3: COLLECT DATA
We will bring 2 staff members to facilitate the sessions – 1 professional moderator and 1
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staff member to serve as a liaison between SCC and the moderator. The role of the
moderator is critical to the success of the focus group. We have skilled moderators, trained and experienced to handle whatever situation may arise: the domineering
participant, the shrinking violet participant, the opportunity to delve deeper into a
question and the need to clarify answers. Focus groups will be audio recorded and transcribed for documentation and reporting purposes.
STEP 4: ANALYZE AND REPORT FINDINGS
Once the focus groups are completed, AMPERAGE will prepare and present a written
report based on our interpretation of the results. The report will contain: » Summary of research design, highlighting the research goals, participants and
interview guide
» Session summary, including direct quotes transcribed from audiotape » Conclusions and recommendations
FOCUS GROUPS SCOPE OF WORK
» AMPERAGE will work with you to confirm research objectives and to obtain strategic input in order to develop the interview guide
» Write 1, 90-minute interview guide to be used for all sessions
» Coordinate meals and light refreshments for participants and viewers » Create the necessary release forms for participants
» Audio record each session for transcription purposes
» Moderate 2, 90-minute focus groups of 8-10 people » Distribute $50 incentive to participants upon completion of each focus group
» Provide 2 staff members – including 1 professional moderator – to greet participants,
coordinate the completion of the release form, facilitate the sessions, serve as a liaison between SCC and the moderator and answer any questions
» Present a written report with findings and recommendations » Estimated timeline for the focus groups will be 8-10 weeks
» Investment includes travel to West Burlington, IA
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APPENDIX B | AMPERAGE MANAGED HOSTING
WEBSITE HOSTING AGREEMENT
AMPERAGE agrees to host your site(s) on AMPERAGE’s Web server based on the Scope of Services outlined in the Service Level Agreement (SLA).
Shared/Dedicated Hosting
AMPERAGE will provide dedicated or shared hosting for storage and access of Content,
User Content, and the Website. The Website, Content, and User Content must be "server-
ready." AMPERAGE will provide bandwidth and storage as specified below. If you require additional bandwidth or storage, AMPERAGE will negotiate in good faith to amend this
Agreement unless AMPERAGE’s server computers cannot accommodate the requested bandwidth or storage.
Benefits of AMPERAGE Hosting Solution
» Amazon EC2 Cloud Based Server with fast streaming speeds (same system used by
Netflix)
» 1.25 TB of bandwidth» 50 gigabytes of storage
» 24/7/365 monitoring
» 99.5% Uptime» Upgrades and management by a certified server specialist
» Redundant backups with granular recovery
» Provide complete monitoring of websites, web applications, web transactions andweb services.
» Brute force prevention
» CMS integrity scanning
Backup
AMPERAGE will backup the Website in a commercially reasonable manner. However,
AMPERAGE is not responsible for lost Content or lost User Content. Website backups will
be stored by AMPERAGE for no longer than 14 days. AMPERAGE will provide, at Customer's expense, an electronic copy of the backup Website to you upon written
request. Backups are intended for disaster recovery, not the restoration of individual files.
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Security & Server/Network Computer Outages
AMPERAGE will take commercially reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized access to each Website, Content, User Content, and Confidential Information stored on
AMPERAGE’s server computers. AMPERAGE will employ best efforts in providing advance
notice to Customer of scheduled server computer/network maintenance.
SSL Certificate
AMPERAGE will install a Domain Validation SSL Certificate through Let’s Encrypt to ensure
that all data sent between the server and browser is encrypted and secure. A website
secured with SSL will show a padlock and https:// in the browser letting visitors know the connection is secure. If an extended validation SSL certificate (shown in green in the
browser) is required, that can be installed at an additional cost.
Term and Termination
The initial term is agreed upon during account signup. After the initial term, this
Agreement will automatically renew on an annual basis until terminated. You may terminate this Agreement upon fourteen (14) days written notice to AMPERAGE.
AMPERAGE may immediately terminate this Agreement for cause at any time without
penalty. Causes justifying immediate termination include, but are not limited to: violation
of any foreign, federal, state, or local law; non-payment of fees due under this Agreement or breach of this Agreement. AMPERAGE may terminate this Agreement
without cause at any time upon thirty (30) days written notice to you, our client.
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Southeastern Community College
Website Hosting Agreement
February 2020
Effective Dates: TBD (one-year from launch date)
The initial term is agreed upon during account signup. After the initial term, this
Agreement will automatically renew on an annual basis until terminated. You may terminate this Agreement upon fourteen (14) days written notice to AMPERAGE.
Websites Hosted on AMPERAGE server: www.scciowa.edu
Website Hosting and SSL Certificate: ___ Hosting @ $1,045 per year
___ SSL @ $400 per year
Website Support:
AMPERAGE will provide continued support of your website including all programming
requests, bug fixing and additional website features at AMPERAGE’s standard agency rate of $120 per hour.
Domain – Date of renewal: www.scciowa.edu ___ 1 year $50
___ 2 years $90
___ 3 years $120 ___ 5 years $150
Email Contact: Jeff Ebbing, [email protected]
Client approval:
______________________________________________________________________
Signature Date
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APPENDIX C | SEOBOOSTSM
SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE SEOBOOSTSM OPTIMIZATION PROGRAM
Six months post launch, AMPERAGE recommends implementing an SEOBoostSM optimization program. Work will be performed over the course of 12 months and billed
monthly.
The changes in mobile-first orientation, the explosion of video and the abundance of
online ‘near-me’ searches have not only changed our view of search engine
optimization for websites, but the larger communication model. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) provides the critical ingredient you’ll need to support an active
thriving marketing digital ecosystem. You require an all-inclusive, immersive engagement
approach. We bring all the power to the system from Google Partner-classified digital media, organic SEO strategies, website technical and deep optimization audits.
We move the needle on all benchmark metrics to make sure you are building a digital ecosystem that will yield a set of solid marketing achievements.
Your online SEO:
» Must ensure that your website is easily found and indexed by Google (and humans)
» Must receive high quality scores from Google and other media to maximize digitalmarketing and promoted posts
» Must examine your mobile and tablet environments and meet Google-mandated
guidelines» Must include content on your website that is relevant and populated with keywords
that describe your business or organization
» Must provide a website and other components that are simple to update andcapable of accommodating Google-mandated changes
» Must provide cross-promotional value throughout your site and various digital
marketing efforts
It’s about strategy, not just tactics. It’s more about the interconnected content platforms,
not just programming or providing you a specific product. Our SEO specialists broker the flow of information from one system to another through the platforms we build. We are
building marketing ecosystem platforms for the future.
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WHY SEO?
Webopoedia defines Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as a methodology of strategies, techniques and tactics used to increase the number of visitors to a website by obtaining
a high-ranking placement in the search results page of a search engine (SERP) —
including Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines.
Put simply, the goal of SEO is to optimize for search discoverability to increase qualified
traffic. Increased traffic means increased engagement and lead generation for your organization
It’s a process that takes place over time.
Your content needs to be ironclad from a search engine perspective (keywords in headlines, meta tags, ALT tags, etc.). The length of your content matters. Links to other
relevant pages to the site need to be placed. Your site needs to reference and link to
other authoritative resources. Duplicate content must be addressed.
On the technical side (things that developers help with);
your site needs to be setup for search engine spiders to crawl. It needs to display 404 error messages.
Load speed of pages needs to be as quick as
possible. Avoid code bloat and establish a proper page hierarchy.
What we know:
» Google receives over 100 billion searches permonth
» Search is the #1 driver of traffic to sites, beating
social media by over 300%» 85% of users never scroll past the first page of
results
» On Google, 33% of organic clicks go to the #1position, 18% of organic clicks go to the #2 position
and 11% of organic clicks go to the #3 position
http://www.webpresencesolutions.net/150-digital-marketing-seo-statistics-2016/ https://www.imforza.com/blog/8-seo-stats-that-are-hard-to-ignore/
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KEY BENEFITS
In today’s ultra-competitive online marketing environment, it’s absolutely essential to ensure your site and information is visible to your potential customers when they begin a
product or service search. Search Engine Optimization is the very thing that enables
Google and other search engines to increase their trust in you. As more people repeatedly view your site, the more viable your business becomes. As trust builds from
search engines and your visibility increases…you gain customers. This is why we created
SEOBoostSM specifically to address the deficiencies within your website and to create a broader organic SEO strategy to drive clients there.
KEY FEATURES
Our SEOBoostSM program is a process. The reality is that the results from SEO efforts are not
immediate, but we have designed a thorough, fast-paced and transformative strategy to jumpstart your discoverability and build a foundation for long-term visibility and trust.
Our SEOBoostSM program includes:
1. COPY/CONTENT OPTIMIZATION — Nothing is more important than having the contentwithin your site optimized. Google determines how your site will rank based upon the
readability, relevancy and freshness of your copy. AMPERAGE has experienced SEO
writers that will take your site and fully optimize the content for all search engines andspecifically for your target audience and demographics.
2. OPTIMIZATION AUDIT — As part of our SEO diagnostic process, AMPERAGE will performan optimization audit of your site. We’ll perform an 11-step on-page optimization review
that will identify errors, omissions and weaknesses within your website and landing pages
that adversely affect rank and discoverability.
3. DEEP WEBSITE TECHNICAL AUDIT — As part of our SEO diagnostic process, AMPERAGEwill perform a website technical audit. This audit will examine the architecture of your
website as we ensure that files critical to SEO are present and the site has a proper linking
structure. We’ll also examine your desktop and mobile site load speeds to ensure thatthey fall within Google’s mandated thresholds.
4. POST-OPTIMIZATION ANALYSIS — Another part of our SEO process is performing a post-optimization analysis 60 days after we have completed the optimization services defined
in this agreement. Based on that analysis, we may make specific adjustments dependent
upon keyword rank and trends.
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SEOBoostSM SCOPE OF WORK
The following scope of work details what is included in the AMPERAGE SEOBoostSM
optimization program agreement.
Our basic AMPERAGE SEOBoostSM program includes:
RESEARCH/INTAKE SESSION AMPERAGE will curate key background information and competitive best practices
during this stage. Our SEOBoostSM team of analysts will initiate this project with an intake
session to examine all the information gathered. The initial intake session may be conducted in person or over the phone and will include a series of questions about your
website, your industry, competition and business objectives. Following the initial intake and research, AMPERAGE will produce a detailed table of recommended optimization
efforts.
Website SEO Architecture Evaluation — As part of our initial website architectural
evaluation and research process, AMPERAGE will review the complete site map
of your current website which will provide a comprehensive listing of all pages and URL’s that should be considered for optimization. Please review this site map
carefully for errors and omissions. You will be asked to review the list of pages on
the site map and identify priority pages that are critically important to your business or organization for optimization. These prioritized pages will be the focus
of our SEO efforts.
KEYWORD CLOUD SELECTION (UP TO 35 KEYWORDS)
Keyword research and the selection of relevant keywords is probably the most critical
part of SEO. The keywords that are chosen to populate your pages are the key to driving traffic to your site from organic searches. AMPERAGE uses various research tools and
methodologies to construct a group of keywords and phrases (cloud) that can be incorporated into all your online marketing efforts. We start by examining each potential
keyword and look at the following criteria: the average number of monthly searches, the
competitive nature of that word and the relevancy of each keyword or phrase to your business and to Google.
COPY/CONTENT OPTIMIZATION (UP TO 10 PAGES) AMPERAGE will first examine the current copy/content that is on your site and then
provide recommendations about updating the content to be optimized. SEO content
writing involves the insertion of core keywords you’re your website copy. AMPERAGE will write or rewrite the content on your site to SEO best practices and suggested keywords
for the home page and the most trafficked or critical pages of the site. Our optimization
process includes optimizing alt tags, meta descriptions and page content. The content will also be written in accordance with your organization’s brand message and tone.
OPTIMIZATION AUDIT
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As part of the overall SEOBoostSM program, AMPERAGE will perform a deep analysis of
several elements of your website.
Deep Optimization Audit — Once the keywords are approved, we will begin to
optimize pages within your site.
On-page Optimization — Our SEO specialists will review the following items:
» Title tags
» Brand name insertion » Page titles
» Meta descriptions » Keyword and/or phrase
density
» Unique relevant optimized
content » H1 and H2 tags
» Image file names and alt-text
» URLs
» Duplicate content
Deep Website Technical Audit — Once the keywords are approved, we will begin
to optimize your site from a technical perspective. Site optimization includes:
» PAGE LINK ANALYSIS — We will analyze the links search engine spiders can
detect on specific pages of your website. » VERTICAL LINKING STRUCTURES — An examination of your linking structure to
create a more user-focused experience.
» HORIZONTAL LINKING STRUCTURE — We’ll examine horizontal links that allow products or pages to share their Page Authority with other products or services.
» CONTENT LINKING — AMPERAGE will review your current content links and
strategy. » INTERNAL ANCHOR TEXT REVIEW — A thorough review of your anchor text, the
visible characters and words that your hyperlinks display.
» BROKEN LINK ANALYSIS—We’ll identify broken links within your site and purge all dead links no longer in use.
» PROPER USE OF 301s — Using a permanent server redirect, AMPERAGE will
ensure that the proper use of 301’s has been implemented. This is also important in identifying canonical issues.
» PAGE LOAD SPEED ANALYSIS — AMPERAGE will provide insight into your page
speed performance, how well your site loads and provide actionable resolutions to the server and website administrators.
» JAVASCRIPT AND IFRAME REVIEW AND RESOLUTION — If your website contains
JavaScript or utilizes iFrame templates, we will examine how those are used and identify flaws.
» GOOGLE WEBMASTER TOOLS — A critical tool for tracking your site’s
performance with Google Search Console, we’ll make sure everything is operating correctly and examine the statistics.
» XML SITEMAP REVIEW AND RESOLUTION — Your XML sitemap tells Google and
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other search engines about you and your organization.
» We’ll examine and insure they intelligently crawl your site. » CANONICAL EXAMINATION — Duplicate content can occur easily within certain
platforms. AMPERAGE will perform diagnostic services to identify where this
potentially could be occurring and take steps to eliminate and improve. » MOBILE SITE SPEED EXAMINATION — Google has mandated that mobile sites
load within a certain timeframe. We will examine your mobile site load speed
and identify what steps should be taken to correct. » GOOGLE ANALYTICS REVIEW — Probably the most important measurement tool
available that evaluates your advertising ROI and reports website traffic. We’ll
examine your stats and see what’s good and what’s bad. If not already installed, AMPERAGE will install and configure Google Analytics on your website
for accurate real-time reporting of website traffic and user statistics. » W3C COMPLIANCE AND WCAG COMPLIANCE — The optimized changes we
implement will meet the “AA” level of compliance set forth in the ADA Act.
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TOGETHER, LET’S MOVE THE NEEDLE.