Your university website wasn't built for how students choose schools today.
We’ve rebuilt digital experiences for Yale, Cornell, Penn State, and 40+ institutions that needed more than a new look
The current reality
If any of these sound familiar,
you're in the right place.
"40,000 visitors a month. Applications haven't moved in three years."
The journey from first click to Apply Now is broken.
ENROLLMENT IMPACT
The journey from first click to Apply Now is broken.
ENROLLMENT IMPACT
"Eight departments, four feedback rounds, eighteen months. No launch date."
Without governance, every redesign becomes a negotiation nobody wins.
STAKEHOLDER SPRAWL
Without governance, every redesign becomes a negotiation nobody wins.
STAKEHOLDER SPRAWL
"Marketing raises a change. IT opens a ticket. Weeks pass."
When your team stops trying, your site stops improving.
CMS GRIDLOCK
When your team stops trying, your site stops improving.
CMS GRIDLOCK
"Your CRM, SIS, and website have never spoken to each other."
Data that doesn't flow automatically gets lost and so do students.
Disparate Systems
Data that doesn't flow automatically gets lost and so do students.
Disparate Systems
Here's what actually changed
Not just design awards. Enrollment numbers, visibility gains, and
a site that finally works with your systems – not against them
a site that finally works with your systems – not against them
Before
The website, CRM, SIS, and marketing automation all existed in separate silos. Every lead required manual handoff. Nothing talked to anything.
What changed
We built the site around their existing stack, Slate for admissions, Salesforce for CRM, Marketo for nurture, so data flows automatically from first visit to enrolled student.
Result
Form submissions quadrupled. The admissions team stopped chasing data and started working it.
Before
Prospective students couldn’t find the programs that mattered most, even searching by name. The admissions team had no inbound pipeline from the web.
What changed
We rebuilt the information architecture and content strategy around how students actually search-
not how the org chart is structured.
Result
Traffic to priority programs doubled. For the first time, admissions reported direct inbound from organic search.
40+ institutions. Every project built around your stack, your goals, your students.
The core differentiator
Generalist agencies
fail at this scale.
An institutional web engagement isn’t a branding project. It’s an infrastructure decision and generalist shops don’t have the vertical depth to execute it
Most agencies hand you a website.
We hand you a system.
- Strategy through support. One team, Zero handoffs
- 10+ years in higher ed and healthcare exclusively
- WCAG 2.1 AA and HIPAA as defaults, not add-ons
Generalist agencies
- 1Hand off designs your internal IT team can't build
- 1Get tangled in institutional compliance
- 1Build superficial wrappers
Institutions pay the price
in failed launches.
Eastern Standard
- 1In-house engineers who validate execution from day one
- 1WCAG 2.1 AA and HIPAA compliance built into every build
- 1Build deep, transactional web engines
Our full service chain
STRATEGY
UX
DESIGN
DEV
SEO
INTEGRATION
SUPPORT
CMS Platforms
We build inside your infrastructure.
No forced platform migrations. We work in your CMS, Not the other way around.
Migrating off Webflow, Squarespace, or aged Drupal?
That's a core service. We handle content migration, URL mapping,
redirect strategy, and SEO continuity, nothing falls through.
Using something else? We've almost certainly worked in it.
Ecosystem integrations
Your new website
doesn't exist in a vacuum.
Your digital campus stays entirely connected.
We build with your existing tools in mind from day one, not as an afterthought.
SELECTED WORK
Institutions that couldn't
afford to get it wrong.
Every project started with a real problem , enrollment gaps, governance gridlock, or a site that looked fine and performed poorly.
Here’s what we built, and what changed.”
Syracuse University Today
results
- 13 schools. One unified platform.
- 200+ contributors publishing without bottlenecks.
Cornell Law
results
- Ivy League reputation finally matched online.
- Faculty profiles synced & updated automatically, daily.
Delaware Valley University
results
- W3 Gold Award winner.
- Repositioned as a full interdisciplinary university.
Temple University
results
- +756% traffic to priority program pages.
- +160% increase in international inquiries.
framework
Most clients know something is wrong.
They just need someone to confirm it.
A 20-minute call is all it takes to tell you whether we’re the right fit
and what we’d do differently
and what we’d do differently
YOUR TRANSITION PLAYBOOK
From kick-off to launch.
No calendar anxiety.
We handle the RFP, stakeholder alignment, and governance. Not just the design. Real timelines built around your institution. Not ours.
Objection handling
The questions every buyer asks.
We’d rather answer them here than on a discovery call.
How long does a redesign take?
A standard redesign runs 16–22 weeks from kick-off to launch. Discovery (Days 1–30) → Architecture (Days 31–60) → Launch (Days 61–90). We give you real ranges upfront, not aspirational timelines that collapse in week eight.
Can you migrate us off Webflow, Squarespace, or an old Drupal install?
Yes — platform migration is a core service. We handle content migration, URL mapping, redirect strategy, and SEO continuity so nothing falls through the cracks. Migration alone is often a $25k+ engagement.
Do you stay involved after launch?
Yes. We offer ongoing strategic retainers covering continuous improvement, new features, analytics review, and technical support. Most long-term clients treat us as an embedded extension of their web team.
How do you handle multi-department governance?
This is one of the defining challenges of institutional web work — and something we’ve navigated dozens of times. We build governance models, stakeholder alignment processes, and CMS permission structures that give departments autonomy within a unified system.
Social proof
From the people
who hired us.
Senior Program Coordinator, Rutgers School of Nursing Camden
"Kate was great to work with on this project."
Eastern Standard successfully increased the client's page views. The team delivered work on time and was responsive to the client's needs. Eastern Standard's assigned team member was great to work with and kept the client informed throughout the engagement.
Eastern Standard successfully increased the client's page views. The team delivered work on time and was responsive to the client's needs. Eastern Standard's assigned team member was great to work with and kept the client informed throughout the engagement.
Sr. VP, CAL Automotive
"They care, and it shows."
Eastern Standard's contributions have resulted in a significant decrease in call volume and positive customer feedback for the client. The team exhibits a collaborative, responsive, and accommodating approach. They go the extra mile to ensure the website's seamless functionality and overall success.
Eastern Standard's contributions have resulted in a significant decrease in call volume and positive customer feedback for the client. The team exhibits a collaborative, responsive, and accommodating approach. They go the extra mile to ensure the website's seamless functionality and overall success.
Associate VP, Digital Strategy
"Eastern Standard was easy to work with."
The redesigned website better reflected the client's brand, and all stakeholders were happy with the design. Eastern Standard delivered on time and within budget and communicated well through weekly meetings. The team was easy to work with, offered good recommendations, and was flexible.
The redesigned website better reflected the client's brand, and all stakeholders were happy with the design. Eastern Standard delivered on time and within budget and communicated well through weekly meetings. The team was easy to work with, offered good recommendations, and was flexible.
President & CEO, The Philly POPS
"Their design's creativity and work's splashiness are always amazing."
Eastern Standard has helped the client double ticket sales for their orchestra performances and significantly grow their fundraising activities. They've also enabled the client to introduce new products seamlessly. Moreover, the client lauds the vendor's creativity, responsiveness, and timeliness.
Eastern Standard has helped the client double ticket sales for their orchestra performances and significantly grow their fundraising activities. They've also enabled the client to introduce new products seamlessly. Moreover, the client lauds the vendor's creativity, responsiveness, and timeliness.
Start a conversation
Ready to stop patching and start building something that lasts?
Most university sites are held together by workarounds and committee compromise. Let’s talk about what a real investment looks like.
- No sales pitch. We'll listen first.
- Response within 1 business day.
- We'll walk you through realistic scope and pricing upfront, No surprises.
Prefer to call?
Eastern Standard is a Philadelphia website design and branding agency. Our services include UX Design & Web Design, WordPress, Drupal, React website development, Contentful website development, SEO, GEO, and website analytics. Learn more about our work and career opportunities.
- 1315 Walnut St, Suite 300, Philadelphia, PA 19107
- hello@easternstandard.com
- 215.925.1980
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