Gestaltung von Interaktionsplattformen als Marketinginstrument zur lebenslangen Kund/innenbindung in der Aus- und Weiterbildung

This thesis investigates the design of a Swiss university’s online interaction platform that creates bonds with students, even after they become alumni. The research focuses on working students who are not willing to interrupt their professional career for formal or informal learning. This thesis seeks to close the research gap in the field of adult education and the needs of former students by examining lifelong retention through online communication in virtual communities.
The empirical study focuses on students at a private university in Zurich, Switzerland, who have completed at least one degree and are pursuing or have just completed continuing education courses. The thesis reviews the available research publications in the field, the derivation of a theoretical model of an interaction platform, and the application of a qualitative methodology to empirically validate and inductively extend the model. Interviews are conducted, and the transcripts are evaluated in accordance with Mayring qualitative content analysis. The research also examines the relationship between an interaction platform as a marketing tool for lifelong customer engagement and the needs and design requirements of the students' platform.
The central areas of the online platform are content, interaction, structure, technology, and functionalities; the research details these in a prototype. The surveyed target group exhibits a predominantly high affinity for digital topics. The use of portals and online services is already highly accepted in everyday life, and there are correspondingly high expectations for the implementation of the university’s interaction platform.
The thesis demonstrates that a university’s use of an online platform as a marketing tool would help position that university on the higher education market and promote student retention. Students and former students desire such a platform when it meets their needs in terms of high quality content, knowledge sharing, networking, and coaching. However, the use of a portal in the form of a browser-based desktop application alone will not be sufficient; the development of a university's own mobile app is also expected.