Microsite review · 11 November 2026

Placeholder register

Every open item in the build, rated and ranked. Score = conversion impact (1–5) + risk if it ships wrong or missing (1–5). P1 must close before the pages go live; paid media is planned for 15 November. P2 should close before media scales. P3 makes the pages stronger once it's ready.

43open items

14P1, block go-live

17P2, before media scales

12P3, add when ready

Rank	Score	Placeholder	Where	In the build now	What we need	If it's wrong or missing	What great looks like	Owner
1	10/10 P1	Application deadline PH01 · Dates	FAQ 'When do applications close?' and the thank-you page only. Pages lead with the start date and countdown	Thursday 7 January 2027 (fees file), shown as the final deadline	Confirm 7 January is the application cut-off for Spring 2027. Platformance asked for the cut-off by 26 October and it is still unconfirmed.	The deadline falls four days after the semester starts. If DAU sets an earlier cut-off, every ad, page and the December 'Your Time Is Running Out' push carry the wrong date.	Built: the bar, hero, facts and footer lead with 'Classes start Sunday 3 January' and a countdown to that day. 'Apply by 7 Jan' four days after classes start told students they could wait, so 7 January now appears only as the final deadline in the FAQ and on the thank-you page. If DAU confirms late entry in week one, keep it that way; if 7 January is a hard cut-off for documents only, say so in the FAQ.	DAU Admissions
2	10/10 P1	First day of the semester PH02 · Dates	Every page: hero, key facts, steps, FAQs, schema startDate	Sunday 3 January 2027 (fees file and academic calendar)	The Platformance plan says the intake and Orientation Day are on 4 January. The fees file says the semester starts on 3 January. Which date do students turn up?	A student who turns up on the wrong day loses trust in week one. Ads and pages must say the same date.	Show both if they differ: 'Orientation Monday 4 January, classes from Sunday 3 January' or whichever is true.	DAU Registrar
3	10/10 P1	20% grant terms PH06 · Fees	Every page: key facts, fees, programme sheets, FAQs	'SAR 1,960 with the 20% grant for new self-funded students. It continues if your GPA is in the top 20%.'	Who qualifies, for how long, and what exactly keeps it? Approve the one sentence we show beside the price.	Cost is the top reason applicants don't enrol (38%). If the grant lapses after year one and the page implies it doesn't, that is a complaint in month seven.	One approved sentence, plus a worked example in each programme sheet.	DAU Admissions / Finance
4	10/10 P1	HubSpot form, consent wording and privacy notice PH07 · Data	Every form, thank-you page	Prototype form: validates and moves to step 2, sends no data	HubSpot form GUID and properties, the approved consent text (PDPL), the privacy notice URL, and the WhatsApp opt-in subscription type.	No form, no leads. Consent that legal hasn't approved puts the whole lead base at risk.	Two-step form: the lead is saved after step 1, and step 2 adds detail. Submitted through the Forms API with UTMs and click IDs.	DAU Legal / CRM team
5	9/10 P1	WhatsApp number PH05 · Conversion	Every page: header, hero, sticky bar, contact block, programme sheets, thank-you	Buttons show a 'number to be confirmed' message	Which WhatsApp Business number (DripTell) do students message, and who answers it in the evenings?	WhatsApp is the second action on every screen. A dead button on a phone ends the visit.	Pre-filled message per page, e.g. 'Hi, I'd like to know about Finance and Banking for January 2027.'	DAU Marketing
6	9/10 P1	Arabic pages PH12 · Language	Language switch on every page	'العربية' shows a 'coming next' message	Arabic copy written for Arabic readers (not translated), Arabic display font, and Arabic SEO terms.	This is an Arabic-first campaign. Arabic ads landing on English pages will lose most of the paid traffic.	Arabic pages built on the same components, mirrored, with matching ad lines.	LION / DAU Marketing
7	9/10 P1	Graphic Design: open for January? PH03 · Programmes	Hub, Architecture and Design page, form options, FAQs	Shown with an 'Intake to be confirmed' tag	Does Graphic Design (listed as 'Digital Design' in the fees file) take January 2027 entrants? The approved ads already name it.	If it is closed, the ads promise something students cannot apply for and leads go to waste. Agency target is 10 admissions.	Confirm, then use one official name everywhere (Graphic Design or Digital Design) in ads, forms and SIS.	CADD Dean / Admissions
8	9/10 P1	Master of Management Information Systems: open for January? PH04 · Programmes	Business master's page, hub, form options	Shown second on the Business master's page with a 'To be confirmed' tag	The fees file marks MIS 'Temporarily suspended'. The Platformance plan targets 8 MIS admissions ('MBA and Information Systems'). Is it open?	Marketing a suspended programme creates leads DAU cannot enrol and a complaint risk.	If closed, remove the card and the form option; the page works as an MBA page without changes.	Business Dean / Admissions
9	9/10 P1	Cookie consent banner (PDPL) PH42 · Tracking	Every page (banner); Consent Mode v2 defaults are already in the head	Consent defaults set to 'denied'; no banner yet	DAU Legal to approve the consent banner text and categories, in Arabic and English. Which tool runs it (GTM template, HubSpot, other)?	Without a banner, tags stay denied and paid media can't measure leads. Firing tags without consent is a PDPL risk.	One clear banner: Accept, Reject, Settings. Remembers the choice across both languages.	DAU Legal / Platformance
10	8/10 P1	Photography from the November shoot PH11 · Photography	Every hero, programme previews, 'Why' sections, events	Labelled photo frames with the brief for each shot	Selects and releases from the shoot, cropped 4:5 (hero), 4:3 (programmes) and 1:1 (people). Each hero should match its ad (same student).	The pages cannot go live with empty frames. Using the concept models from the creative deck would break the 'real students' promise.	One real student per study area, the same person in the ad and on the page; separate frames for men's and women's campuses.	Platformance / DAU Marketing
11	8/10 P1	DAU Jobs link PH08 · Lead quality	Job-seeker message in every form, FAQ, footer, menu	Links to dau.edu.sa (dau.edu.sa/careers returns 404)	Where should people looking for a job at DAU go?	About 20% of September form submissions were job applications. Without a working jobs link, they fill in the study form anyway.	A real jobs page, plus 'jobs' and 'وظائف' added as negative keywords in media.	DAU HR / Web
12	8/10 P1	Teaching language: CADD, Law master's, MBA PH09 · Programmes	Key facts, programme rows, sheets, FAQs	CADD: English. Law master's: Arabic. MBA: Arabic (fees file)	CADD 'English' comes from the client copy only; the DAU overall copy says 'to confirm'. Law master's language is assumed.	79% of new students prefer Arabic or bilingual study. Getting the language wrong loses the right students and attracts the wrong ones.	State the language on every programme row, the way the fees file does.	Deans
13	8/10 P1	Institutional accreditation: current status PH10 · Proof	Hub 'What you can count on', FAQs, footer schema	'DAU is institutionally accredited by ETEC' (granted 2019; renewal contract signed October 2023)	Has the renewal been granted, and for what term?	A present-tense accreditation claim that has lapsed is a regulatory problem, not a copy problem.	Name the term: 'Accredited by ETEC, 20XX to 20XX'.	DAU Quality
14	8/10 P1	Domain, URLs, tags and conversion events PH13 · Tracking	All pages (head), thank-you page	dataLayer events, consent defaults, hidden fields and [DEV] GTM placeholders are built in (see tracking.html); container and pixels not installed	Final domain and paths, GTM container, Meta, Snap, TikTok, Google Ads and LinkedIn tags with consent mode, and the thank-you conversion events.	Without tags, media can't optimise to leads and admissions can't be reported by channel, which is the plan's main KPI.	One conversion event per study area, plus click IDs saved to HubSpot for offline conversion uploads.	Platformance media / Web
15	8/10 P2	Early bird and alumni discounts (15–20%) PH16 · Offers	Pending offer modules on the hub and every page	Module built and hidden until approved	Approve the offer, its terms and its end date (Make January Count, Come Back Stronger).	Cost is the main reason applicants don't enrol. Without the offer, two of the four campaigns have nothing to point to.	One clear figure, one end date, one condition line, the same on ads and page.	DAU leadership
16	7/10 P2	Decision time PH15 · Conversion	How to apply step 3, FAQs	'Admissions tells you the decision' (no time given)	Can Admissions commit to a decision time, for example within 3 working days?	Fast acceptance is the third most common reason students chose DAU (43%). Not stating it wastes a real advantage.	Add the promise to the announcement bar in December: 'Classes start 3 January. Decision in 3 working days.'	DAU Admissions
17	7/10 P2	What the English track covers (Business) PH14 · Programmes	Business page key facts, rows, sheets, FAQ	'Arabic or English (your choice)' for Finance and Banking, Marketing and HRM	The research has students saying their English programme was half in Arabic. What does the English track cover, and from which semester?	Overpromising English is a top complaint in the research and a refund risk.	'Taught in English from semester 3. Some university requirements are taught in Arabic.' (whatever is true).	Business Dean
18	7/10 P2	Master's class times PH19 · Programmes	MBA and Law master's pages: key facts, why, FAQs	MBA: 'evening classes'. Law master's: 'evening classes' with a confirm tag	Confirm the class times for each master's. A Law student in the research asked DAU to move the master's to evenings, which suggests it isn't.	Working professionals are the master's audience. If classes are in the day, the page sends them the wrong signal and the lead is lost at the first call.	Exact days and times, e.g. 'Sunday to Wednesday, 5pm to 10pm'.	Business and Law Deans
19	7/10 P2	Starting later: the five-year rule PH22 · Entry	Bachelor's pages: route tabs, FAQs	'Normally within five years of finishing school. The University Council can make exceptions.'	How does an older applicant ask for the exception, and how often is it granted?	The plan targets late starters, and 29% of non-enrolled applicants were 25+. If the page attracts them and the rule turns them away, the campaign pays for leads that can't convert.	One line with the route: 'Finished school before 2022? Talk to admissions first. We'll check your case before you apply.'	DAU Admissions
20	7/10 P2	What 'Enroll Now' does PH39 · Conversion	Every primary button, header, sticky bar, form	'Enroll Now' opens the enquiry form; the thank-you page then hands over to the SIS application	Platformance and DAU to confirm this flow: the lead is captured first, then the student applies. Is 'Enroll Now' acceptable when the student's next step is an application?	Sending 'Enroll Now' straight to SIS loses every student who stalls in the application; the lead is never captured and media can't optimise.	Pre-fill the SIS application with the details already given, if SIS supports it.	Platformance / DAU Marketing
21	7/10 P2	Yearly cost figures PH41 · Fees	Key facts, fees, programme panels, FAQs	Each programme's credit hours divided by its years, times the rate, rounded to SAR 1,000: bachelor's SAR 83,000 to 86,000 a year (Interior Design and Graphic Design lowest, Marketing, HRM, Accounting and Law highest), MBA SAR 111,000, law master's SAR 104,000. Pages with several programmes show 'From' the lowest	Is DAU comfortable showing approximate yearly costs? Students budget by year, not by credit hour.	If a student takes fewer credit hours, the yearly figure is lower but the degree takes longer; the panels show the full-degree total too.	A small calculator in each programme panel: credit hours per semester gives the cost per semester.	DAU Finance / Admissions
22	7/10 P2	Top-entrant scholarship (50% off) PH43 · Offers	FAQ 'Are there scholarships or discounts?' on the hub and the three bachelor's pages	'Each year, up to 10 of the strongest new bachelor's students get 50% off tuition. Weighted score 80% or more; GPA 3.75 to keep it.' (DAU fees page)	Does the 50% scholarship apply to Spring (January) entrants, and is it 'up to 10 a year' or per intake? Can it combine with the 20% grant?	A strong hook for high achievers, but if January entrants aren't eligible the FAQ over-promises.	If January entrants qualify, give it its own line beside the price: '50% off for the top 10 new students'.	DAU Admissions / Finance
23	6/10 P2	Online info session dates and join links PH17 · Events	Hub events module, master's pages	Format shown (30 minutes, 7pm, Mondays and Tuesdays); dates missing	Dates per college from 15 November, the host, and the registration link.	Sessions start this week in the plan. Without dates on the page, paid media has nowhere to send people.	An 'Add to calendar' link, and registration that creates a HubSpot contact.	Deans / DAU Marketing
24	6/10 P2	Festival Open Day: date and registration PH18 · Events	Hub events module	'First week of December' with the programme for the day	Date, times (men's and women's sessions if separate), location and the registration form.	The plan expects about 200 leads and 24 admissions from the Festival. It can't be promoted from 15 November without a date.	A registration form that says 'Bring your family'.	DAU Marketing
25	6/10 P2	Law master's entry requirements PH20 · Entry	Law master's page: entry, FAQs	Same as the business master's (bachelor's graded Good, University Aptitude Test 60+ or GMAT/GRE)	The fees file lists no conditions for the law master's. Is a GMAT or GRE really accepted for law? Is a law degree required?	Wrong entry rules mean wasted applications or lost ones.	Entry rules in the college's own words, plus who the programme suits.	Law Dean
26	6/10 P2	Call-back promise PH23 · Follow-up	Form intro, thank-you page	'An admissions advisor will call you' (no time given)	The plan commits to contacting every lead the same working day. Is the team staffed for that from launch?	In the research, seven non-enrolled applicants never heard back. A promise that isn't kept is worse than none.	'We'll call you today if you message before 4pm, Sunday to Thursday.'	DAU Marketing
27	6/10 P2	Button contrast (white on orange) PH40 · Accessibility	Every orange 'Enroll Now' button	White text on #FF7734, as in the creative (2.6:1). Pink buttons are 4.2:1, which passes for large text at the 19px bold set here	Accept the creative as is, or use deep teal text on the same orange for the web (4.6:1, passes WCAG AA)?	At 2.6:1 the label is harder to read in sunlight on a phone, the most common way students see the page. It fails WCAG AA.	Same orange fill with deep teal text on the web; ads keep white.	LION / DAU Brand
28	5/10 P2	Master's documents list PH21 · Entry	Master's pages: 'Have these ready' and the apply screen	Bachelor's certificate and transcript, test result, ID or iqama, photo (drafted)	Confirm the documents a master's applicant uploads.	A missing document stalls the application in SIS.	Name the exact file types and how long the upload takes.	DAU Admissions
29	5/10 P2	Course lists in the programme sheets PH24 · Content	'What you'll study' in every sheet	Taken from the client copy, which the Deans are checking	Deans to confirm 3–5 course areas per programme.	Course names are the most-read part of a programme sheet; wrong names undermine everything else.	Add one line per programme on what a typical week looks like.	Deans
30	5/10 P2	Final fonts and licences PH25 · Brand	Whole site	Stand-ins: Playfair Display (closest Google match to the creative's headline serif) and Outfit (for Gilroy)	Exact font files from LION, with web licences, and the Arabic pair.	The ads use the approved serif. The page has to match, or the click feels like a different brand.	Self-hosted, subset WOFF2 files so they load fast.	LION
31	4/10 P2	Logo master files PH26 · Brand	Header, footer, CADD co-brand	Vector traced from the creative deck (sharp at every size)	Official SVG lockups (horizontal and stacked, English and Arabic) and the CADD lockup.	Low risk, but the traced version should be replaced by the masters.	—	LION / DAU Brand
32	7/10 P3	Alumni names, roles and photos PH28 · Proof	Pending 'Where our graduates are now' module	Names nominated by Deans; hidden until each person gives written consent	Written consent, degree confirmation and a photo for 3–4 graduates per study area.	Without consent, naming people is a legal risk. With it, it is the strongest proof on the page.	Link each graduate to their video from the shoot (Alumni: where are they now).	Deans / DAU Marketing
33	6/10 P3	Student quotes ('In their own words') PH27 · Proof	Pending module on every page	Three anonymous quotes from DAU's October 2026 survey, hidden until approved	Does the survey consent cover marketing use? Get the original Arabic answers for the Arabic pages.	Friends and family are how most new students heard of DAU. Real student words are the closest thing on a page.	Replace with filmed students from the shoot, named, with their programme.	Cintana / DAU Marketing
34	6/10 P3	Law bachelor's accreditation renewal PH31 · Proof	Law page proof and FAQ	'Nationally accredited by ETEC' (current term December 2022 to February 2027; renewal under way)	Confirm the renewal before February. The French accreditation (2021–2026) has been left out because it expires next month.	The term ends mid-semester. The page avoids an end date until the renewal lands.	Add the new term when granted.	Law Dean / Quality
35	5/10 P3	Non-Saudi fees and VAT PH29 · Fees	Fees blocks, FAQs	'Non-Saudi students: SAR 2,817.50 per credit hour, including 15% VAT'	Confirm the difference is VAT, so it doesn't read as a nationality surcharge.	Low, but a wrong label invites questions in every call.	—	DAU Finance
36	5/10 P3	Payment, instalments and sponsorship PH30 · Fees	Fees blocks, FAQs	Not shown (payment before registration; no instalments published)	Is there an instalment plan, employer sponsorship or other support? The research shows students asking for it.	Cost is the top reason for not enrolling. Payment options are cheaper than discounts.	'Pay in X instalments' beside the price, if it exists.	DAU Finance
37	5/10 P3	Business accreditations not yet confirmed PH32 · Proof	Business pages (left out)	ACBSP and SHRM left out of the build	Send the ACBSP decision letter (visit was October 2026) and the SHRM alignment wording if DAU wants to use them.	Claiming them unconfirmed is a false claim. Leaving them out costs little, as students rarely ask about accreditation.	Add to the proof list once confirmed.	Business Dean
38	4/10 P3	CADD industry partners PH33 · Proof	Architecture and Design page proof	'More than 20 industry partners' (23 signed; the brief says 28)	Which number is right, and which partner logos can be shown?	Low.	A logo row of 6–8 partners with permission.	CADD Dean
39	4/10 P3	Graduate count PH34 · Proof	Hub 'What you can count on'	'More than 6,700 graduates since 2008' (dau.edu.sa: 6,731 to 2023–24)	Confirm the current total, including May 2025 and 2026 graduations.	Low.	—	DAU Registrar
40	4/10 P3	Credit for diplomas PH35 · Entry	Bachelor's route tabs	'A diploma qualifies you to apply. Admissions checks which courses count.'	Do diploma courses transfer as credit, and up to how much?	'Turn your diploma into a degree' is a campaign message; the page needs the answer.	'Diploma holders can transfer up to X credit hours.'	DAU Admissions
41	4/10 P3	How long the application takes PH36 · Conversion	Thank-you page (next step: the application)	'The application takes about 15 minutes' (estimate)	Time the SIS application end to end.	Low, but it sets expectations before the student leaves the page.	—	Platformance UX
42	4/10 P3	Health programmes PH37 · Content	Hub 'Looking for another programme?'	'Medicine, Dentistry and health programmes aren't part of this campaign. Call admissions or visit dau.edu.sa.'	Confirm the wording. Health programmes take some January entrants but are not marketed.	Low; it keeps health enquiries out of the campaign form.	—	DAU Marketing
43	4/10 P3	Portfolio for design programmes PH38 · Entry	Architecture and Design page FAQ	'DAU's entry requirements don't list a portfolio or drawing test.'	Confirm with CADD that no portfolio or drawing test is required.	Low; a wrong answer causes a surprise at interview.	If there is one, say so early and show an example.	CADD Dean

Bars: top row is impact, bottom row is risk. Turn on placeholders in the review bar to see each item highlighted on the pages; tap a highlight for its details.

Fact check

What changed from the client copy

Checked against the fees file, the accreditation certificates, the research deck and the Platformance plan.

Business and MBA: 'accredited by ACBSP (US)'
Removed
Only the visit happened (October 2026). No decision letter yet. PH32.
Accounting: 'Accredited by ACBSP'
'Covered by DAU's institutional accreditation'
Accounting has no programme accreditation of its own.
HRM: 'recognised by SHRM'
Removed
Unconfirmed, and SHRM aligns curricula; it doesn't accredit.
Law: 'accredited in Saudi Arabia and France'
French accreditation removed
The HCERES term ends December 2026, before the semester starts.
Architecture: 'NAAB Substantial Equivalency', 'accredited in the US'
'NAAB International Certification, next review 2031'
NAAB's current term. It is a certification, not US accreditation.
'First private university in Saudi Arabia to earn NAAB'
Removed
No evidence; another private Saudi university holds the same certification.
'Among the first universities in Saudi Arabia' with CFA affiliation
'DAU is a CFA Institute affiliated university'
The affiliation programme has run since 2009; 'among the first' is unsupported.
'Hands-on with Refinitiv Eikon'
Removed
Eikon was withdrawn in June 2025 and replaced by LSEG Workspace. Confirm what DAU uses.
MBA: '12 credit hours a semester'
'6 to 12 credit hours a semester'
Fees file.
MBA: 'Complementary courses fill any gaps, so you can start fast'
'They add time and fees'
An MBA applicant in the research quit over the cost of bridging courses.
'SAR 1,960 with the 20% grant' shown as the price
Full price first, then the grant, with its condition
The grant continues only for students with a top-20% GPA. PH06.
Law: 'learn from former judges'
'Dr Ahmed Al-Suqaih, a former judge'
There is one former judge on the faculty.
Law: '51 graduates work at the Ministry of Justice'
'One of the employers DAU graduates list most often on LinkedIn'
LinkedIn covers all programmes and is self-reported.
Law: 'lawyer once you meet the Saudi Bar Association's licensing requirements'
'once you meet the licensing requirements'
Lawyer licences are issued by the Ministry of Justice.
CADD: 'between 83% and 88.5%'
'Between 83.33% and 88.5% of CADD graduates were employed or enrolled in postgraduate study'
The approved wording, used word for word.
CADD: '28 industry partners'
'More than 20 industry partners'
23 are signed; the brief says 28. PH33.
'More than 6,100 graduates'
'More than 6,700 graduates since 2008'
dau.edu.sa: 6,731 graduates to 2023–24. PH34.
Accreditation as the headline message
Careers and practice lead; accreditation is one proof point
Carly's note: students look for careers, reputation and a name they're proud of on a CV.
Section called 'Career opportunities'
'After you graduate' and 'Where it leads'
'Careers' attracts job seekers, who made up about 20% of September form submissions.
Buttons: 'Apply now' and 'Talk to an advisor'
'Enroll Now' everywhere, white on orange (pink on CADD)
Matches the campaign creative. 'Enroll' is study-only wording, which also helps filter out job seekers. Contrast is flagged in PH40.
Form: 7–8 fields up front
One step: programme, name, mobile, consent. The application comes next, on the thank-you page
Fewer fields; the lead is saved before the student leaves for SIS; job seekers are filtered out at the first field.
Fees only per credit hour (SAR 2,450)
Approximate cost a year for each programme (its credit hours over its years, rounded to SAR 1,000), with the per-credit-hour rate beside it
Students and parents budget by year. A flat 35-hour year overstated CADD and Finance and Banking, so every figure now comes from the programme's own credit hours. Full-degree totals are rounded too. PH41.
CADD outcomes 'between 83.33% and 88.5%' as the headline
'8 in 10' as the hook, with the approved wording directly beneath
Easier to read at a glance; the exact approved sentence is still on the page.
Headline serif stand-in: DM Serif Display
Playfair Display
Much closer to the creative's serif: ball terminals, long J, lighter weight. Final font from LION (PH25).
Law form asks 'preferred language: Arabic or English'
Removed
The programme is only taught in Arabic.
Medicine, Dentistry and health programmes on the overall page
'Not part of the January campaign' with a phone number
Health programmes aren't marketed in this campaign (Platformance plan).
Programme order by survey interest
Order by DAU's January 2027 admissions targets
Platformance plan, 25 October 2026. See below.
'Starts 3 Jan · Apply by 7 Jan' in every hero and the announcement bar
'Classes start Sunday 3 January' with a countdown to that day. 7 January appears only as the final deadline in the FAQ and on the thank-you page
A deadline four days after classes start tells students they can wait. The start date is the real urgency. PH01.

Priorities

How the pages are ordered

Order follows DAU's January 2027 admissions targets (Platformance plan, 25 October 2026), not survey interest.

Study area	Level	Target	Jan 2026
Business	Bachelor's	76	66
Business master's	Master's	62	12
Law	Bachelor's	50	41
Law master's	Master's	49	15
Architecture and Design	Bachelor's	19	27

Programme order on each page	Agency target
Business: Finance and Banking	36
Business: Marketing	20
Business: Human Resources Management	16
Business: Accounting	12
MBA	25
Management Information Systems (to be confirmed)	8
Master of Public Law	15
Master of Private Law	15
Architecture	20
Interior Design	8
Graphic Design (to be confirmed; shown last)	10

Master's admissions need to grow from 27 to 111, the biggest jump in the plan, so the hub gives bachelor's and master's equal weight. Paid media puts 50% of spend on postgraduate.