Make Your Online Bookstore Impossible to Miss
The single most impactful thing your institution can do is make sure students can find the bookstore without hunting for it. If it’s buried three clicks deep, many students simply won’t get there.
Your .edu Website
Include a bookstore link in your main navigation so it’s visible on every page
Add a prominent homepage widget or banner linking directly to the online bookstore or landing page
Review your bookstore landing page seasonally to ensure all information, hours, and FAQs are current along with links to relevant Support articles
Student Portal
Place a high-visibility banner or link directly in the student portal—this is where students live online
Consider a persistent call-to-action during registration and the first two weeks of each term
Match the URL to the Message
Not all links are created equal. Where you send students depends on what you’re asking them to do—and getting this right significantly increases the chances that they’ll follow through.
Many of our partner institutions maintain their own site for branded gear and campus supplies—that’s a great structure. Just be sure it includes a clear, prominent link pointing students to the online bookstore for course materials. A student who lands on the merch site looking for textbooks should never hit a dead end.
In practice: your merchandise site can stay exactly where it is, with its own link to the bookstore for textbooks. But whenever your messaging is specifically prompting students to purchase or access their required materials—in an email, a portal banner, or a social post—link directly to the online bookstore rather than a general landing page.
| Message Type | Recommended URL | Rationale |
| Informational content (what, why, how) | Your .edu landing page or general merchandise site | Builds familiarity and trust within the institution’s ecosystem |
| Direct action prompts (“Buy now,” “Get your books,” “Access your materials”) | Online Bookstore URL | Removes friction at the point of action; fewer clicks = more students who follow through |
Institutions that align URL selection with message purpose consistently see better student engagement and more students with materials in hand by day one.