*Muhammad Zaiamri Zainal Abidin, Nursyamira Shaid, Amira Firdaus, Fadli Abdullah

Abstract:

University websites operate as strategic communication infrastructures through which higher education institutions construct institutional visibility, communicate identity, and sustain relationships with diverse stakeholders. While prior scholarship has examined webometric indicators, usability performance, accessibility, and online ranking visibility, less attention has been given to how institutional visibility is communicatively produced through the interface architecture of university websites. This study examines the official websites of three Malaysian research universities, namely Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) using qualitative thematic content analysis supported by visual interface evidence. Drawing on the dialogic communication theory, web visibility scholarship, and contemporary research on higher education digital communication, the study identifies three mutually reinforcing visibility-building mechanisms, specifically content clarity, navigational usability, and dialogic engagement.

Keywords: Institutional visibility, university website, digital communication, dialogic communication, web visibility, higher education