A website is one of the many marketing tools you can adopt to create an online presence. This platform is where you display the products and services you offer. With the right approach to Search Engine Optimization (SEO,) your website will appear among the top in searches related to your niche. Any business can open and run a website to increase sales through lead conversion.
However, websites aren’t only limited to profit-based organizations. Schools can use websites to promote their school and increase learner admission. A school website’s design isn’t that different from a business website. Still, there are features it must have to serve its purpose and resonate with its target audience, parents, teachers, and learners.
What are these features? This article discusses them herein; read on for more on this.
The features are:
- An Easy To Use System
User experience is key to your school website. Any visitor has to have an easy time accessing the information they require from your website. You don’t want a potential parent to spend countless hours finding the school’s curriculum. It’d help to include a navigation system like a menu with icons pointing to your website’s information. The icons should have working links that open to the information regarding the subject. Consider arranging these icons in terms of importance to show some form of organization. Remember, in your absence, your website speaks for you; it must be presentable.
As part of enabling ease of use, ensure accessibility. Accessibility means that anyone with an internet connection can visit your school website and see all the information they require. It is regardless of the search engine or gadget they’re using, be it a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. School website designs should ensure that the site’s content adjusts to the screen size of any gadget without making it challenging to read the content.
- A News Section
News is vital to any school. That’s why it’s best to add a news section to your school’s website. All stakeholders should know the right and the latest information regarding your school’s activities. Misinformation could lead to inefficiencies in running your school and confusion among parents and teachers. The news sections will combat misinformation as much as possible.
This section includes information on upcoming events, students’ results, holidays, school breaks, etc. With such a system, learners won’t pass the wrong information to their parents or forget to relay factual ones. Your school secretary won’t have to call each parent to pass on information. All you need to do is ask the parents, teachers, and other stakeholders to visit the school website for any information.
- An About Section
An ‘about’ section helps inform the guests of your website the facts about your school. These facts will encourage potential parents to enroll their children in your school. Although the section is more about publicity, ensure you only write the correct information. You don’t want a bad reputation for lying; you’ll likely lose your current clients and miss out on new opportunities.
Your website’s about section should contain details regarding your school’s origin, culture, mission, and performance history. This information will help a guest learn more about your school without needing to call you for every detail. As a school, one of your core operations is admissions. Therefore, it’s best to provide information on this process, including the procedure, whom to contact, and the documents to avail as they visit the school. Such data is convenient, giving you a positive reputation.
- Your Contacts
It’s said that a website without contacts serves no purpose and won’t lead to the promotion of your company, in this case, school. Let’s say a guest to your site has liked your school and wants to admit their children. However, the website avails no information regarding contact or location. How will they get to your school or call you for further direction into admission? You’ll likely lose them to your competitors.
Therefore, you must add your contact information to your website at the bottom of your homepage. It should also be part of your menu navigation system. The contact details should include a telephone number, an email address, and fax details that are bold and easy to locate. In addition, add a location, a physical address, and a map direction to your school’s location. With all this information, you’ll be less likely to lose your potential clients to competitors due to inadequate information.
Conclusion
The discussion has mentioned that a website should speak on your behalf in your absence. For it to do so positively, there are features you must embed into your school website. This article has highlighted these features. Be sure to incorporate them into your school website; it’ll serve you efficiently, even as it becomes your spokesperson.