Designing a website for a small school can be a daunting task. There are so many things to consider and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. A school website is a crucial part of a school’s marketing and communications strategy and can have a big impact on enrollment.
What are the most important design features for a small school website? We’ve put together a list of the top five things to consider when designing your school’s website.
1. Easy to Use Navigation
The navigation on your website should be easy to use and intuitive. Users should be able to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. There are a number of practices that school website designers should consider.
First off, the homepage should be designed to be as user-friendly as possible. The most important links and information should be prominently featured and easy to find.
Secondly, the navigation should be consistent throughout the site. Users should be able to click on a link in the navigation and be taken to the page they’re looking for without any trouble.
Additionally, you can consider using drop-down menus or mega menus to make navigation even easier. These features allow you to include more links and information in the navigation without making it cluttered or difficult to use.
2. A Compelling Homepage
A school website’s homepage is often the first thing that potential students and parents will see when they visit your school website. It’s important that the homepage makes a good impression and is able to capture the attention of visitors.
In order to make your homepage more effective and trigger a call to action, consider adding the following features:
-A hero image or video that captures the attention of visitors and gives them a glimpse of what your school has to offer.
-An impactful headline that tells visitors what your school is all about.
-A brief description of your school that highlights its unique selling points.
-Calls to action that encourage visitors to take the next step, whether it’s exploring the website further or contacting the school.
3. Clear and Concise Content
The content on your small school website should be clear and concise. Users should be able to quickly and easily understand what your school has to offer.
To make sure your content is effective, avoid using unnecessary jargon or complicated language. Stick to using simple, easy to understand language that will be accessible to everyone.
It’s also important to make sure that the content on your website is well-written and free of errors. Be sure to proofread all of your content before publishing it on your website.
4. Responsive Design
In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to have a responsive website. With the majority of users accessing the internet from mobile devices, it’s crucial that your school website is designed to adjust and function correctly on any device.
A responsive website is one that is able to adapt to any screen size or resolution. This means that whether a user is viewing your site on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, they’ll be able to see your site correctly and navigate it easily.
There are a number of responsive design features that school website designers should consider, such as using a fluid grid layout, flexible images and media, and responsive typography.
5. Search Engine Optimization
When designing your small school website, it’s important to keep search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. SEO is the process of optimizing your website for Google and other search engines so that your site will rank higher in search results.
Some steps that you can take to make your school website more SEO-optimized are to include relevant keywords in your content, use alt tags for images, and create backlinks to your site.
By taking the time to optimize your website for search engines, you can help ensure that potential students and parents will be able to find your school website when they’re searching online.
Small schools have a lot to offer potential students and their families. When designing your school website, it’s important to keep these top five website design features in mind. By including these features on your site, you can make sure that your school website is user-friendly, informative, and engaging.
Zara Raza is the Head of Marketing at SchoolCues, an all-in-one SaaS platform for schools to manage their admissions, payments, grades, student information, and more. She graduated from University of California in 2019, and has written several blogs on topics such as technology and education.
