It’s the portal to your school, the place where new parents first ‘arrive’ when they are contemplating where to send their children. It can be a dynamic portfolio of your unique offerings.
Or a virtual deadend.
In a quick scan visitors are looking for the feel of the community. They want to be inspired and feel safe. They want to rest in the security of the knowledge that you have everything under control.
It can be tempting to rely on ‘school speak’, to trot out the same lines that you see on other school websites, but what does this really achieve? Unless each word is designed to convey a particular sense of YOUR community, those words become distractions — taking up space on the page unnecessarily.
Yes, it can be scary to launch out into the unknown, but what if you start small? How can you work with what you have already to make it tighter, more reader-friendly and engaging?
1. Highlight Your Grounds and Location
This is so often missed, but it’s something that is entirely unique to you. Are your grounds located in the picturesque hills with a soundtrack of native birds? Situated on a stunning stretch of coastline with ocean views? Do you maintain flourishing gardens and sustainably care for the parcel of earth you have been given?
Picture the elements of your school that capture what it feels like to be a part of your community. Perhaps you have a school cafe or a kitchen garden. Maybe the design of your buildings is visually pleasing and sets the tone for the style of the school. While these elements can (and should) be communicated by photography/videography, you can also widen the focus by including a description in your introduction.
People are looking to situate your school when they first click on your website. They will attach the words they read to a visual picture, making the experience more vivid for them. Even a sentence or two is enough to set the stage and provide a solid foundation for visitors to feel at home.
2. Story is Everything
A school is a school. Year levels, teachers, students, grounds. But what makes your school different?
Do you have a story about your school history that really captures the ethos? What triumphs and difficult times have you been through together? While it might seem trivial, the reality is that a story communicates on a series of levels. It shows what is important to you, what values are celebrated. It invites the reader to feel connected to the people who are part of the community.
It doesn’t have to be a long story, but what themes do you find yourself returning to when giving an address? What stories have become almost legendary in the culture? Examine what they say about your school and how you can share them with a wider audience.
3. The Principal’s Welcome Matters
Perhaps you feel as if you don’t have anything particularly unique to say that hasn’t already been covered in the ‘About Us’ section. Maybe the threat of a blank page overwhelms you. But I’m here to tell you that your story is just as critical to the website.
Who are you? What do you love about the school? What gets you out of bed every morning? What are your hopes and dreams for the school?
People want to get a sense of who you are as the leader and whether they are on the same page as you for their educational ideals. This is a chance to draw in people who share your vision and distinguish what you offer that is unique.
If the thought of this is slightly terrifying, don’t stress. Sometimes it can feel as if you are too close to the subject to have a real sense of objectivity. That’s where I can help. I love the challenge of emulating a sense of voice and telling one’s story in a compelling light. Ghostwriting these kinds of pages is one of my favourite tasks.
4. Ensure that the Website is Kept Up to Date
School life is fast-paced and a little crazy, so it’s completely understandable when you don’t manage to update every little thing as it happens. But to a new web visitor, broken links and outdated information is a bit of a red flag.
Within a few weeks of the start of the year, there should be content that reflects the current status – including a vision statement/video for the upcoming year and evidence of social media postings. This shows an outsider that there is life going on, and that there are adequate systems of organisation within the school.
You should plan a website review for each term. It doesn’t have to be extensive, and indeed, it won’t have to be if you do it regularly. But keeping the website front of mind will help you to keep track of your own vision and goals for the school and ensure these are being communicated and executed to those in the community.
5. Use Relatable Language
While you want to ensure that the website has a professional tone, you should also be aware that too much jargon or opaque language can quickly turn parents off. Be brave enough to speak frankly and conversationally about your school and its features. Short videos are a great way to do this (script-writing is one of the services I offer if you get stuck on what to say) as well as plain language descriptions of what kinds of co-curricular activities you offer and the initiatives unique to your school that make you proud.
What does it mean to be a ‘insert your school name here’ student? You have a valuable opportunity to feature your staff and their stories about why they consider your school a great place to teach. These seemingly simple strategies can unlock a deeper connection between the school and prospective parents, helping them feel as if they could belong to a community such as yours.
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Of course, there are many more elements to a truly great website, but don’t let ‘good’ be the enemy of ‘great’. The reality is that each step matters — not only in communicating the ethos and individuality of your school culture, but also in clarifying your vision in a public way so that others can get on board.
If you want to have a chat through your ideas and how best to execute them, just give me a call. The process doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming. In fact, it could be life-giving and provide just the nudge you need to get momentum going again. I’m currently offering a complimentary website review to all new clients. Let me know if you would like me to get started on yours!