“We want something new, different”
It’s a phrase we often hear from our clients who want to stand out from from other private school competitors.
Newness is enticing—it’s synonymous with innovation and freshness, offering a change from the norm. However, meeting this request presents a challenge. Straying too far from familiar school website design conventions can quickly shift from ‘new and different’ to frustration.
So, how do you combine a creative school website design while ensuring a positive user experience? It’s a delicate balance, one that Roberts Digital’s design team has the pleasure of tackling every day.
The key principals for a creative school website design
A school website design isn’t just about flashy visuals. It’s about meeting the needs of visitors, staff, parents, and students. To break it down:
- Can visitors easily find what they need?
- Does it encourage interaction?
- Is it easy for staff to manage?
Everyone’s got an idea of how a creative school website design must be, including us at Roberts Digital.
That said, you can still have a unique homepage design while adhering to the fundamental principles of effective web design, which include:
- A simple navigation
- Calls-to-action to key pages
- High quality photos and videos
- Minimal text
- A mobile-first approach
Simple website navigation
Having a straightforward website navigation for your school website design is super important! It’s all about making sure everyone—students, parents, and staff—can easily find what they’re looking for.
Think about a parent trying to check the school calendar. With a clear “Calendar” link in the menu, they can quickly get to the info they need without any hassle.
Plus, keeping things easy to navigate helps everyone, including those with disabilities. When the menu labels make sense and everything’s organised well, it makes the site more accessible.
This isn’t just about being nice—it’s about making sure everyone, no matter their abilities, can use the website without any problems.
So, by making navigation simple and clear, we’re not just making things easier—we’re making the site more inclusive for everyone in the school community.
Opt-ins and CTAs
About another essential element for your school’s website: opt-ins and call-to-actions (CTAs). Schools may have different perspectives on this, depending on their services and target audience, and that’s totally fine. You can offer a downloadable resource or provide access to your prospectus and fees in exchange for visitors’ email addresses. However, one common mistake I often notice is that schools offer opt-ins for resources that may not be truly valuable to their visitors, failing to effectively distinguish between inquiry prospects and current parents.
Another misstep is creating overly detailed opt-in forms. Landing pages inundated with questions about a child’s history, medical background, academic records, and interests can overwhelm potential prospects. Instead, we recommend a more gradual approach.
Start with a simple opt-in form requesting only the email address during the initial contact. As engagement progresses through your nurturing process, you can gradually collect additional information.
Incorporating opt-ins directly on the homepage is a strategy we always advocate. By prioritising enrolment on the homepage and creating a separate subdomain for parents, you can streamline your messaging and better connect with your target audience.
Professional school photography and videos
Let’s talk about the importance of using professional photos and videos on your school website. It’s not just about looks—it’s a chance to be creative and let your school’s personality shine.
Professional visuals instantly freshen up your website’s appearance, showing off your school’s professionalism and dedication. Plus, they help tell your school’s story in a compelling way, giving visitors a glimpse into daily life and campus culture. By investing in high-quality visuals, you can set your school apart from the competition and make a lasting impression on prospective students and parents.
In short, using professional photos and videos isn’t just about making things look good—it’s a smart way to showcase your school’s unique identity, connect emotionally with your audience.
Mobile Friendly Website
The next thing that you need, the most crucial point that you need for your school website is it needs to be mobile friendly. This is called responsive design. It means that when you look at your website on a mobile phone that it actually fits the screen. It’s easy to read and you’re able to scroll down with one hand. It not only needs to be mobile optimised, but it also needs to be fast on a mobile device.
So Google recognises that most people that are browsing on their phones are perhaps browsing on data and so your website needs to be really light and data friendly as well.
School Websites Designed and Managed by Professionals
When it comes to school websites, anyone who’s redesigned or built one from scratch knows it’s no small feat. It’s important to also keep in mind that the work doesn’t end once the website is designed.
Your school website is an ongoing project. Constantly evolving and improving as part of your digital marketing strategy. That’s why it’s recommended to work with professionals like Roberts Digital.
Our bespoke approach ensures that every aspect of your school website. From responsive design to intuitive navigation and captivating visuals, everything we do is to enhance your school’s search visibility. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to freshen up what you already have, our team is here to help. Reach out to our friendly team today and let’s see how we can help you.
