Expert School Website Management
Your school’s website is that critical intersection between public relations, customer service, marketing, media relations, communications, and branding. Website management is the process that makes this a reality.1
Setting up a new website is always exciting, and exhausting! But when it goes live, it is most gratifying to send out the communication to your distribution lists to share the link! There is often a high ‘hit’ activity and lots of communication.
We all know the features of a good school website include:
- Appearance : The overall look of the website is the first thing that users notice when visiting the website. This includes the layout, colours, images and fonts that you use in the design and build of the website. They contribute towards the overall impression of your school.
- Quality content : A good school website is expected to include a range of quality content, including basic information like contact details, welcoming messages, your school ethos and crystal-clear images on the homepage, followed by learning resources, curriculum information, news, events and user-friendly application sections.
- Navigation : Logical and intuitive structure that makes it easy for visitors to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily, with just enough ‘quirkiness’ so that they stay on your website and enjoy the content.
- The right message : A representation of the values of your school and its strengths and unique features, generating the image you wish to portray.
- Mobile version : A critical feature that should not be ignored, as most users, including teachers, parents and students will visit the school website on their mobile devices.
1. School Webmasters: 3 Steps to Expert School Website Management (January 2022) – www.schoolwebmasters.com
Phew! So, you’ve got that all covered and everyone is happy – at least for the first term. Then comes the really hard work – maintaining your glorious marketing and communications tool. Not all schools have the luxury of a dedicated Webmaster and have to rely on various staff members to keep the information current, relevant and engaging. However, most staff members have other priorities and slowly, but surely, the website is neglected as news becomes old, school fees are no longer up-to-date, staff lists are not accurate, curriculums and policies have changed or are in desperate need of review, the photos of your senior students are images of students who have moved beyond your school environs, and so it goes on. At best, you might have a few committed folks who will dash out an article or some event feedback, but it goes onto the website with (horror of horrors for an educational institution) typos and spelling mistakes! Your image is now tarnished, and your potential parents and students sadly shake their heads and move on…
It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain a website effectively and often the work is tedious. This is where we, at Fine Design Publications, can help you. We will carefully review and audit your website as often as you desire, identifying any issues with content, links, text and images. We will collaborate with your IT department so they can quickly rectify any errors and update subject matter or photos as required. In short, we do the time-consuming, tiresome bits, as well as assisting with writing engaging content that is of interest to your visitors, ensuring that your images are of high quality and are appropriate and well-captioned for a school website, as per international standards.
If you would like to discuss this particular service, or any other of the many offerings that we have at Fine Design Publications, do not hesitate to contact us.