What Does Your Website Say About Your School?

Your website is usually the first thing that people see when they start to research your business or educational establishment. These days, most people simply type what they are looking for into a search engine and click on the results that come up. It is therefore essential that your site makes the right first impression and that it says exactly what you want it to. 

The overall appearance of your website is the very first thing that visitors will see when they land on it, and this is the job of the website designers.

If the first thing that visitors see is images that are too small or do not load properly, an unattractive colour scheme, or a confusing layout, they will immediately be turned off. This can have a negative effect on your brand image, and it can end up costing you business if visitors decide to leave.

Our designers at CSI Media create beautiful websites that make a positive first impression immediately, which is exactly what you want when someone lands on your site.

What do you do? Is it clear for visitors as soon as they land on your website? What are your main selling points? You really want to get this information across in a few seconds so that visitors know they are in the right place. Rather than confusing visitors with a crowded website packed full of too much information, keep things simple and make sure your visitors know what you do.

As well as the appearance, the functionality of the website is important. If visitors start to use the website only to find that the pages load slowly and the experience is generally unpleasant, this won't rub off well on your company's image.

If you have a school website, features like a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) are important. But many VLEs are slow and clunky, and this can leave a negative impression.

Every feature of your website should work together in harmony without distracting the user from what they are trying to do. Does the contact form work? Are there any widgets in use, and do they work properly? Make sure you check over your website from time to time to ensure that everything works smoothly.

The content that you publish on your website also says a lot about your organisation. And it's not just the actual content you publish but also the frequency that it is updated.

If you have a blog on your site and the last post was six months ago, this gives the site a stale, forgotten feel and suggests you are not concerned about providing interesting content for the visitors.

So take the time to create and publish unique content, but also make sure you update it on a regular basis.

It's all well and good presenting information about yourself, but what you really want is to bring in third-party views. If you run a school website, you could add quotes from teachers, parents and students, plus give details of any awards or accreditations your establishment may have.

This will make it clear to visitors that you are trusted by others, and that can help to give them more confidence in you.

First impressions count, and your website is often the first thing that people will see when they research your business or school. A good website that provides a positive experience can often make the difference when it comes to encouraging visitors to take the next step, whether that is contacting you or purchasing a product. So make sure your website says what you want it to, and ensure it is an effective sales and marketing tool.