The truth is that, if your site hasn’t been updated in the last couple of years, it could already be pretty outdated.
Being Mobile Ready
We tend to use smart devices like mobile phones and tablets nowadays to access the internet. That dictates why your website needs to be responsive to these devices. What does that mean? Essentially, what looks good on a desktop pc may well seem cramped and be difficult to see on a smartphone. If that’s the case, you could be making it more frustrating than you should for parents to engage with your website.
This is all about responsive design which is the latest way to ensure your website looks great on whatever device the viewer is using. The good news is that, once the design is in place, you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Fresh Content
Just like any business, school websites need up to date content as well. Freshening up your site with a new design has a number of advantages. First of all, it gives you the chance to review the type of content you’re providing currently. You might find information that’s out of date or can be presented in a better way. You may want to explore providing new content such as a school blog or creating an area that parents can log into to get access to certain documentation.
Secondly, freshening up your content gives you a chance to improve usability. That’s not only having the latest design that looks good on mobile devices, but ensuring your pages download as quickly as possible.
Finally, providing up to date content makes your school look more dynamic. Parents taking a look at schools in your area will be able to see immediately that you have everything they are looking for.
Creating a Positive Experience for the User
Most schools tend to look at the website from their own point of view rather than that of the user. Unfortunately, this is the wrong way round. What seems adequate to you may not be that great for someone looking at your site. They could find it difficult to get the information they are after, leading to frustration. There may also be parents with disabilities such as poor eyesight who are not being served properly by your site.
Time and time again, we see websites that have the latest usability built into their designs engage people, including parents, more effectively. Better usability and responsive design can also have an impact on local searches for your school, pushing you higher up the rankings.
Many schools are also using social media in conjunction with their websites and a responsive design for your site is designed to support this. If you have invested in a dedicated school app, it certainly pays to make sure that your design and features all tie up with your website.
There are many issues to consider when it comes to better communicating with parents and pupils. If your website hasn’t been updated over the last couple of years, however, it’s certainly something that you need to take a look at.
We can carry out a free review of your site and come up with recommendations on what to do next to improve performance. Contact our friendly team at Parentapps today to find out more.