Be Proud of Your Website

Ugly websites are costing organizations applicants. The biggest problem I see is that most schools don’t use their website as a tool for student recruitment. A website should be the most inexpensive member of your recruitment team! Nearly all prospective parents are visiting your homepage to apply. If your current site doesn’t connect with these families, they will look elsewhere.

Most homepages attempt to engage prospective families, current families, donors, volunteers, potential staff, and the general public. If you try to speak to all these audiences, you will end up connecting with no one. We must shift our mindset before we begin. Your homepage is primarily for prospective families.

Here are three website improvements that should take you three minutes each to complete.

1) Incorporate Your Brand Message in Your Header

Families need to know what you do and how you make their lives better. Most schools fill their homepages with academic jargon or they overemphasize the elements of their program that set them apart. Rather than positioning your school as a guide who can help families achieve their dreams, you have positioned your school as the hero who is going to save the day. Our headers must communicate our families’ aspirations. Below is an example of a brand message that has been paired down for a header.

Most students feel overlooked in the classroom, which leads to failing grades. Shining Star Academy creates individualized learning plans for students so that every student experiences academic success.

We will edit down the second half of this message and create a header for our homepage:

A high school that creates individualized learning plans so that all students experience success.

2) Use Images of Students Smiling

The picture on your homepage communicates what is most important about your school. Because of this, I am shocked by the number of school buildings and buses I see on websites! Yes, parents want their students in nice clean buildings, but let’s use them as a backdrop to what’s most important.

Parents love nothing more than to see their children succeed. Our homepage should showcase this. What does student success look like at your school? Take a high-quality picture of it and put it on your website!

3) Make Your “Apply Now” Button Obvious

The most straightforward way you can improve your homepage is by adding a clear call to action. The apply now button should be distinct. The best spot to place this button is in the top right corner of your homepage. I would also add it to the center of the page and even in the footer. Families should not be confused about how to apply.

Make these three changes to your website, and you will see results. If you would like me to review your site for free, just email info@everydesk.org, and I will give you helpful feedback.

Sawyer Schafbuch is a StoryBrand Certified Guide and founder of Everydesk, helping quality schools recruit students. He recently moved to Des Moines, IA with his wife and daughter.