This School Year Magnifies One Glaring Issue with School Websites

Unfortunately, most school websites frustrate both school administrators and families. There are a host of typical issues with messaging, layout, pictures, and mobile compatibility. But Coronavirus has pointed out an even more apparent issue school leaders are facing with sites:

They can’t update their websites!

Is Your Website Agile?

If someone had asked me five years ago what I thought the most important thing about my school’s website was, I would have said something about how attractive it is to families (which is still worthwhile). However, in this crazy time of Coronavirus, I am convinced that an essential aspect of a school’s website is how simple it is to update while keeping the integrity of the design.

Every week, school leaders are learning more about COVID-19 and how it will impact our plans to educate. Back to school plans and policies need to be continuously tweaked, and another semester of virtual learning means schools are hosting content online. Adding and updating this information is tedious and ugly if you are using free DIY sites. It’s annoying if you have to ask your cousin who initially built the site for free, or it’s expensive if you are using a marketing agency that charges you $100 an edit.

There’s a Better Way

I think the best way for school leaders to get what they need is a hybrid of professional web design coupled with site management training. Today, there are excellent website building platforms on the market (eg, Squarespace). These can get a bad reputation because someone who has no business designing a site spends 10 minutes on a template and then blasts it on their social media for the world to see. However, a professional can use these platforms to get incredible results. The beauty is that the back end of these sites are easy to update because they were made for the average business owner. If the professional designer spends 30 minutes training a staff member, that school will have no problem keeping their website looking good and up to date.

Imagine a beautiful website that resonates with families and that school staff can easily update for free. I think this is the way forward for schools, especially when we could be spending another semester “online.”

Sawyer Schafbuch is a StoryBrand Certified Guide and founder of Everydesk, helping quality schools recruit students. He lives in Memphis, TN with his wife and daughter.