School websites are slowly but surely becoming more important in the educational system. As more schools are starting to recognize the importance of having a website, they’re beginning to include features that encourage students and teachers alike to engage with the school. Here are five user-friendly features you might be interested in knowing about!
5 User-Friendly Features of School Websites
Here are the five user-friendly features of school websites you NEED to include!
#1: School News and Announcements
Having a live, central place to post announcements could be the one thing standing between your school website being well-used or it just becoming another internet graveyard. Encourage teachers, parents, and students alike to contribute to the news section of your website. Use polls to get valuable feedback on important issues within your school.
#2: A Blog or Podcast
A well-kept blog or podcast can be a great way to keep students involved when they’re not in the classroom. Teachers could post lessons from class, highlight specific students, and provide helpful tips for when students are preparing for an upcoming test or assignment. While a dedicated teacher might be able to keep a blog or podcast afloat over the summer, consider training one of your students to maintain the page throughout the year.
#3: Connecting with Social Media Accounts
Social media has become an indispensable place for students to learn about happenings in their school district and connect with teachers, peers, and administrators alike. This can help students get a better feel of what’s going on at school, but it can also help build community and show parents that your social media is ‘hip’ and ready to engage.
#4: A Calendar
A calendar of events is a great way for teachers and students to keep track of what’s going on at school and beyond! Teachers and students alike could report their schedule, school holidays, and important events all in one place. If your school connects with parents via an online portal or parent access, then the calendar could help them stay up-to-date on current happenings at school.
#5: Accessibility for ALL
When designing your school website, it’s important to consider the accessibility of all users. Not only does this help with making your site more user-friendly, but it can also be an educational experience that will provide you with the necessary information about potential barriers that you (or other users) may need to account for in the future. A good way to do this is to test your website using a screen reader. This will give you valuable insight into how people with disabilities are using your site and what might need to be done in the future to make it friendlier for everyone!
To make your school website the best it can be, it needs to have at least these five features. Take a look at your website and see what could be improved and what needs to be added!
Where to Begin on Your School Website Design Journey
To have an effective school website design, you may need to hire some school website design companies. You can look into several of them and pick which website you like best from what each company presents to you. If you are not sure where to begin when it comes to hiring a company, here are three tips to follow!
#1: Make Sure They Have Examples of Their Past Work
When choosing your school website design company, make sure they have examples you can look at. If they don’t, move on and start looking for another one. You want to work with a reliable company and has good feedback from others who have used them in the past. They should also be able to give you references to happier clients they’ve worked with before. It can be helpful for this part of your research to look at reviews on the web about different companies. You want to make sure you are making a smart choice.
#2: Make Sure They Have a Clear Timeline of What to Expect for Your Project
When you choose a school website design company, you should work with one that can give you a timeline of what the process will be like from start to finish. You can ask when they will contact you after receiving your project specs, when they will give you drafts, and when you can expect to see the final version. Timelines are important for ensuring that your new website is on track and ready on time. If a company cannot provide you with a specific time frame, consider moving forward with another option.
#3: Choose a Company That Has Great Customer Service Skills
Last but not least, you should choose the company that has the best customer service skills. After all, they will be working with you to get everything just right for your new school website design. You want them to return phone calls and emails quickly so that any issues can get resolved quickly. You also want them to be able to provide you with options for what you could do if something goes wrong. It is always helpful to work with a company that puts your needs first and wants you to be happy with the final product they provide to you.
Your website is the first impression that parents, students, and guests get of your school. Make sure it’s a positive one! Rather than settling for an already made template site, you can always hire a school web design company to make something unique online. Many schools are using user-friendly features of school websites with their custom design to establish their presence in their community!
SchoolCues is an all-in-one school management system for small schools with limited budgets and resources. Our solutions include admissions and enrollment, online payments, student information system, gradebook, communications, parent engagement, donations and fundraising, alumni management, and more. Schedule a demo with us today.
