5 Mistakes to Avoid when Designing a School Website
- Mayowa
- 5 min read
As more schools move to online learning, having an effective school website has become more important than ever. A school website should be a reliable source of information for parents, students, and teachers. Unfortunately, many school websites are plagued with design flaws that hinder their effectiveness. In this post, we’ll cover 7 mistakes to avoid when designing a school website.
Mistakes to Avoid when Planning to Design a School Website
- Lack of Accessibility
- Neglecting Mobile Responsiveness
- Stale Content
- Ignoring Navigation
- Simplified Commonly Visited pages
- Conclusion
When it comes to school websites, it’s easy to spot the bad ones. But what makes a great school website? It’s not just about flashy visuals and aesthetics. Effective school website design is about meeting the needs of the stakeholders invested in the school, including parents, staff, and the community.
Many schools struggle with updating their website content and making it easy to find. If you’re planning to switch website providers or redesign your website, there are some mistakes you should avoid to ensure success.
1.Lack of Accessibility:
All users should have equal access to your school website, including those with disabilities. Follow the WCAG 2.0 guidelines to ensure that your website is accessible to all users, including those who use screen readers and other assistive technologies.
It’s interesting to note that design standards which make websites more accessible for people with disabilities are also great design principles for everyone else. Check out this article titled “How to Make an ADA-compliant School Website” for a review of the most common accessibility issues on school websites. If you need more help in making your website ADA compliant, the School Website Accessibility Education Center is a great resource to start with.
2. Neglecting Mobile Responsiveness:
Responsive design is essential for any modern website, but it’s especially important for school websites. This means that the website should be designed to be accessible on a wide range of devices, from desktop computers to tablets and smartphones. With so many people accessing the internet on mobile devices these days, having a website that’s optimized for mobile use is crucial. A responsive design ensures that each webpage is readable and usable on any device, regardless of screen size or resolution.
Does this means you really need a mobile app? Well, not really. Although a mobile app can interact with your website content, a well-designed, adaptable website can also reach out to your mobile users through the popular social media platforms they’re already using such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
3. Stale Content:
Outdated or irrelevant content can turn visitors away from your website. Keep your content fresh, current, and engaging. Update your homepage, news section, and calendar regularly.
Many schools struggle with creating effective contact pages and directories on their websites. These sections are important because they are among the most frequently visited pages on a school’s website. It’s essential to make sure that all faculty and staff contact information is easy to find. The best way to accomplish this is by having a searchable directory where visitors can enter a name, title, or department and quickly find the necessary information.
Moreover, it’s not enough to just have contact information available; it must also be current and accurate. To ensure this, include a link to your school staff directory on key pages and organize your listings logically by department or grade. This way, visitors can find what they need quickly and easily.
4. Ignoring Navigation:
Intuitive and organized navigation is the key to a good school website’s usability. when designing your school websites, Always remember to use the 7-Link rule in your school website organization, which suggests organizing navigation and sub-navigation with seven links or fewer. Anything more than these can be overwhelming.
Organizing your website content properly is very important for making it easy to use. Even if you have good navigation and design, if your information is not organized well, it can be confusing for users. Here are some things to keep in mind when organizing your website:
- First, create an outline of what you want to include on your site.
- Consult with your website hosting provider for advice on how to structure your site with a good (site architecture plan).
- Organize your links into groups and create a landing page that displays them in a hierarchy.
5. Simplified commonly visited pages.
When it comes to your school’s website, it’s important to focus on the pages that are most popular. To find out which pages are popular, you can use a tool called Google Analytics. Here are some of the most popular pages on school websites:
Calendar – This is where you can find important dates and events, so it should be easy to find and up-to-date.
Contact directory – You should be able to easily find contact information for everyone at your school. If someone leaves or changes their role, make sure the directory is updated.
School pages – It should be easy for parents and students to find information about their specific school. This can be done through the main navigation.
Teacher pages – You shouldn’t have to search for your teacher’s page. The link to teacher pages should be easy to find on the navigation and home page.
- Search Bar: Like me, many people rely on search when using websites. They search on Google, YouTube, or their computer’s files. By including a search page and search boxes on important pages of your school website, you can make it easier for visitors who aren’t good at navigating websites to find what they need. This feature is especially important for mobile users.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Even if you’re satisfied with your school’s website, it’s important to check for common mistakes. These mistakes can drive visitors away and make it harder for them to use your site. Don’t be fooled by flashy design elements like rotating banners and large images. Instead, focus on what your visitors are looking for when they come to your site. For more tips on school website design, check out our previous post: 5 Key Elements to Keep in Mind for Designing an Effective School Website. Whether you can afford to make major changes or just want to make small improvements, it’s essential to avoid these common school website blunders.
From designing a beautiful and user-friendly website to integrating features such as online forms and chatbots, we can help you establish a strong online presence that engages parents, students, and staff. Our websites are mobile-responsive, meaning that they will look great on any device, from desktops to smartphones.
If you’re interested in learning more Get a Quote Now. Our team would be happy to discuss your needs and provide a custom quote for your project.
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Mayowa
Adegun Mayowa Ezekiel is a Young Creative Individual from Lagos, Nigeria. A Digital creator with a qualified proficiency in Website development, UI/UX design & Branding.
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