Six Mistakes for a School Website to Avoid
Every school wants to make a great impression online, but a surprising number of school websites miss the mark, so it’s worth getting right. Here are a few common mistakes that are easy to make but just as easy to fix, so keep reading to find out more.
First Impressions Count
Your school website is often the first place parents and carers look when deciding where to send their children. If it looks messy, loads slowly or is hard to use, that first impression might not be a great one. And once that feeling sets in, it’s hard to change.
Confusing Navigation
If people can’t find what they need within a few seconds, they’ll give up, and some websites for schools try to cram in every detail on one page, while others bury important information under endless menus. The trick is to keep things clear and simple.
Outdated Information
Nothing makes a website look more neglected than old term dates or last year’s photos still being front and centre, and when content is out of date, people start wondering what else hasn’t been kept up. It doesn’t take long to update things, and it makes a big difference.
No Mobile Version
These days, most visitors will look at your school website on a phone, so if the site isn’t mobile-friendly, it’ll be hard to read, slow to load and awkward to navigate. That can be frustrating, and it’s completely avoidable, especially with experts like www.fsedesign.co.uk/websites-for-schools/ to help you.
Forgetting the Human Touch
A school isn’t just buildings and policies. It’s people. A site that feels too cold, corporate or formal doesn’t reflect the warmth of your staff or the joy in your classrooms, so make space for friendly language, real photos and even a bit of personality.
Not Thinking About Accessibility
A good school website should be easy to use for everyone. That means thinking about things like contrast, clear fonts and alt text for images. These aren’t nice-to-haves, they’re must-haves, and they show your school is inclusive in every sense.