Do you have a few extra minutes? Here are 10 important things you can update on your school website this weekend:

  1. Don’t bother with a generic contact form on your Contact page. On the other hand, do include a link to your online inquiry form. Many schools duplicate their efforts by providing both, but why give prospective families an option not to officially inquire? Keep your funnel streamlined.
  2. Check the small stuff. You’d be surprised how many schools neglect to include basic information on their homepages. How many grade levels do you have? Are you a faith-based or denominational school? An independent school? Be sure prospective families can get an instant snapshot of who you are.
  3. Update your staff directory. And add staff photos while you’re at it! Prospective parents love to put faces with names.
  4. Put a map on your Contact page. Learn how to embed a Google Map here.
  5. Check your school calendar. Are you still displaying last year’s events? Start adding events for the 2016-2017 school year as soon as possible so prospective families know what to expect.
  6. Is everything else current? Do you still have pages referencing school policies from two or three years ago? When is the last time you updated the photos on your site?
  7. Create an FAQ or “day in the life” page. Prospective families that may not be able to visit for a campus tour right away will love seeing or reading about the typical day at your school. A short campus tour video is a great addition to this page.
  8. Add an email subscription form to your Alumni page. Development is firmly entrenched in multi-channel campaigns now and you must keep comprehensive, segmented lists to be sure you’re targeting the right people. If you want to get even fancier, add a text message opt-in box to the form and look into mobile fundraising options for 2016-2017.
  9. Is your website mobile-friendly enough? Google’s handy test will let you know what you’re doing right and what areas need improvement.
  10. Quick! Do you have an online inquiry button visible on your homepage? Add one immediately!