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Redesigning your school’s website can feel like a gigantic undertaking, but with a solid plan, it can be an opportunity to reconnect with your community.
Your school’s website is the first introduction most students and their families will have to your school. In this era of increased school choice, with competition from charter schools, online learning, private schools, and even greater ability to transfer within a district, it’s important to make sure your site accurately showcases your school community and programs for potential students.
Overhauling your school’s site can feel like a daunting undertaking, but it can be a painless process with no downtime. Here are a few areas to focus on to ensure a smooth transition to a beautiful, up-to-date, and informative website that serves your needs, connects your community, and shows your school in the best possible light.
When to Begin a Redesign
Your website likely needs an overhaul every three to five years, but it’s a good idea to dig in and evaluate it each year to make sure there haven’t been any crucial advances in website technology that have rendered it obsolete. Once you’re aware it’s time to redesign and the sooner you can begin, the better.
Your current website will be live while the new one is built, so there’s no downtime to worry about. If you’re contracting with a small or local company to build your site, they may need you to do some legwork for them. In that case, you’ll want to plan that work for when their point of contact from your organization is going to have enough availability. But if you’re working with a big company with a lot of resources and plenty of practice guiding schools through the process, there’s not much reason one time of year is better than another.