Your school’s website plays a key role in communicating with students, parents and the wider community. Here are five common pitfalls to avoid.
Difficult navigation
Visitors to your website should find it easy to get around and find the information they’re looking for, so as well as clear navigation menus, it’s also worth including a search function.
Out-of-date information
This is a very common issue that can cause a lot of frustration for anyone visiting your website. Update it regularly with all the latest news, events and policy changes, and make sure that all information required by Ofsted is clearly present.
Poor accessibility
Your school’s website must be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Working with a team that specialises in websites for schools, such as fsedesign.co.uk/websites-for-schools, will help you to make sure that your site uses accessible colours, fonts and layouts.
Too many images
While images can aid communication and give visitors a better idea of your school’s values, using too many will slow down your site and compromise the overall user experience. Make sure that images are properly optimised for web browsing, as this will help to make sure your pages don’t take too long to load.
Design inconsistencies
Showcasing your school in the best light is important, so it’s worth remembering that design inconsistencies can make websites look confusing and may even impact your credibility. The use of the same colours, fonts and image style throughout your website will reflect your school’s ethos and ensure visitors view you as a professional and well-maintained school.