Essential Website Design Tips for Educational Institutions
When choosing a school/college/university most students and parents will look at the website to get an understanding of available courses, facilities, admission processes and teaching style. If the website does not make sense, looks outdated or is hard to navigate you could lose potential students. With Effective Education Website Development your website should be easy to use, create trust and make it easy for potential students to take the next steps. Here are some top tips:
Easy Navigation
Your website shouldn’t force users to search for information. A clear navigation bar will help students and parents find key areas like admissions, courses, academics, staff, campus life and contact details. Ensure your educational website design has a clear search bar. Descriptive navigation titles and relevant information grouped together will help users easily find the answers they need.
Mobile Friendly Design
Many students and parents will use their smart phones to look at education websites. If the navigation, forms or text are hard to use on their phone they will leave the site. Ensuring your education website design and development is responsive will mean it will resize appropriately. Ensure key pages like admissions, courses and downloadable documents are easy to use on a smartphone/tablet. Buttons should be easy to click and text easy to read.
Clear Information On Courses
Students will want to know what courses are available. Each course/programme should have its own page. This can include information about the courses, how long they last, entry requirements, what you’ll learn and the qualifications you’ll gain. Creating an effective school website will ensure academic information is easy to understand. Including FAQ’s about choosing courses, fees and career prospects will help potential students make an informed choice.
Easy To Apply
The admissions process can be stressful for new applicants. If the information is complicated and unclear it could stop students from applying. Including the following information on your College website design will help:
- Admissions dates and entry requirements
- Fees and scholarships
- Documents and qualification required
- How to apply step-by-step
- Contact details for admissions
Ensure your application forms are easy to complete and let them know what happens after.
Show Real Life Of The Campus
Students will want to know more than just what courses are available and what qualifications they will gain. They will want to know more about the environment they would be in. Using real photos of the campus, students getting involved, lab photos and short videos. Include real testimonials (with permission). Having a strong University website development strategy will ensure that real life experiences are used over stock images. This helps potential students to have realistic expectations.
Accessibility
Education websites will cater for a range of abilities. Some users may need the site to be compatible with screen readers, keyboard and large text. Ensure your website complies with the WCAG 2.2 standards. Adding alt text to informative images, ensuring there is enough contrast between colours, adding captions to videos, keyboard friendly menus and readable fonts and clear headings will help. Creating an effective academic website will make the information easy to use.
Fast Loading
Having a slow website can be frustrating for users. Especially if they are using mobile networks or older devices. If key pages are slow to load you could lose potential students. Optimising images, removing extra scripts, using browser caching and having a reliable host. You can also use the Google PageSpeed Insights tool to see any issues. Improving key pages like admissions and courses.
Clear Call To Action
Users should always know what they can do next. If they are looking at a programme they may want to download a prospectus, contact an adviser, arrange a visit or apply. Ensure buttons are included in relevant areas. Creating an effective education portal will ensure forms are easy to complete and only ask for necessary information. Error messages should also be helpful.
Up To Date Information
Having out of date information can cause issues for your institution. Parents may see old fees or students may see that the admissions deadline has gone. Ensure key information is regularly updated. This can include:
- Admissions dates and requirements
- Fees and scholarships
- Staff profiles and contact details
- Academic calendar and exam dates
- Course descriptions and availability
Having a professional school portal design will ensure authorised staff can update the content on your site without needing technical help.
Include Useful Resources For Students
Your education website should help current students and parents. Create a resources section that includes academic calendars, exam dates, downloadable forms, school policies and FAQ’s. If you have a larger institution you can include extra features with your educational web application. This could include dashboards, attendance, assignments, online payments and secure communication.
Regular Testing
Your website may look great but could have broken links, confusing forms and issues with navigation. Ask people who aren’t familiar with your website to complete simple tasks like finding admission requirements or where the fees are. Once live, keep an eye on your website analytics, forms and feedback to identify any issues.
Final Thoughts: Help Students Take The Next Steps
Your education website should help answer questions, give confidence and make the admissions process easier. Investing in education website development will help make the experience great for students, parents, teachers and administrators.
Keep the following in mind:
Student friendly: Courses, fees and admissions are easy to find.
Parent friendly: Reliable information and clear communication.
Future proof: Ensure your website is easy to use, secure and flexible.
The best education website isn’t necessarily the one with the most amazing graphics. It’s the one that makes it easy for users to find the information and take the next steps
Choose the Right Partner for Education Website Development
Looking to create a professional website for your educational institution? The Custom Websites provides website design and development services focused on creating user-friendly, responsive, and engaging digital experiences. Whether you need a new institutional website or want to improve an existing platform, working with an experienced team can help you achieve your goals. Explore The Custom Website’s Clutch profile to learn more about their services and client feedback.