It doesn't matter how amazing your school website looks, if your website copy isn't up to scratch, it's going to be a deal-breaker for prospective parents. Think about it, your school website is usually the first place people look to for information about your school, so it's essential that you make a great first impression.
In this post, we'll cover our top five tips for writing effective school website copy in order to engage, educate, and inspire prospective parents and your wider community.
1. Don't rattle on and on...
We can't stress this enough, brevity is key when it comes to effective website copy. No one sits down to read website copy for pleasure (well, maybe there are the rare few who do), they just want to access key information in the shortest amount of time possible. Keep your website copy succinct and to the point, without skipping any of the important details of course. If you want to make your website copy extra reader-friendly, be sure to include relevant headings, bullet points, or numbered lists to highlight key information at a glance.
2. Follow the inverted pyramid method
Let's put our journalist hats on for a moment and take a look at how they structure content using the 'inverted pyramid' method. Essentially, this is a news writing technique that's all about keeping key information is at the top! As we mentioned, it's likely that your website visitors are scanning for information so, you don't want them having to scroll to the bottom of the page before they find it.
3. Check for consistency
Consistency across all elements of your school website is essential. This includes checking everything from your tone of voice, tense (first, second or third person point of view), spelling, and word choice. A lack of consistency across your website copy can be quite jarring for readers and to the overall user experience. If you're unsure about how to convey any of these elements in website copy, check out your school's brand guidelines for a little guidance.
4. Choose your keywords
Despite the ever-evolving Google algorithms, keyword targeting is still one of the best strategies for search engine optimization (SEO). Using well-chosen and researched keywords in your headings and body content is an easy way to drive more traffic to your school website. But, how do you know if you've chosen the right ones? Head over to our previous post to learn more.
5. Use clear call to actions
If your website goal is to drive visitors to take a particular action then you'll need to craft the perfect call to action (CTA). CTAs can be presented in a number of different ways, but the most common formats include; buttons, text links, social sharing, and form submissions. When creating a CTA, your goal is to be as clear and direct as possible.
For example, let's take a look at an effective CTA for online enrolments:
- Do: "Enrol Now"
- Don't: "Click here to enroll."
Keep all of these tips in mind and your website will be the perfect place for both prospective and existing families to gain new information and stay informed.
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