Your admissions web page plays a critical role in your school’s ability to connect with education consultants, prospective students and families. The user experience of your website – including content, layout, image and design choices – influences a family’s decision to request more information, schedule a tour of campus, apply and enroll. If you’re looking to improve your school’s digital marketing strategy, here are 3 common admissions web page trends to avoid (and how to fix them) if you want your school to stand out from competitors:
1. Standard Welcome Letter
The structure of your website navigation should be intuitive and flow with the admissions funnel. Your admissions web page is rarely going to be the first web page visited on your website. During the research phase of the admissions funnel, families will familiarize themselves with your school before moving on to the next phase. They will visit your home page, read your school story and review your curriculum offerings before completing an admissions action.
When someone clicks on “Admissions” — whether it’s from your navigation menu, search result, or ad — it’s because they’re already interested in your school. A lengthy welcome letter isn’t the best way to grab someone’s attention. They already have the back story. The admissions web page is where you showcase the value of your school.
Try This Instead:
There’s a lot more to story telling than long letters, especially on mobile devices. Focus on selling your school’s value through testimonials, infographics, photo galleries and videos. Bringing in content from current students and families feels more authentic and will resonate more with prospective families.
2. Long, Scripted Videos
By now, most schools have invested in video but have they thought through a full video strategy? Length doesn’t always equate to quality. A good video strategy highlights the parts of your school community that can’t be described in a paragraph. A 5+ minute video with scripted narration doesn’t always show the bond between teammates, the real-world problem solving lessons, or the newfound self-confidence and passions through extra-curriculars. Your video strategy should focus on authenticity.
Try This Instead:
Focus on a series of videos, rather than one grand admissions video. Come up with 3-5 questions that you think will help yield great responses. Then, produce a video for each question using interviews with diverse points of view. The sweet spot for length should fall between 90 seconds and 3 minutes. Be strategic about visuals, too. Capturing a lot of b-roll of all the buildings, classroom settings, clubs, teams and student life will give you a lot to work with now and in the future.
3. Impersonal Inquiry Form
A long and daunting inquiry form front and center on your admissions web page can hurt your chances of getting form submissions from prospective families. Your school’s inquiry form should be short and sweet, collecting only what you need to start their admissions journey.
Try This Instead:
The purpose of your inquiry form should be to collect enough information to begin personalized communication from your admissions team. Give your inquiry form more purpose by adding downloadable content. When a family submits an inquiry form, send them an instant download of your view book or other admissions materials.
Bonus Tip: Since the majority of all global internet traffic comes from mobile devices, it’s important to review and test the form on all devices and browsers.
With over 20 years of combined experience in admissions and marketing, Katava Marketing can build your school a website that will have a positive impact on your school’s enrollment. Contact Us to get started!
