The Top Ten Elements Every School's Website Should Have
- 1. Top Ten Website Best Practices Every School Should Employ Kelley Jarrett, Market Manager – Guide Creative A Blackbaud Production!
- 2. Where are you today? A Blackbaud Production!
- 3. Ten Best Practices A Blackbaud Production!
- 4. Resonate with your Audiences “Your website does not exist as a boutique just to show off information about your organization. Instead, it’s actually a tool to mobilize your audience...” - Raheel Gauba “Design for Good: 4 (More) Nonprofit Design Principles” Netwits Think Tank, 10 A Blackbaud Production!
- 5. Resonate with your Audiences Focus on your audience needs • Who are your audience groups and who is most important? • What do they care about – need, goals and aspirations? • How do they interact with you on and off your website? A Blackbaud Production!
- 6. Resonate with your Audiences Speak the right language • Discuss, decide and use your key messages consistently • Listen for feedback on what’s working and what’s not through social media, blogs and surveys • Know that writing is an art…AND a science • Avoid jargon, too little or too much content • Test! A Blackbaud Production!
- 7. Resonate with your Audiences Meet users where they are • In less than three years mobile will be the #1 way your audience will access your website … Are you ready? A Blackbaud Production!
- 8. Have a Focused Homepage “The Web is a world of first impressions, and quick ones at that. Users form an opinion of a website within the first few seconds of loading it.” - Jason Gross “The Role of Design in The Kingdome of Content, www.smashingmagazine.com A Blackbaud Production!
- 9. Have a Focused Homepage Prioritize Content • Wireframes are key for visual hierarchy • Remember YOUR goals • Remember your AUDIENCE’S goals A Blackbaud Production!
- 10. Have a Focused Homepage Pass the 3-second test • Is your homepage scannable, understandable, intuitive in 3 seconds? A Blackbaud Production!
- 11. “Design your website around your school’s actions and purpose. Make the mission statement clear as day.” - Blake McCreary “Non-Profit Web Design.” A Blackbaud Production!
- 12. Share Your Mission Tell your story clearly & succinctly and make it actionable • Most prospectives check out your website before they engage • 60% of all donors view an organization’s website before donating - tell them why they should give… A Blackbaud Production!
- 13. Share Your Mission Show your story … visually • Infographics, typography, links, video, imagery, photography • The style should fit your voice and brand • Prospective families want to be “wowed”! A Blackbaud Production!
- 14. Use Compelling Imagery “Regardless of what your content actually says, the design around it controls what the users see first and how their eyes move across the sections of the page.” - Jason Gross “The Role of Design in The Kingdome of Content, www.smashingmagazine.com A Blackbaud Production!
- 15. Use Compelling Imagery Engage with eye contact … Make a personal connection Show real stories of impact to gain credibility A Blackbaud Production!
- 16. Use Compelling Imagery Match Imagery with your brand, mood and voice - Does quality, composition and candor of your imagery jive with your user experience? A Blackbaud Production!
- 17. Ensure Ease in Navigation “User-centric design has become a standard approach for successful and web design. After all, if users can’t use a feature, it might as well not exist.” - Vitaly Friedman “10 Principles of Effective Web Design”, www.smashingmagazine.com A Blackbaud Production!
- 18. Ensure Ease in Navigation Navigation Systems should be intuitive and precise • Provide multiple interaction paths • Ensure context for users who come in through search or links • Does it take two-click or less for key tasks? A Blackbaud Production!
- 19. Include Clear, Bold Calls-to-Action “Assuming that you’ve written a brilliantly persuasive page, it’s still next to worthless without a strong call to action…” - Brad Shorr “Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin a Company’s Website,” A Blackbaud Production!
- 20. Include Clear, Bold Calls-to-Action Remove all obstacles to action from anywhere “Apply Now” should take them directly to application. A Blackbaud Production!
- 21. Include Clear, Bold Calls-to-Action Calls to action should be clear and compelling Don’t Say: “Click Here” Instead Say: Visit Us Apply Donate Learn More A Blackbaud Production!
- 22. Showcase Your Stewardship “Stewardship comes down to being able to show donors how their dollars were used and what impact their contributions had…” - Cynthia Gomez “What Is Stewardship for a Non-Profit?” www.eHow.com A Blackbaud Production!
- 23. Showcase Your Stewardship Many will visit your website before engaging. • Show the impact (eg. stats, infographics) • Be transparent (eg. share your annual report) • Say “Thank you” A Blackbaud Production!
- 24. Showcase Your Stewardship A Blackbaud Production!
- 25. Keep Content Fresh “…You need to remember that the Internet is a dynamic place, and make sure your site is constantly changing as well.” - Randall Mains “Good Non Profit Website Design Principles #5 of 5,” blog.pathmakermarketing.com May 21, 2009 A Blackbaud Production!
- 26. Keep Content Fresh Always have something new to offer to your students, parents, alumni - Utilize automatic feeds - Add dates to content posted to the homepage A Blackbaud Production!
- 27. Keep Content Fresh Gather user-generated content A Blackbaud Production!
- 28. Be Social “Integrating the social experience into your organization’s web site will help promote the channel, engage supporters, and provide a constant source of dynamic content …” - Melanie Mathos & Chad Norman “101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits: A Field Guide.” John Wiley & Sons, Inc. A Blackbaud Production!
- 29. Be Social Social media is a valuable tool in contributing to site traffic and brand exposure - Make it easy to connect, interact and contribute A Blackbaud Production!
- 30. Be Social Showcase all social activities everywhere - Encourage viral sharing - Integrate social activities everywhere A Blackbaud Production!
- 31. Provide a Personal Touch Through Multimedia “Many of today’s most successful websites are interactive, meaning they allow people to participate in the content in some way. - Randall Mains Randall Mains, Strategic Web Communication Principle #4: Interactivity” blog.pathmakermarketing.com A Blackbaud Production!
- 32. Provide a Personal Touch Through Multimedia Allow users to consume information in multiple ways - Users want to consume information in various media channels and formats. A Blackbaud Production!
- 33. Provide a Personal Touch Through Multimedia A Blackbaud Production!
- 34. Ten Best Practices 1. Resonate with Your Audiences 2. Have a Focused Homepage 3. Share Your Mission 4. Use Compelling Imagery 5. Ensure Ease in Navigation 6. Include Clear, Bold Calls to Action 7. Showcase Your Stewardship 8. Keep Your Content Fresh 9. Be Social 10. Provide a Personal Touch Through Interactive A Blackbaud Production!
- 35. Questions? Test Your Own Site! www.guidecreative.com/topten A Blackbaud Production!