A website is not just a website. When building a website, many school administrators make the mistake of thing that just any website design will do. The truth is that each website is different depending with its nature and purpose. No website is more sensitive to develop than a school webpage. However, with a site like www.ucoz.com, and a few tips here and there, you can come up with an effective design.
Why are school websites important?
Some of the school administrators might not see the need of a website for the school but they are necessary for the success of the school. The website allows teachers and students to tell the story of their school using their own pictures and words. More importantly, the enable the school to share its core values with parents and the community around it. This way, the school will be able to attract parents and students who hold the same values. It will also make the school stand out from the rest of the learning institutions in that area.
Keeping Parents Updated
A great way schools can also use their websites is to keep the parents in the loop regarding major events in the school’s calendar, upcoming events and latest news. That way, parents can know when to show up at the school to support their children in whatever activities they are participating. The site can also be a great way to provide parents with the latest developments such as change of administration, new building projects, and problems facing the school, what the administration is doing to overcome them and such like things. Parents will appreciate this information.
The Best Approach to the Design
Now that you have learned why your school website is important, you should also know the best way to go about its design. You can opt to use a professional designer but you can develop an equally professional site on your own and it will save you some cash, which you can allocate to other important issues. Here is how to go about your design:
Collaboration – The best approach in building a school website is to use collaboration. The design should represent teachers and students working as a great team, and should echo the ethos of the entire school. A great way to involve everyone is to assign different roles to different age groups in the school.
Brainstorming – It is an excellent idea to hold a brainstorming session with the older kids in the school to hear their thoughts and suggestions. Then you can develop a simple questionnaire for the rest of the kids in the school. Ask what the children want the site to look like and what you should include in it.
Analyzing the response – The final step in achieving an effective school page is analyzing the response from the students and teachers. Try to incorporate as many ideas as possible into the design so that everyone will be happy.
Many schools today have been able to create attractive and efficient websites using this website maker, which is completely free.