Why it's Important to Consistently Update a School Website
A school’s website is a very large component of their digital image. It is the main source of information regarding the school that is easily accessible by not only parents and students, but anyone who wants to learn about the school and community. Often times, the website is the first source people visit, making it a very large factor into their impression of the school. With this being said, it is very important for a school’s website to be updated consistently throughout the school year. This ensures a good impression to the visitors of the site, helps the community stay up to date, and benefits the school overall.
A Regularly Updated School Website Leaves a Good Impression
A school’s website is often the main source people go to when they have inquiries or questions about the school. The website is typically where people first visit, which in turn is where they obtain their first impression. If someone were to visit a school's website and see that it hadn't been updated in months, they might get a negative impression due to a seeming lack of concern for keeping the community up to date.
In addition, a regularly updated website creates an accurate and current depiction of the school. Having a list of upcoming events and programs that exist through the school and community shows the diversity in activity among campus, and leaves people with the impression that the community is very involved and has lots of school spirit. By maintaining the schedule on school wide events, students will feel more inclined to attend them and thus support their school. It can also convey that the school cares about their community by keeping them updated and rewarding success with features, such as having a picture of a winning sports team on the home page, or displaying images from the school play.
A School Website Allows Members of the Community to Stay Up to Date
The school website is not only visited by those interested in the school, but also local members of the community seeking particular information. Many students and parents’ first instinct is to go to the school website when they are searching for specific details. With a website that has not been recently updated, this becomes very difficult and confusing.
For example, if a student is confused on which week they have off for spring break, they'll most likely check the school calendar on the website. However, if the school site is not up to date, their confusion is only further increased when they go to the website to find only the calendar from the previous school year, and no updates from the current semester.
Another example could be a parent’s confusion regarding a school’s schedule for finals. Many schools have shorter days and divide class periods up into separate days to maximize the time for students to take their finals, often leading to varying times for students get out of school. This also changes the school bus schedules, as buses are now required to come at different times than before. All of this information should be displayed accurately and currently, and pertain to the given school year. Parents should not have to go to great lengths for information that should be easily available to them.
Students, parents, and those interested in attending school events typically will search for them through the school website as well. Having all current events pertaining to the given school year available to be seen by visitors of the website allows for more people to stay up to date and plan their schedule to be able to attend/be involved in what they are interested in. For example, if a student wants to see the school musical but does not know all the show dates and times, they should be able to easily find this information on the school website, rather than have to find it through multiple clicks. If tickets can be purchased online as well as in person, information on ticket availability should also be present on the school website, so the student will not go to their showtime only for it to be sold out.
A Consistently Updated School Website Will Reap Many Benefits for the School
When a school’s website contains details regarding current events occurring throughout the community, whether it be through the school or local to it, this brings multiple benefits. This can maximize the attendance of students, parents, and community members to school events, such as athletic games, dances, showcases, and community service opportunities. This allows students to be more involved within their school by participating and attending these events, which in turn creates the impression that students are heavily involved throughout campus. The profits made from the high attendance of these events can be used to create new departments and further diversify the programs offered. Including events and opportunities that are occurring outside of school is also extremely important, as this can additionally allow students to be active among their community.
Having an updated website communicates to visitors that the school puts effort into their website, which shows that they care about their digital image and how they are perceived through online platforms. Ultimately, a school can essentially control a large portion of their digital image through their website. By simply updating it daily, many benefits will come, including a good first impression and student body diverse in their participation throughout school and community events.
Keeping the website up-to-date is easy with tools like Google Calendar integration. Ready to simplify the process? Explore all of Edlio's features and get started with a demo!About Caroline
My name is Caroline Bradkin, and I am a seventeen year-old high school senior at Palisades Charter High School. I am the Director of Communications for Palisades DECA, a program that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in various aspects of business. I am also the founder of the Board Games Club, a club dedicated to limiting technology use and teaching younger kids how to play games. I also cheer for my high school varsity cheer team and have been since my sophomore year. When I am not at school, I enjoy volunteering at NKLA, a no-kill animal shelter in Los Angeles. I am joining Edlio this summer through The Intern Project (TIP) as a marketing intern. After high school, I plan on pursuing a career in marketing or communications.