5 highly effective web design tips for every Catholic school

Jul 20, 2022 by

Brandon Duncan

Your website is the most powerful tool in your school’s marketing strategy.  

From those stunning photos and vivid colors to that breathtaking feature video we all love, all are wonderful ways to communicate your story and make a lasting impression. But a great website design isn’t all about looks. 

When visitors arrive on your homepage, their attention quickly shifts from admiring its beautiful sleek design to analyzing every feature and function, including navigation, accessibility, page load times, and mobile responsiveness, just to name a few.  

So before you lift a finger on that redesign project you’ve been putting off, here are five pro-tips that’ll help turn your school’s website into a polished and professional marketing machine.

Pro-tip #1: Create a homepage with purpose

An effective homepage design always has your target audience in mind. However, your biggest challenge will be to avoid making it the “catch-all bulletin board” for every piece of information on your site. We've all seen it! The dreaded “filing cabinet in the sky” with every link imaginable scattered everywhere and nowhere – yeah, that’s it! 

And so, the first step toward a successful homepage design is to define your layout's primary goal. What do you want your homepage to accomplish for you? Most schools today have two common objectives: 

• To attract prospective families whose core values align with the school’s mission and educational vision; and
• To deliver current and relevant information to parents, students, staff, and the community 

Pro-tip #2: Provide visitors with a clear call to action

Without question, this pro-tip goes hand-in-hand with your homepage strategy. As visitors arrive on your site and start clicking, what do you want them to do? Without any visual signs to encourage interaction, visitors may feel lost or confused, and sadly the only sign they’ll be looking for is the exit.

Providing clear and prominent calls to action can produce amazing results, whether you want families to enroll, learn more about your school, volunteer, or pay their tuition (that’s important, too!). You can achieve this easily on your homepage with a combination of attractive imagery and colorful buttons placed “above the fold” to make your most important links stand out (see examples below). As a result, this will provide the viewer’s eye with an initial focal point from the moment they arrive.

Pro-tip #3: Simplify your navigation menu

While it may be tempting to squeeze every possible link into your navigation menu, we like to think less is always more. In a survey asking what website feature customers valued most, 94% of people said easy navigation is “hands-down” the essential component.

A simple, responsive, and clearly labeled navigation provides an intuitive browsing experience that enables visitors to locate the information they need quickly and easily. A well-organized menu can also contribute to your site’s overall aesthetic and even increase the time visitors spend on your site. 

When planning your menu layout, here are some best practices to consider: 

• Establish a solid sitemap: Put simply, a sitemap is a list of all the pages on your website that defines the order and structure of your navigation menu. It’s also a great way to provide a clear roadmap based on the actions you want visitors to take. While it’s not an exact science, there is an art to building an awesome sitemap. And did we mention every eCatholic-powered website conveniently offers this functionality? Yep, they sure do!
• Use clear labels: Label your menu items using keywords that resonate with your audience and inspire action (for example, instead of “How to Apply,” say “Apply Now”); 
• Easy access: Try to keep all your pages accessible in one or two clicks; this means no multi-layer menus. However, a well-designed “mega menu” could also do the trick

Good web design isn’t all about looks, but we never said it didn’t matter. We’ve all heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and that certainly rings true when selecting the right visuals for your website. Using high-quality photos and professionally produced videos can enhance your school’s brand image while drawing visitors in and compelling them to take action.

Here are some quick tips for choosing the right visuals for your website design: 

• Select images (or footage) that complement your marketing strategy: if your goal is to attract new families, you’ll want to use visuals that showcase vibrant classroom scenes and lots of happy students engaged in learning.  
• Make sure your photos appear authentic: We know sometimes staging a photo (or scene) can help capture what you’re looking for, but nothing beats the natural beauty of good ol’ candids!
• Be sure your images are high-resolution: It’s all about putting your best foot forward – always! Slightly blurry photos or shaky footage can create a less favorable viewing experience and a weak first impression. 

Don’t have the time or need help capturing the right images? We recommend hiring a professional photographer (or videographer) who can help you take captivating photos to showcase your vibrant Catholic school community.

Remember that photos also tend to grow stale over time, so maintaining a reserve of new images to swap out regularly will keep your website looking fresh and classy. 

And, of course, we can’t forget those signed student photo releases! The last thing you want is to spend hours capturing photos only to find out later you can’t use them. Ouch! 

Pro-tip #5: One design for every screen

Families today are more on the go than ever, and smartphones are their preferred way to stay connected and seek information. It’s no wonder mobile devices account for more than half of all online searches. And yes, you guessed it! Even search engines like Google have made mobile responsiveness a must-have feature for any website hoping to increase its search rankings.  

Mobile-friendly designs provide a seamless browsing experience by optimizing a visitor’s ability to navigate, read and scroll through your site easily, whether on a desktop, mobile, or tablet device. With a responsive design, you can rest assured knowing you’re meeting the needs of your target audience no matter what device they’re on. 

We want to hear from you! Did you find these tips helpful? Are you confused and still not sure where to begin? That’s okay! Tell us more by leaving your feedback in the comments section below.