4 Goals Every School Website Homepage Needs to Achieve

Like the curb appeal of a house on the market, your school’s homepage needs to make your website visitors want to enter. It’s the first stop, after all, for most, so when designing your next one keep in mind 4 goals every school website homepage needs to achieve.

Your school website has to pull more weight these days. It’s the hub of your school communications, and your homepage has to do the heavy lifting. It has to be not only appealing with a design theme that’s carried out through your entire website, but one that’s extremely useful and organized so that visitors can find the information they need easily.

Let’s review the 4 goals every school website homepage needs to achieve to keep parents coming back to your website for reliable school information:

1. Be Organized & User-Friendly

A well-organized, user-friendly homepage is crucial for a positive experience. If visitors struggle to find the information they need, they may leave feeling frustrated. A homepage sets the tone for the entire website, so it should be clean, simple, and intuitive.

This Essential School Website Design Planning Checklist is a good place for school communicators to start to ensure your website is optimally organized.

Tips for organization:

• Use whitespace to enhance readability
• Limit navigation links to no more than 7 in each menu
• Make high-demand pages like calendars, directories, and login areas easily accessible
• Include a search bar and a translation option in the header

2. Attract New Families

With school choice, voucher systems, and open enrollment becoming more common, parents have more options than ever before. Your website needs to appeal to prospective families and make a strong first impression.

Tips to attract:

• Highlight easy next steps, such as scheduling a visit or requesting more information
• Showcase key statistics like student-teacher ratios, academic success, and special programs
• Include testimonials from current families or student success stories
• Use images that tell stories of success and community engagement

3. Engage & Inform

Your homepage should engage visitors and provide important information quickly. Many school websites fall into the trap of being photo-heavy without offering a clear path to the information visitors need. Striking a balance between aesthetics and functionality is key.

Many school website administrators get a little distracted in the objective of the website and use the homepage as little more than a photo album or a maze of menus and links that leaves the visitor confused and frustrated.

From the moment visitors land on your homepage, they should be confident they’ll find what they’re looking for and feel good about engaging with your school.

Tips for informing:

• Display top upcoming events prominently
• Feature recent news and announcements
• Use banners or pop-ups for urgent updates
• Provide a way for visitors to sign up for newsletters or volunteer opportunities

4. Be Accessible for Everyone, Anywhere

Accessibility is more than just ADA compliance. Your website should be designed for easy access by everyone, including those with disabilities and those using mobile devices. As mobile use continues to grow, ensuring your homepage is mobile-friendly is essential.

Tips for improving accessibility:

• Perform an annual website accessibility audit
• Ensure ongoing scans and updates for accessibility compliance
• Designate an accessibility coordinator to manage accessibility concerns
• Add an accessibility policy to your website’s footer and allow users to report issues

Your School’s Homepage Is Your Digital Front Door

Your homepage is the gateway to your school’s website—it’s where you make your first impression and guide visitors to the information they need. By focusing on these four essential goals, you can create a homepage that not only looks great but also serves your school community effectively. Make your school’s digital front door as inviting and functional as possible, and your visitors will keep coming back for more.