Your public online properties like your website and social media profiles are the first places that prospective parents, donors and returning alumni will visit to get a feel for your organisation. How do you know when it’s time to give your website a refresh to make sure you’re showing the best picture of your school? Here are 5 ways to tell that you need to update your website.

If your team is limited by your website 

Especially in small teams, it’s important for each member to be able to cover one another and work flexibly. Some websites rely on developers to make even very small changes, this can be frustrating and may rely on external resources to get the job done. A content management system enables each member of staff to upload content, change website design and build new pages in a click, saving valuable time and effort in a busy development office. ToucanTech enables an unlimited number of admins to use the system, so you can have all hands on deck, all the time. 

If your website is not mobile responsive

Busy parents and on-the-go community members are choosing more and more often to view sites on their mobile, leading to organisations needing to consider mobile responsiveness as a core feature of their website. In addition, many are choosing to use a tablet as their main device, so it's important that your website can adjust automatically for different screen sizes. Choosing a website that is mobile responsive will help in other ways, such as protecting your SEO ranking, as websites that aren’t mobile responsive are penalised in Google search results. 

If you can’t link your website to your CRM

With your school website likely being the highest source of traffic for new visitors, it’s important to be able to track activity and share insights. Choosing an all-in-one solution that combines your website, CRM, and database is the best way to get to know your community. From automatically receiving new admissions enquiries into your database and being able to link records to family and friend vines, to tracking email opens and event attendance, unlock the insights your website can tell you. 

If you can’t run and promote events on your website

From school shows to open evenings, your school website will often be the first place your school community will come to find out information and book tickets for events. By using a system that also enables you to take registrations, including dietary preferences, booking a seat/table and booking for multiple people, you can ensure that your event registration runs smoothly. By keeping your registrants on your website, rather than sending them to a third-party site to book tickets you have more opportunities to continue engaging them. Plus, promoting your event via email to your community members is easy, with quick filters to remove those that have already signed up, and share details closer to the day with attendees. 

If you can’t take payments online

Being able to take payments online through trusted providers should be a key consideration for your website. Whether you’re booking events, selling merchandise through a shop, taking payments for membership or receiving donations, taking payments through your main school website enables your school community to easily pay on a secure site. Integrated with Apple and Google Pay for easy on-the-go transactions, and with tax receipts available, your school website can facilitate all online payments and link back to your database. 

Is it time to update your school website? Check out the new Loreto Normanhurst website, powered by ToucanTech and connected to their whole school community. 

ToucanTech is an all-in-one solution, combining a website and community portal, CRM, database and email engine, to bring your community together and build engagement. To find out more, speak to a member of the ToucanTech team.