Launching a school website is a critical step in establishing an online presence that connects with students, parents, staff, and the community. A well-designed website can showcase your school's values, streamline communication, and enhance engagement. However, many schools stumble into common pitfalls that can undermine their efforts. Let's brainstorm five key mistakes to avoid when launching your school website, along with ideas to ensure success.

Mistake 1: Neglecting Your Audience's Needs

Your school website serves multiple audiences-students, parents, teachers, prospective families, and alumni. Failing to prioritize their needs can result in a site that feels disconnected or irrelevant.

Why It's a Problem

• Parents may need quick access to calendars, forms, or contact information, but a cluttered or confusing site frustrates them.
• Students might want engaging content like club updates or assignment portals, but a generic design may disengage them.
• Prospective families judge your school based on the website's usability and clarity.

Brainstorming Solutions

• Map out user journeys: Create personas for each audience (e.g., "busy parent," "tech-savvy student"). What are their top priorities? For example, parents might want a "Quick Links" section for tuition payments or schedules.
• Conduct surveys: Ask stakeholders what they want from the site before designing it. Use tools like Google Forms to gather input.
• Test usability: Before launch, have parents, students, and staff test the site and provide feedback on navigation and content.
• Include a search function: Make it easy for users to find information, especially on content-heavy sites.

Mistake 2: Overcomplicating the Design

A flashy website with excessive animations, complex layouts, or trendy features might seem appealing but can overwhelm users and slow down performance.

Why It's a Problem

• Overly complex designs can confuse users, especially those who aren't tech-savvy (e.g., older parents or alumni).
• Heavy graphics or animations increase load times, driving visitors away (Google reports that 53% of users abandon sites that take over 3 seconds to load).
• A cluttered design buries critical information