1. Top Ten Website Best
Practices Every School
Should Employ
Kelley Jarrett, Market Manager –
Guide Creative

2. Where are you today?

3. Ten Best Practices

4. “Your website does not exist as a
boutique just to show off information
about your school. Instead, it’s
actually a tool that you have employed
to mobilize your audience...”
- Raheel Gauba
“Design for Good: 4 (More) Nonprofit Design Principles” Netwits Think Tank, 10

5. Resonate with your audiences
Focus on your audience needs
– Who are your audience groups and who is most important?
– What do they care about – need, goals and aspirations?
– How do they interact with you on and off your website?

6. Resonate with your audiences
Speak the right language
– Discuss, decide and use your key messages consistently
– Listen for feedback on what’s working and what’s not through social
media, blogs and surveys
– Know that writing is an art…AND a science
– Avoid jargon, too little or too much content
– Test!

7. Resonate with your audiences
Meet users where they are
– In less than three years mobile will be the #1 way your audience
will access your website … Are you ready?

8. “The Web is a world of first impressions,
and quick ones at that. Users form an
opinion of a website within the first few
seconds of loading it.”
- Jason Gross
“The Role of Design in The Kingdome of Content, www.smashingmagazine.com

9. Have a Focused HomePage
Prioritize Content
– Wireframes are key for visual hierarchy
– Remember YOUR goals
– Remember your AUDIENCE’S goals

10. Have a Focused HomePage
Pass the 3-second test
– Is your homepage scannable, understandable, intuitive
in 3 seconds?

11. “Design your website around your
school’s actions and purpose. Make
the mission statement clear as day.”
- Blake McCreary
“Non-Profit Web Design.”

12. Share Your Mission
Tell your story clearly &
succinctly and make it
actionable
– Most prospectives check out
your website as a first step
to engagement
– 60% of all donors check out
an organization’s website
before donating - tell them
why they should
give…quickly before they
change their mind

13. Share Your Mission
Show your story … visually
– Infographics, typography, links, video,
imagery, photography
– The style should fit your voice and
brand

14. “Regardless of what your content
actually says, the design around it
controls what the users see first and
how their eyes move across the
sections of the page.”
- Jason Gross
“The Role of Design in The Kingdome of Content, www.smashingmagazine.com

15. Use Compelling Imagery
Engage with eye contact … Make a personal connection
Show real stories of impact to gain credibility

16. Use Compelling Imagery
Match Imagery with your brand, mood and voice
- Does quality, composition and candor of your imagery jive
with your user experience?

17. “User-centric design has become a
standard approach for successful and
web design. After all, if users can’t use
a feature, it might as well not exist.”
- Vitaly Friedman
“10 Principles of Effective Web Design”, www.smashingmagazine.com

18. Ensure ease in Navigation
Navigation Systems should be intuitive and precise
- Provide multiple interaction paths
- Ensure context for users who come in through search or links
- Does it take two-click or less for key tasks?

19. “Assuming that you’ve written a
brilliantly persuasive page, it’s still
next to worthless without a strong call
to action…”
- Brad Shorr
“Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin a Company’s Website,”

20. Include clear, bold calls to action
Remove all obstacles to
action from anywhere
“Apply Now” should take
them directly to application.
Calls to action should be
clear and compelling
Never say “click here”
Say for example “visit us“

21. Include clear, bold calls to action
Calls to action are strengthened by
- Testimonials: - Urgency:
It worked; It’s now or never;
- Credibility statements: - Conversational:
It’s reliable; get in touch;
- Warranty or guarantee:
It’s risk-free;
- High value:
It’s worth having;

22. “Stewardship comes down to being able
to show donors how their dollars were
used and what impact their
contributions had.”
- Cynthia Gomez
“What Is Stewardship for a Non-Profit?” www.eHow.com

23. Showcase Your Stewardship
60% of donors visit a nonprofit’s website before making a gift.
- Show the impact (eg. stats, infographics)
- Be transparent (eg. share your annual report)
- Say “Thank you”

24. “…You need to remember that the
Internet is a dynamic place, and make
sure your site is constantly changing
as well.”
- Randall Mains
“Good Non Profit Website Design Principles #5 of 5,” blog.pathmakermarketing.com May 21, 2009

25. Keep Your Content Fresh
Always have something
new to offer to your
- Utilize automatic feeds
- Add dates to content
posted to the homepage
- Gather user-generated
content

26. “Integrating the social experience into
your organization’s web site will help
promote the channel, engage
supporters, and provide a constant
source of dynamic content …”
- Melanie Mathos & Chad Norman
“101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits: A Field Guide.” John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

27. Be Social
Social media and viral sharing
are highly valuable tools in
contributing to web site traffic
and brand exposure
- Make it easy to connect,
interact and contribute

28. Be Social
Showcase all social activities everywhere
- Encourage viral sharing
- Integrate social activities everywhere

29. “Many of today’s most successful
websites are interactive, meaning they
allow people to participate in the
content in some way.
- Randall Mains
Strategic Web Communication Principle #4: Interactivity” blog.pathmakermarketing.com July 12, 2009

30. Provide a Personal Touch Through
Interactive Media
Allow users to consume information in multiple ways
- Your audiences’ preferences for consuming content varies, just
as their browsing and navigation styles do. Users want to
consume information in various media channels and formats.

31. Ten Best Practices
1. Resonate with Your Audiences
2. Have a Focused Homepage
3. Share Your Mission
4. Use Compelling Imagery
5. Ensure Ease in Navigation
6. Include Clear, Bold Calls to Action
7. Showcase Your Stewardship
8. Keep Your Content Fresh
9. Be Social
10. Provide a Personal Touch Through Interactive

32. Kelley.jarrett@guidecreative.com
@keljar
QUESTIONS?