Most private school websites fail to convert prospective students and parents into leads. But with a few simple changes, you can dramatically increase your website's conversion rate and get more prospects into your enrollment funnel.
Why Your School’s Website Conversion Rate Is So Low
The main reason many schools’ conversion rate is so low is that your website’s only conversion opportunity is the contact form. This is generally a problem since it only captures one sort of prospective parent or student: those who are ready to come.
According to data, the average private school website conversion rate is less than 2%. However, by optimizing your website for conversions, schools have increased their average conversion rates to over 5%.
Tips to Optimize Your Private School Website For Conversions
Optimizing a website for conversions is a critical strategy for private schools to increase their enrollment rates. Here are some ways to do so:
Improve Website Design
Make sure your website looks professional, is easy to navigate, and is mobile-friendly. Remember, your website is often prospective students and their parents' first impression of your school.
Optimize Website Speed
Website speed is a key factor in conversion rates. Pages that load slowly lead to high bounce rates. Use performance optimization tools to minimize load times. Reduce high-resolution image file sizes, enable compression, and fix any coding errors. Fast load times under 3 seconds can help boost conversions.
Introduce Calls-to-Action Across All Pages
Your website should guide visitors to take a specific action. Call To Action or CTAs are images or text that encourage parents or prospective students to fill out an application form, schedule a tour, or request more information.
Include CTAs on key pages like "About Us," "Academics," and "Admissions."
For example: "Download our free checklist to evaluate if our private school is right for your child."
Drive Prospects to Dedicated Landing Pages
Landing pages are where you direct your website traffic to.
When a prospect clicks your CTA, send them to a dedicated landing page. These pages should be optimized with compelling headlines, engaging content, and a clear call to action, as this is your chance to convert visitors into leads.
This page should:
- Expand on the offer in more detail
- Include a lead capture form
- Use engaging copy and visuals
For example, a landing page for the school checklist CTA might include testimonials, an image of a family, and a form to download the checklist.
Offer Valuable Downloadable Content
The final step is providing prospects with relevant, high-quality content like:
- Ebooks
- Buyer's guides
- Checklists
- Comparison sheets
This establishes your school as a trusted resource while collecting lead information. Useful assets could include the "Questions To Ask During a School Tour" eBook or the "10 Signs It's Time to Switch Schools" checklist.
Use High-Quality Images and Videos
Visual content can significantly improve engagement on your website. Use high-quality photos and videos that showcase your school's facilities, faculty, and students.
Retarget Website Visitors
Another technique is remarketing or retargeting website visitors through digital ads across channels like Facebook and Google. Prospects who searched your school may not be ready to convert immediately. Retargeting past visitors helps keep your school top of mind as they continue their research.
Test and Iterate
Regularly test different elements of your website (like headlines, images, and calls to action) to see what works best. Use this data to optimize your website for conversions continually.
Provide an Excellent Parent and Student Experience
The experience after a form submission also impacts conversions. Ensure prospective families who inquire or submit applications receive excellent service through quick response times and helpful follow-ups. Guide them smoothly through the admissions process. A positive experience will make them more likely to enroll and refer others.
Guide Prospects Through the Buyer's Journey
Prospective students and parents follow a buyer's journey before deciding on a school. This may involve:
- Asking questions on social media
- Researching different school options online
- Comparing tuition and curriculum
- Taking virtual tours
- Contacting a few schools directly
If your website only provides a contact form, you miss out on conversions during the research and comparison stages.
Instead, add conversion points to attract prospects earlier:
Private K-12 School Case Study: Doubled Enrollment in Two Years!
In the dynamic world of education, private schools face a unique challenge - transforming interested parents into enrolled students. This process, akin to the sales funnel in traditional businesses, is known as the admissions process. Our innovative approach revolutionizes this process, effectively increasing lead generation and fostering a seamless transition from potential interest to confirmed enrollment.
The Challenge:
Despite rich educational offerings, many private schools, such as the one featured here, struggle to attract and convert potential families into enrolled students. The primary challenge lies in effectively communicating the school's unique selling propositions and providing an easy pathway for parents to book school tours.
Our Solution:
We implemented a comprehensive system aimed at enhancing the school's visibility, which helped provide detailed information to address parent inquiries and helped them simplify the tour booking process.
Increasing Qualified Traffic
Our first step was to focus on driving more qualified traffic to the school's website. 
Content Optimization
We ensured that the school's unique offerings and answers to frequently asked questions were prominently featured and easily accessible. This not only educated the parents about the school but also built trust and credibility.
Streamlined Tour Booking
The final piece of our strategy was to simplify the tour booking process, making it easier for interested families to take the next step in the admissions process.
The Result:
Our strategic approach resulted in a significant increase in prospective family information received by the school, providing a larger pool of leads for the admissions process. Moreover, by making the process more user-friendly, we were able to facilitate a smoother transition for parents from interest to enrollment. [Insert relevant data here about the increase in admissions.]
Final Thoughts
By guiding prospects through the entire buyer's journey - not just the final contact form - you can double conversions and get more leads into your enrollment funnel. Ready to revamp your website? Contact me for a free website assessment and audit.
Enrollment Growth Content Marketing Plan for Private Schools
Free Resource
If you want to grow your private school in today’s climate, you need to start thinking digitally. Stand out by creating blog posts and local landing pages that directly answer what your potential families are searching for online.
