| Build
a User Friendly Website :
Ideas
for Childcare Providers
By Melissa Newby, MSW
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Maybe you already have a website, or maybe you’re thinking
about creating one. Either way, there are some basic things you
can do to make your website as friendly and easy to use as possible
for parents and other providers who will visit it. A good website
should be informative and easy to navigate. Whether the primary
goal of your website is to attract new parents, or communicate
with your current clients, consider the following ideas to make
sure your website is as easy to use as possible.
Consider visitors to your website who may not have a very fast
internet connection. Limit content that will make it hard for
these visitors to use your site. Cursor trailers, music, and a
lot of picture can all slow down a site and make it take a long
time for your site to load. Many people will move on to a different
site rather than sit and wait for a site to open. If you choose
to use music or cursor trailers, give the visitor a clear and
easy way to turn them off.
Websites should be easy to navigate. Consider putting navigation
buttons across the top, or down the side. Keep the number of choices
limited, so people aren’t overwhelmed. Make sure it’s
easy to find out how to contact you. A button labeled “contact”
that goes to a page with your phone number and e-mail address
is the easiest way to make sure parents who want to get in touch
with you are able to.
Make sure you update your website fairly often. It looks unprofessional
to be advertising your upcoming summer rates when the summer is
over. Even little changes, like lesson plans the children are
working on, or what you are serving for lunch that week make your
site more interesting and encourage people to keep coming back.
Be careful when using pictures that show your children’s
faces. In an age of more and more unthinkable acts against children,
not showing their faces on your site is one more way to try to
keep the children safe. If you are going to use pictures, make
sure you have signed waivers from the parents saying that it is
ok to post pictures of their children.
Website are a strong tool to reach possible new clients and communicate
with your current clients. Keep your site, simple, easy to navigate,
and updated and you’ll have an excellent marketing tool.
Melissa Newby is the mother of a very active little boy, has faced the challenges of finding quality care, and is co-founder of Daycare Match
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