Is it time to look at a new website for your school? We know how crowded and scary this process can be when looking for a website company to develop and revamp your school website.
With nearly 200 South Australian School website and organisations within the EWS community, we are happy to share our knowledge on school websites in SA. To help with this process, EWS have listed 5 MUST-DO’s when shortlisting website providers.
Choose a website company that know school websites!
Did you know that there are specific website standards set out by the Department? These standards include the accessibility of the site, the footer, contact details and more. In 2016, the EWS team worked together with the Department to develop these standards and can be found on your local EDI intranet (let us know if would like a copy of these and we can send them to you).
Understanding these standards from back to front and being able to use the framework and guidelines when building school websites, whilst still retaining an aesthetic appearance and responsive outcome is important.
thein theof a school DO THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH THE ICT DEPARTMENT TEAM?
Working with the Department’s ICT team is crucial when redirecting a new website. There are certain protocols that need to be followed to ensure a seamless and safe transition to your new website. This includes providing the right documentation and making sure the new site is hosted on an Australian server that is deemed appropriate and safe by the department amongst other requirements.
EWS has successfully launched close to 200 schools and government websites whilst working closely with the ICT team on every occasion. Most importantly, all our websites pass the Department’s vulnerability (security) checks using their Rapid7 technology. Don’t let your new website hit a roadblock and ensure you choose a company that has worked with the ICT Department.
IS THE WEBSITE DEVELOPERS PORTFOLIO CURRENT? HOW MUCH SCHOOL WEBSITE EXPERIENCE DO THEY really HAVE!?
This is the most crucial point of all! It’s always important to do your research. There are hundreds of web design companies in Adelaide with only a handful directly aimed towards the school website market. As an example, the leadership of a school has contacted our team for support in the past as the website that was delivered was not to the standard of the portfolio provided by the company. In some cases, we found that the website company had since lost its design team, leaving the school with a website that leadership are not happy with.
If you have a similar experience, let us know and our team will happily support you through this process.
GOOGLE REVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS
Reviews and testimonials are a great way to evaluate the legitimacy of a company and ensuring your new website launch is seamless. A quick look on Google reviews will display how long the company has been operating and the website outcome is of a high standard. Lastly, seeking advice from other schools, forums (such as SAPPA Talk) and organizations (e.g. Outreach Education, EdTechSA, etc.) is the most honest way of ensuring the company you choose will be the right one.
IS THERE MAINTENANCE OR ONGOING SUPPORT ON OFFER?
Website maintenance is one of the biggest concerns for leadership and we understand that you may not have a Ph.D in Computer Science to navigate the backend of a website!
EWS have released Unlimited Maintenance Plans so that all you need to do is request changes via our handy Client Panel! There’s nothing worse when only one person at the school, who has the capability to update the current site and then suddenly, they go on leave or move schools, taking with them all the knowledge and efficiency of maintaining the school site!
“Communicating your message and vision to the developer plays a crucial role in representing your school’s individuality through online presence”
Would you like our team to review your current website or have a chat with one of our web developers? Our team are always happy to help and ensure your school website is accessible, responsive and most of all reflects your sites individuality! Before committing to any website company, it is important to have a meeting or phone call as this gives you the opportunity to see if they are the right developers for you.