Your school website’s content has a very, very narrow window to capture someone’s attention. One study suggests users only spend an average of 5.59 seconds reading a website’s written content. Less than six seconds — that's your golden opportunity to catch someone’s attention, communicate your school's brand and message effectively, and leave a lasting impression.

Bear in mind, you're not just vying for attention with other schools, you're a small fish in the vast ocean of digital content. Your audience is busy, easily distracted, and simply doesn’t have the patience to read long-winded content that’s not written well.

So, how can you shine in those precious seconds? Efficient writing, effective visuals, and a modern school website design can help make the most of these fleeting moments.

There’s no time to waste, let’s get to it!

The Power of Clear, Efficient Writing and Strong Visuals

Clear, efficient writing is a “must.” The goal isn't to oversimplify, but rather, to make your content as accessible to users as possible. It's about delivering your message as directly as possible and making every word meaningful.

To guide your users:

• Structure your content with bullet points
• Use concise sentences
• Add descriptive headings and
• Use clear calls to action for the desired next step

Don’t overlook visuals, either. Images, infographics, and videos can rapidly communicate complicated messages because our brains process visual information quicker than text. But don’t forget to stay on brand — your visuals should reflect your school’s mission and the message you're conveying.

A recipient of a Gold award in the recent Hermes Creative Awards, Cardinal Gibbons High School’s website pulls these concepts together nicely. Its single-panel homepage pauses users in the midst of their browsing, and with a horizontal scroll, they are presented with a strong headline, a visual, and a modest amount of text. It’s a great example of giving users just enough content to focus on without feeling overwhelmed.

Website Design Elements that Quickly Share Your School's Message

Unfortunately, even the most engaging content can be overshadowed by poor web design. The layout, typography, color schemes, and navigation of the best school website designs all play integral roles in user experience. The website's readability and navigation can be major factors affecting audience engagement, too. If either of these is poor, viewers may leave before they have a chance to read the content.

Also, consider this — the majority of users are likely on their smartphones, so ensuring your website is mobile-friendly and easy to engage with on smaller screens is vital. If it appears distorted, broken, or difficult to use, you will lose a significant part of your audience.

St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Oakland presents a beautiful, minimalist design. Similar to the Cardinal Gibbons example, the design presents a limited amount of text paired with its values, and with a horizontal scroll, it gives users the time and space to actually read what’s on the screen.

Developing Strong Branding for Your School

When time is of the essence, a strong brand can help stretch those precious moments even further and communicate more than words alone.

Just like Mason City Schools, when you’re able to integrate clear writing, compelling visuals, and an effective modern web design, you create an amazing branded user experience. The colors, the waves in the design, the CTAs, and even the inclusive, unified language (Growing Greatness Together) tie everything together so well for this school district.

Because the design, the language, and the visuals operate in harmony, so much can be communicated and can quickly capture our attention.

How to Test Your Website's Impact

Don't forget to test, test, and test again. Tools like heat maps, screen recordings, and A/B testing can offer invaluable insights into how your audience interacts with your homepage and interior pages.

Ask yourself:

• What are users clicking on?
• Where are they converting?
• What are they skipping?

Not sure where to start? Request a free website report to get expert feedback on your school’s website, including details on how to refine your content and design.

Remember, you're not just creating a website; you're crafting an experience for your users. Whether they spend six seconds or an hour on your site, every moment and interaction should be valuable. When your users eventually do leave your site, make sure it’s with a positive impression and a clear understanding of what sets you apart.

Key Takeaways

Capturing the attention of users is a journey, not a one-off task. Your users may only spend six seconds on your site's written content, but with the right strategies, those seconds can turn into the most influential moments of their day.

Every school is unique, just like every website visitor. What works for one school or one user might not work for another, but the key is to understand your audience, test your strategies, and always be ready to adapt. Refine your content, visuals, and design, and always strive to improve the user experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. As Finalsite’s Senior Content Marketing Manager, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.