Web design is more than just color and format, it’s about the user-experience and traffic generation to every page of your site. Unfortunately, many websites in higher education embrace a “set it and forget it” philosophy which can be marketing suicide when it comes to recruiting students, raising money, or building relationships. Below are three of the most common website fails to avoid if you want your website to work for you:

1. Outdated Content

Your website represents your face, voice, and overall presence of your college or university. Many times it’s the first place people go when they want to learn more about your organization. Your content will determine what impression is left behind. If your site is filled with outdated schedules and inaccurate content, it will leave your prospective student or future donor less than impressed. Work with your web team to invest in a content management system that will make it easy to keep content fresh and inviting. Better yet, hire a student to help keep things in check by reviewing sections of your website regularly to prevent content expiration.

2. Non-User Friendly Design

Let’s face it, website trends have changed. Flashy fonts and swirling graphics have lost their luster. Now it’s about clean, easy to read, skimmable content that is optimized for quick content digestion. Displaying an outdated, non-responsive design is like wearing bedazzled mom jeans to the Oscars – it may stand out, but not in the right way. Your website is a reflection of your school and should be a beacon of modernism. There are many templates available to help with user-experience and the team at Rich Gross Solutions can help make suggestions on design tweaks or redesigns.

3. No Calls-to-Action

Many people forget the most important part of a website – asking your audience to engage. Don’t think of this in terms of making a donation or filling out an application – engagement can come in many forms and should be part of your larger online marketing strategy. Career outlook ebooks, newsletter subscriptions, and social media integration are all easy-to-manage ways to nurture your audience.

Contact Rich Gross Solutions for more tips on how to do more with your website.