wise man once said, "Writing is easy. All you have to do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." And he certainly wasn't the first person to see writing as one of those detested chores that we avoid until the last minute. A critical part of Web site development includes such writing tasks and is a major advantage for outsourcing your Web site to School Webmasters.
School Webmasters will help insure your content follows best practices for school sites. Your content writing should:
- be conversational (no education jargon, NOT in third person), friendly and positive, and consistent in style across all your schools' sites.
- keep your site visitors priorities foremost in mind. Know why they are coming to your Web site and be sure they find what they are looking for.
- address your site's objectives on each page (and those objectives will vary from site to site depending on grade level or district differentiators)
- provide the info your site visitors are seeking (whether it is a job they are looking for, the right school for their child, or a vendor responding to a bid, or how effectively you are educating their children). Be sure you address those needs. That's what your site is for, after all!
We believe that the right words, the right message, delivered in the right way can change the world. Okay, so maybe you don't need to change the world. Would you be content to increase your student enrollment, strengthen your credibility with parents and the community, improve employee morale, save your staff time, or strengthen your leadership and educational image? Sure you would! Effective communication is the key! That is our goal here at School Webmasters; to provide you with effective, compelling Web sites with copy and designs that will give you the results you need to accomplish your goals.
The content writing process phase of your Web site development is the most lengthy of the stages. It includes:
Gathering Information
We'll provide a list of materials (common to most schools and districts) to help us begin the process. This is often information like handbooks, staff lists, applications, and any information unique to your school's services and programs.
Interviewing Key School Personnel
We'll also contact key school personnel in your school or district that can help us develop the most comprehensive site for you. This varies with each school or district, but we'll help guide you through the process ...making the process smooth and efficient.
Formulating Strategy
Based on the information we gather, our writers will decide which pages and topics would be most helpful for your intended audiences and then we'll do any research necessary to round out our knowledge (like researching your community and local attractions).
Writing & Placement
Our copywriters will compile all the materials we accumulated (through materials and interviews), write up an outline of the site structure, and begin the writing process.
Finalizing the Site
After content is placed, the graphics team will go back in and add any final graphics or effects that will give it those finishing touches. To complete your site and take it live averages between three to four weeks for a school site and six to eight weeks for a district Web site.
Additional Web development stages and
services include: