6 Points to Consider When Designing a Website for an RTO or Education Business

Are you thinking about a new website for your RTO or education business? It can be tough to know where to start when it comes to designing and building a website. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide, with 6 key points to consider when creating a new website. So read on and start planning today!

1) Know who your potential students are

If you don’t know who you need to be marketing to and who would be buying from you, then it can decrease the effectiveness of your new website. The design of the site and the content of the site should all be aligned with your potential students and their goals. HubSpot has a great tool to help you work out your Buyer Personas.

2) Make sure your website looks great on all devices

In the age of technology, making your site look great on a mobile is just as important as on a PC. Maybe even more so. More and more people are using a mobile device such a phone or tablet to browse the internet- if your site doesn’t look good or work well or is slow to load on a mobile device-people will go elsewhere.

Perhaps more importantly, search engines such as Google are now penalising websites that don’t display correctly on mobile devices meaning when people search for you, you won’t be displayed as highly in the listings- not so good.

So if you want people to find you and stay with you, making sure your site looks amazing on a mobile device is key!

3) Stand out from the crowd

Perhaps one of THE most important sites to consider when building a website. Make yourself look different to everyone else and stand out from the crowd. You have your own unique points, the things that make you different and special. SHOUT ABOUT THEM. You need to make sure that people visiting your site will remember you by what they see and what you are saying to them otherwise you will blend into the background.

Have a look at what makes you different and focus on it.

4) Focus on them, not you

Perhaps one of THE most important sites to consider when building a website is how to make yourself look different to everyone else and stand out from the crowd. You have your own unique points, the things that make you different and special. SHOUT ABOUT THEM. You need to make sure that people visiting your site will remember you by what they see and what you are saying to them otherwise you will blend into the background. Consider what makes you different and focus on it. Maybe it’s your experience, your education, your sense of humor, or your style. Whatever it is, make sure it comes across loud and clear on your website. And whatever you do, don’t be boring! After all, boring is the kiss of death when it comes to websites. So go forth and be fabulous! The world is waiting…

5) Call To Actions

When it comes to giving back to the people who visit your site, there’s nothing that says “thank you” quite like a course guide. In exchange for their email address, you can give them something that will help them understand your site better. If you’re feeling really generous, you can even give away a career advice session. In exchange for their name, number, and email address, they’ll get valuable information that they can use to improve their career. By capturing these details, you’ll be able to build up a valuable database of potential students who you can continue to market to. Thanks for visiting!

6) Time

I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “time is money.” Well, when it comes to building a website, that couldn’t be more true. You might think you can bang out a website in a few hours, but trust me, it’s going to take longer than you think. I should know, I’ve lost track of the number of websites I’ve built at this point.

Now, I’m not saying building a website is going to take months or even weeks. But it will take more time than you originally expect. So, my advice to you is to start with a plan. Know what you want your website to look like and have a general idea of the structure and layout. Once you have that down, then you can start looking at platforms like WordPress or other site-building tools.

From there, it’s important to create all the content and copy for your site. This includes things like blog posts, product descriptions, and even just basic information about your company or service. And don’t forget about integrations! If you’re using any sort of LMS or other software, you’ll need to make sure everything integrates smoothly.

All that said, don’t underestimate the time it will take! 

BONUS POINT!!

Traffic strategy

It’s all well and good having a fancy new website that looks great and is talking to your potential students but don’t let all the hard work go down the drain by not having a traffic strategy. You could have the greatest shop on the street but if there is no-one walking through your door then it is all going to waste. Consider Google Ads, Facebook advertising and simple blogging as a starting point to get your name out there. Any or all of these are valuable ways to drive traffic to your website. From there you could look at more complex and integrated campaigns such as Inbound Marketing to really get the most out of your online presence. But however you choose to do it, make sure you don’t neglect this vital step in making your website work for you.

Whether you are a complete beginner or more experienced with website platforms and building your site, I hope these points help steer you in the right direction with your new website.

So there you have it, 6 key points to consider when creating a new website for your RTO or education business. Of course, this is just the beginning – once you’ve got these basics down, it’s time to start thinking about design, functionality, and all the other little details that will make your website stand out from the competition. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! Our team of experts can take care of everything for you, from designing a customised website to driving traffic and leads through SEO and online marketing campaigns.

Ready to get started? Have a look at our e-book 30 Greatest Lead Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Driving More Traffic To Your Website – it’s packed with useful information on how you can start increasing traffic to your website.