In June of 2011, Dan our Managing Directory conducted a presentation to a Group of Schools about how to grow their online presence.
Dan discusses SEO, conversion optimisation, website design and return visitors.
2. About DBG Technologies
• Established in 2001, DBG is fully Australian owned and
operated.
• We have worked with well-known businesses such as
Brock Real Estate, Fassina Liquor Merchants, and the
CanDo Group of Charities to name a few.
• Our websites are designed to be reliable, dynamic and
user-friendly – the very same principles that underline
our own customer service values.
3. Search Engine
Optimisation
• How does Google rank websites?
• Page Titles, Keywords and Meta Data
• Why is being found online important? About 90% of
people won’t go past the first page
• A good test: When you search for “Primary/High
School [Your Suburb]” – does your website appear?
4. Conversion Optimisation
• Optimisation is not just about the Search Engines
• Getting people to your site is one step, converting
them is another thing altogether
• What is a ‘conversion’ for you? An enquiry?
• How can you optimise for conversions?
5. Website Design
• Website Design is a major factor in conversions
• You have 2 clicks and 7 seconds to get a user where
they want to go
– Easy to navigate
– Logical structure
– Clear calls to action
– Good buttons
– Effective use of colours (red means stop, green means go)
6. Get in Touch
• Your website’s main goal is for people to get in
touch with you
• Ensure that you provide clear alternatives for
people to get in contact:
– Prominent phone number
– Good ‘Contact Us’ page
– Easy to use Contact Form
– Clearly displayed street address with a supporting Google
Map
7. It’s a Marketing Tool
• In today’s online world, your website is one of your
most important marketing tools:
– Are you happy with how your website represents you?
– Is it clear to users what your school offers?
– Push your point of difference!
• Think of yourself as a prospective parent, what
would you want to see on a school’s website?
8. Return Visitors
• Do people have a reason to keep coming back and
interacting with your website?
– Up-to-date Newsletters
– Photo Galleries
– Current Curriculum information
– Calendar of Upcoming Events
– Old Scholars section
– Online School Fee payments
– Enrolment Information
9. Mobile Websites
• 52% of Australians using mobile internet – estimated
to overtake online net use by 2013
• Mobile site doesn’t have to contain the full
information as found on the regular site
• Does your website work correctly in a mobile
browser?
10. Summary
• Ensure your website is optimised for Google
• Once you get visitors – aim to convert them
• Review your website design – is it going to help you convert?
Could it be improved?
• Ensure that people can find your contact information easily, and
they have a variety of methods to contact you.
• Leverage your website as a marketing tool – push your point of
difference!
• Have up to date and regularly changing information on your
website to encourage visitors to come back
11. Questions?
Daniel Wilson
DBG Technologies Pty Ltd
Suite 5, 241 Pirie Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Phone 1300 723 618
www.dbgtechnologies.com.au
Notes de l'éditeur
Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO as it is often called, relates to optimising your website to give it the best chance of appearing high in Google search results. There are many different factors that contribute to a website appearing high, or at number 1 – Google has an algorithm with 200 factors! E.g. Domain age, page titles, keywords. So why is it important to rank highly in the search engines? 90% of users won’t go past the first page of search results – if your site isn’t on that first page, you might as well not be there at all. You should always rank well for your individual business name: “DBG Technologies”. But what you also want to ensure is that you appear when someone searches for the service/product that you offer: A good test is to try searching for “Primary or High School [Your Suburb]” – does your website appear? It should!I could talk to you about SEO all day – but all you need to know for now is that being found online is important.
Optimisation isn’t just about the search engines – it’s also about converting! Once people come to your site you need to ‘convert them’.A conversion for an ecommerce website is a sale, so what is a conversion for you? An enquiry from a prospective parent maybe?So how can you optimise your website to increase conversions?
Website Design is a major factor in increasing conversions. When looking at your website, keep in mind that you have just 2 clicks and 7 seconds to get a user where they want to go – it is increasingly important to ensure that the information they need is easy for them to find.When you look at your website, what is the first thing that you notice??Some things to consider: Is your website easy to navigate? i.e. is the menu clearly prominent on each page, do you have breadcrumbs?Does your website follow a logical structure?If you want users to contact you, is there clear calls to action? Links back to the contact page.Good buttons – don’t underestimate the need for ‘good’ buttons. By this I mean buttons that look clickable, buttons that have small arrows on them pointing people in the direction they are navigating to. You’d be surprised to know the percentage of people who don’t click on buttons unless they LOOK like buttons.Effective use of colours – this doesn’t just apply to the overall colours of the website (e.g. avoiding black and overuse of red), but it also relates to the colour of buttons. Green means go and red means stop doesn’t just apply to traffic lights, it also plays a large part in conversions on websites.
If the main aim of your website is to encourage people to contact you – you need to make sure that you provide a number of clear alternative methods for people to get in touch.Place your contact phone number prominently within your website – in or above the header banner is often a good placeHave a good Contact Us page with all information collated togetherMake sure you have an easy to use Contact Form that doesn’t request too much information – just gather the basics and then make contact with themEnsure your street address is clearly displayed with a supporting Google Map, as these are wonderful for getting directions.
With people spending more and more time online, your website is one of your most important marketing tools. Think of your homepage as your reception or front office area – are you happy with the way that it represents the school, the staff, and the students?While you might know all of the services that your school offers, is all of this information clear to visitors? Possibly the most important thing – push your point of difference. There’s obviously a lot of schools out there, so what makes you different and special? Highlight that on your website and you’ll be sure to remain front of the users mind.Basically, think of yourself as a prospective parent – what would you want to see / read on a school’s website?
Getting new visitors and converting is the main aim of the website, but it can also act as a wonderful resource for your school – encouraging visitors to return and interact. There is many different ways in which this can be done:NewslettersPhoto Galleries – kids excursions, school eventsCurrent Curriculum Info and Enrolment InfoCalendar of Upcoming EventsOld Scholars Section Online School Fee paymentsWebsites don’t just have to be an online brochure anymore.