Catholic School Web Design's slides from the "Building the Next Generation of Catholic Schools Online" talk at NCEA New Orleans 2011.

1. Building the Next Generation
of Catholic Schools Online
Catholic School Web Design

2. Who Are We?

4. The Problem

5. The Problem
Many Catholic schools are presenting themselves online in
an ineffective way
How do we know? From looking at a lot of schools and
talking to people who are responsible for online efforts
We are not talking about just design

6. Why Is This Important?

7. Why Is This Important?
People don't know what is special about Catholic education
Communication and outreach is education when done
effectively
Prospective student parents, donors, and current parents
will experience your school partly through your website

8. No one is responsible for what's
on your website but you.

9. It's More Than a Website

10. More Than a Website
Talk from yesterday: "Brands are built from within"
Your website reflects your organization
Your website is part of a process - not an end point
Your website is a rallying point

11. 10 Important Points

12. 1. Design Is Not Priority Number One
Everyone is a critic (especially of design)
This is a critical area where projects are delayed and often
de-railed
Strive for competency in design
Have stop-gaps for colleague input

13. Copyright http://theoatmeal.com

14. 2. Information Is Easy
Even the school websites in bad shape have a sea of
information
Use PDFs only when necessary and appropriate
Above all - keep your parents happy; they are the ones who
are looking for information
Keep this information easily accessible: address, phone
number, and fax number

15. 3. Text is Not Communication
No one sends their child to a school based on a mission
statement
Communication is people, stories, and connections

16. 4. IT is not Web Design
There are many sub-areas of technology and the web
If you have someone internal (or a volunteer) creating your
website, make sure they have a background in web design

17. 5. Pay Attention to Etiquette
Catholic schools seem to love using Facebook in strange
new ways
Social media is not complicated, but you need to be aware
of the space and researched before you jump into it
There are rules around e-mail marketing that should be
obeyed (some by law)

18. 6. Keep it DRY
Web developers have an acronym: DRY (Don't Repeat
Yourself)
Don't waste your time re-inventing things that have simple
solutions (Ex: Use Vimeo, don't host your own videos)
If you have someone creating your website, don't let them
create a CMS

19. 7. Identify Your Assets and Use Them
Every school has assets; these could be sports programs,
the arts, or outstanding academics
Direct resources and energy to that asset
You cannot have a great online presence for everything so
prioritize what gets resources and attention

20. 8. Find Your Stories
This is crucial, but it takes effort
People respond to stories - this is how you communicate
what makes your school special
Pictures of students doing science-y things are not stories

21. 9. The Easy Part is Building the Site
Internal struggles can be a major hamper on progress
Quick story about a school we visited
The best asset a school can have is a great attitude about a
common goal: a great website
Set clear goals and boundaries, especially when it comes to
the home page

22. 10. There Are Many Roads
Notice we didn't mention specific tools
Schools arrive at great sites by many different paths; each
school has different needs and resources
Be a champion of cooperation and focus on the ultimate
goal: a great education for the students at your school

23. Questions?
http://www.catholicschoolwebdesign.com