Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why a school website for admissions matters today
- How parents find and evaluate schools
- Key features of an effective school website for admissions
- Virtual tours: small investment, big impact
- How to optimise your school website for admissions (SEO & local search)
- Conversion elements: turning visits into enquiries
- Measuring impact: KPIs for a school website for admissions
- Common mistakes schools make with admissions websites
- 90-day roadmap: turn your website into an admissions engine
- Case examples
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Introduction
Parents research schools online before they visit. When your website fails to answer questions fast, you lose enquiries and trust. A focused school website for admissions fixes this. It turns discovery into contact and trust into applications.
This guide shows practical steps, features, and tactics school owners can use to make their website a reliable admissions engine. Read it if you want more enquiries, better visibility in local search, and stronger parent confidence.
Why a school website for admissions matters today
A school website is no longer a brochure. It’s the first place parents look. A purposeful school website for admissions answers key questions quickly. It guides parents from discovery to booking a tour or submitting an application.
Key parent needs a school website should solve:
- Clear admissions process and deadlines
- Fees, scholarships, and eligibility
- School culture, safety, and outcomes
- Easy ways to book a visit or ask questions
When these are missing, parents call — and your office spends time replying instead of converting.
How parents find and evaluate schools
Parents begin with searches, reviews, and quick visits. They expect clear answers on your website. That means your site must be visible, fast, and persuasive.
Common discovery paths:
- Search engines (local queries like “best CBSE school near me”)
- Google Business Profile and maps
- Review sites and social media
- Referrals and school visits
Key features of an effective school website for admissions
An admissions-focused site converts when it has the right mix of information, trust signals, and easy actions. Below are the features to prioritise.
Admissions hub (single entry point)
A single Admissions hub reduces friction. It should contain:
- Step-by-step admissions process
- Fee structure and scholarship info
- Important dates and downloadable prospectus
- Quick enquiry and open-day booking forms
Strong, visible CTAs
Every landing page should have a clear CTA: Visit, Enquire, Download Prospectus, Book Open Day. Place CTAs above the fold on mobile and desktop.
Virtual tours and media-rich pages
Short campus videos and virtual tours let busy parents explore without travel. They lower anxiety and increase engagement. Embed a short video tour on the admissions page and add quick captions to highlight facilities.
Mobile-first design and fast page speed
Most parents browse on mobile. Make pages responsive and fast. Use compressed images, lazy-loading, and minimal third-party scripts.
Testimonials & social proof
Show parent testimonials, inspection reports, and awards. Add a “Why parents choose us” section with short quotes and photos.
Local SEO & structured data
Use local landing pages, schema for schools/admissions, and clear NAP (name, address, phone). Structured data helps search engines create richer results.
Easy contact forms and scheduling
Use forms that integrate with your CRM. Offer date/time slots for tours and automated confirmation emails.
FAQs and content that answers parent questions
Create an FAQ on admissions. Answer the questions parents usually ask — fees, bus routes, timings, curriculum — in short, scannable paragraphs.
Virtual tours: small investment, big impact
Virtual tours and short campus videos are high-impact assets for the admissions funnel. They let parents and students preview the campus at any hour. A concise, guided tour reduces friction for out-of-town families and increases booking rates.
Implementation tips:
- Keep tours short (3–5 minutes).
- Show classrooms, playgrounds, labs, and safety features.
- Provide captions and short CTAs during the tour.
How to optimise your school website for admissions (SEO & local search)
Visibility is the first step. If parents can’t find you, conversion doesn’t matter. Here’s a compact SEO checklist for admissions pages.
On-page SEO checklist for admissions pages
| Item | Why it matters | Quick action |
|---|---|---|
| Title tag with local keyword | Helps ranking for local searches | “Admissions 2026 — [School Name], [City]” |
| Meta description with CTA | Improves click-through rate | 140–160 chars summarising benefits |
| H1 that matches intent | Clarifies page purpose | “Admissions and Fees” |
| Schema.org markup | Enables rich results | Add LocalBusiness/School schema + event schema for open days |
| Fast mobile load | Reduces bounce | Compress images, enable caching |
| Internal links from homepage & blog | Signals importance | Link to Admissions hub from header and footer |
| Local landing pages | Targets neighbourhood searches | “Admissions in [Locality] — [School Name]” |
Local SEO & Google Business Profile
Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile. Keep NAP consistent. Use posts to announce open days, admissions deadlines, and events.
Content strategy for discovery
Write short pages and blog posts answering top parent queries. Examples:
- “How to apply to [School Name]”
- “Fees and scholarship options 2025”
- “Virtual tour: see our campus”
Target long-tail blue-sky queries (e.g., “best primary school near me with sports program”) and local modifiers.
Conversion elements: turning visits into enquiries
Traffic matters. But conversions pay the bills. Use these conversion-focused elements on your site.
Simple, tested enquiry forms
- Keep first form fields to name, phone, email, preferred visit date.
- Use progressive forms for longer applications.
Live chat and chatbots for instant answers
A small chatbot that answers common queries reduces drop-offs and increases form completions. Route complex queries to admissions staff.
Booking engine for open days
Allow parents to book slots and receive automated confirmations. Show limited seats to create urgency.
Trust badges and transparent data
Display inspection reports, awards, faculty credentials, and safety policies. Transparency builds trust.
Follow-up automation
After a form submission, send a confirmation email with next steps, prospectus link, and calendar invite for the visit.
Measuring impact: KPIs for a school website for admissions
Track metrics to prove impact. Set clear goals and review monthly.
Core KPIs:
- Organic visits to admissions pages
- Form submissions (enquiries) per month
- Open-day bookings and attendance
- Virtual tour views and completion rate
- Conversion rate (visits → enquiries)
- Mobile vs desktop conversion rate
- Local pack visibility and map clicks
Example dashboard (monthly targets):
| Metric | Baseline | Target (90 days) |
| Admissions page visits | 500 | 1,200 |
| Enquiries (forms) | 20 | 50 |
| Open-day bookings | 10 | 30 |
| Virtual tour views | 50 | 300 |
| Conversion rate | 4% | 6% |
Common mistakes schools make with admissions websites
- Hiding admissions info in PDFs or deep menus
- Slow pages and heavy hero images
- No clear CTA or confusing enquiry forms
- Not tracking conversions or events
- Ignoring mobile users and local SEO
90-day roadmap: turn your website into an admissions engine
0–30 days (quick wins)
- Create a central Admissions hub. Add fees, process, and prospectus download.
- Fix mobile issues and improve page speed.
- Add clear CTAs and enquiry form.
- Claim Google Business Profile and update NAP.
30–60 days (high impact)
- Publish 3 local blog posts answering parent queries.
- Add schema markup for admissions events.
- Produce a 3–5 minute virtual tour and embed it on Admissions page.
- Set up basic CRM integration for form leads.
60–90 days (scale and optimise)
- Run small local ads to boost open-day signups and test messaging.
- Implement live chat or chatbot for instant replies.
- Track KPIs and run A/B tests on CTA text and placement.
Case examples
Example 1: A mid-sized school updated its Admissions hub and added a virtual tour. Within 60 days, enquiries rose by 65% and open-day bookings tripled.
Example 2: A school optimised admissions pages for local keywords and saw a 2x increase in map clicks and organic enquiries over three months.
FAQs
Q: How quickly can a school website for admissions show results? A: Quick wins (better CTAs, form fixes, mobile speed) can improve enquiries in 30–60 days. SEO and organic growth typically take 3–6 months.
Q: What’s the most important feature for an admissions page? A: Clear, easy-to-use enquiry forms and visible CTAs. Parents need a fast path to book or ask questions.
Q: Should we invest in a virtual tour for admissions? A: Yes. Virtual tours increase engagement and help out-of-town families decide faster. Keep tours short and highlight safety and facilities.
Q: How does local SEO help a school website for admissions? A: Local SEO ensures parents searching in your city or neighbourhood find you. Use local keywords, Google Business Profile, and schema for best results.
Q: Can a small school compete online with limited budget? A: Absolutely. Start with a focused Admissions hub, mobile optimisation, local SEO, and targeted open-day promotions. These are low-cost, high-impact steps.
Conclusion
A focused school website for admissions increases visibility and drives more qualified enquiries. Prioritise an Admissions hub, mobile-first pages, clear CTAs, local SEO, and trust signals. Measure results and iterate.
LegacyEdTech helps school leaders implement these steps quickly and efficiently. If you’re ready to turn your site into an admissions machine, book a free discovery call with LegacyEdTech and get a custom plan for your school.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call with LegacyEdTech to get a customised admissions website plan for your school.
