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Lifelong learning for
a fairer Australia

Lifelong learning for
a fairer Australia

Putting your website to work

 

 
You probably invest time and effort in making sure your building looks welcoming and inviting and your staff are friendly and professional. 
But can you say the same about your website? Here’s our tips for making your website pull its weight when it comes to making a positive and lasting impression. 
 

1. Keep it up to date

 
A website that has outdated information and that looks neglected won’t inspire confidence in your web visitors and is likely to leave them feeling frustrated rather than
impressed. Aim to feature the latest information – whether it’s on new
classes, staff changes, special offers or useful links.
 

2. Don’t navel gaze

 
People expect to find information quickly and easily on the web. Make
sure the information you publish on your site is visitor-centric and 
save your mission statement for your annual report and board 
meeting.
 

3. Watch your Ps and Qs

 
Take the same care online as you do in print.  Spelling errors, grammatical
mistakes, inaccurate, incomplete and outdated information can undermine
your credibility. So allow time for someone to proofread before uploading.
 

4. Make updating your website easy 

 
Ensure that updating the website regularly is part of someone’s job 
description and that staff responsible are confident in using your 
website’s content management system. 
 

5. Make sure your website is easy to find 

 
Don’t expect people to remember your web address. Check Google to
see where your organisation shows up in search results when you 
type in, for example, your suburb and classes. Make sure your local 
council, health centre, library and other key community groups have 
links from their sites to yours. 
 
 

6. Keep your target audiences in mind 

 
Think about the kinds of people and different questions people 
visiting your site are likely to be asking. Organise information and 
write with their interests in mind.
 

Web users expect to find information quickly and easily

 

7. Talk to your readers simply and directly

 
Staff who answer phone calls or deal with people face to face are 
expected to be good communicators. They answer people’s queries 
simply and directly. Apply the same standards to your website. Words
and phrases like ‘core values’, ‘stakeholders’, ‘delivery of quality
programs’ are industry-speak that can alienate your site visitors.
Write the way you speak. 
 

8. Design that’s easy on the eye

 
Text that’s too small, crowded and difficult to read is off-putting. 
Ensure text sizes are easy on the eyes, that there’s plenty of white 
space and that there’s enough colour contrast between text and 
background. Make sure your site is accessible for people with 
disabilities and for people who may have images and graphics 
disabled on their computers. 
 

9. A picture is worth a lot

 
Review the photos you’ve used on your website. A photo of your 
building is fine – particularly on your ‘Contact Us’ page – but too 
many photos of empty buildings or rooms without people in them can
make a place seem dejected. Nominate a staff photographer and 
refresh your site with new images of events, people and activities.
 

10. Save time and money

 
Reviewing and improving your website strategy takes time and effort 
but it pays off. If your website is attractive, enticing and offers 
comprehensive information that people can view 24/7, then you are 
saving money on photocopying, printing and staff time spent 
answering emails and phone calls. Better still, it’s out there on the 
World Wide Web, projecting an impressive public image to the world.

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