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The 11 Do’s and Don’ts for a successful nursery website

10 min of reading
23 January 2025
A woman on a phone using a computer with a nursery website on the screen like Be Seen

Nursery websites are growing in importance for managers and owners. They are a reliable source of enquiries and increase not only the visibility of your nursery but also put you on the map as the professional, organised nursery you are.

Having an effective website is now a non-negotiable for most nurseries. Making the most of increased screen and scroll time, it’s time to get seen by your prospective customers.

In this article, we share the 8 do’s and 3 don’ts for your nursery website, simplifying what can be a complex task. We make your website work for you, not the other way around.

In this article:

    8 Do’s for your nursery website

    Your nursery website and social media presence can be considered your shop window. Prospective parents can use your website to get a good sense of your nursery’s ethos, vision, and what it would be like for their child if they choose to enrol with you.

    However, with the growing role of nursery websites in the decision-making process, it is important to get it right.

    Let’s look at 8 must-haves for your nursery website.

    • Easy user journey
    • Address pain points
    • Mobile friendly website
    • Up-to-date information
    • Parent enquiry forms
    • Brand consistency
    • Highlight your USPs
    • Share useful information

    1. Easy user journey

    If prospective parents have to search your website for the information they are looking for, statistics show that they will bounce off your page and find their answers elsewhere. Possibly in as little as five seconds!

    When it comes to online navigation, ease of use and website loading speed are non-negotiable – not just for your soon-to-be customers but also for Google. Speed of page load equals brownie points for Google rankings.

    Your website should be designed to do what it says on the tin and showcase your childcare provision to parents. Think about what your prospective parents would want to see (Ofsted ratings, happy children, etc.) and what information they would appreciate easy links to (how to sign up, where to find you, etc.), and then ensure your website caters for these.

    A laptop showing a Be Seen Graphic

    2. Address pain points

    When a user (in this case, a prospective parent) visits a website, they’re there for a reason. They have a problem and are looking for a solution. In marketing and sales, these problems are known as pain points because they cause problems for your customers.

    Your website must address the ‘problems’ your parents have:

    • Concern for child safety and wellbeing – share how well trained and up-to-date your staff are on safeguarding and health and safety best practices
    • Affordability of childcare – explain that/if you offer government-funded places and give information about how they can apply for their place in your setting
    • Supporting a child with additional needs– ensure easy accessibility to your inclusion policies, share anonymous case studies of children with SEND and how your team support them
    • Flexibility with booked childcare hours – explain the process parents follow to book extra sessions for their child should their working patterns change at the last minute

    3. Mobile-friendly website

    Most parents will access your nursery’s website via a mobile device (phone, tablet etc.). Therefore, ensuring your website is set up and suitable for mobile browsing is necessary. Sometimes, the images, text, or call-to-action buttons can move from where you’d like them to be because the mobile screen is much smaller than a desktop device.

    Look at your website on your mobile device to see how parents will view your website.

    4. Up-to-date information

    When we work with customers to update their digital presence with our Be Seen nursery website feature, we often see content from pre-2020.

    Parents are searching for the correct and up-to-date information before making a decision. Your website is a direct reflection of the professionalism your prospective parents can expect when they come to visit your nursery.

    It’s important to have all of the relevant information Ofsted will look at on your website readily available, including all the must-have EYFS policies that are up-to-date and accessible.

    5. Parent enquiry forms

    Parents want to find all the information they need in one place, easily and quickly. When you use marketing strategies to increase your enrolment rate, you’ll know the term ‘call-to-action’ or CTA.

    CTAs on your website are the actions you’d like your audience to take. For example, you might want them to book a walkaround visit, contact you for more details or follow you on socials.

    Parent enquiry forms are synced to Blossom’s management platform. The in-app notifications mean you’ll never miss an enquiry and can reply quickly to interested parents.

    Blossoms enquiries feature

    6. Brand consistency

    Whether you engage prospective parents on Facebook or your website is your main source of enquiries, you’ll need a clear brand image.

    Several concepts make up a solid brand. When a brand has a clear vision, your audience comes to expect the type of content and interactions they can expect from you.

    Here are several ways you can build a solid nursery brand:

    • Ensure consistency of logo, colours and fonts across all digital platforms (your website, social media and any promotional materials like leaflets and banners).

     

     

    • Choose a bright and inviting colour scheme that is not visually overwhelming. Once you’ve chosen your brand colours, you will have the hex codes for the exact shades. You can send this information to any suppliers you use for website creation or published materials.

     

    • Share the people behind the brand, people like to deal with people. Some companies can be faceless, a nursery and childcare provider is not one of them.

     

    • Ensure all team members who will contribute to your digital presence understand the tone of voice you want to use. When you complete a social media audit, it can be helpful to check that all team members know the do’s and don’ts for your nursery’s stance on topics and how to manage any negative interactions online.

    7. Highlight your USPs

    Your nursery will differ to several in your local area for many reasons. You might offer a tailored curriculum, have fabulous outdoor provision, or invest heavily in your practitioners’ CPD journey.  Whatever the reason is, you’ll want to highlight it to stand out.

    Your website should be the shop window for your nursery. It should share with parents what they can expect when they enrol their child with you and your team. We know that when parents are considering nurseries, they’ll look around for a handful that meets their cost, location, and provision requirements.

    Get ahead by giving prospective parents insight into why your nursery is a good fit. Video content is one of the best ways to convert prospective parents. A short video tour of your nursery is often the deciding factor in booking a walkaround.

    A practitioner and child playing on stepping stools

    8. Share helpful information

    Most companies nowadays have a blog to share useful information with their customers. Like our Blossom Blog, we use our blog platform to engage our audience in topical and relevant information, such as Ofsted updates, how-to’s, and industry-specific information nursery managers need to run their settings efficiently.

    Blogs are also great for ranking highly on Google for keywords your audience is searching for (this is called Search Engine Optimisation, or ‘SEO’). For example, we want to engage nursery managers. So, topics that nursery managers are searching for, like ‘Ofsted inspection changes 2024’, are something we’d like to rank highly for (and you’ll notice we do!)

    Your website can include a blog that shares information on applying for nursery funding, fun activities to try in your local area, and advice on helping children settle into nursery.

    3 Don’ts for your nursery website

    Setting up your nursery website can be daunting if you aren’t tech-savvy. You want the website to work well, have no technical faults, and be simple to manage.

    To ensure smooth sailing for your nursery website, here are 3 ‘don’ts’ to consider.

    • Don’t overcomplicate your website design
    • Don’t ignore SEO
    • Don’t take data security risks

    1. Don’t overcomplicate your website design

    Think about the journey your parents will take to find your nursery online, browse your site and then book a walkaround. Once they are through the door, it is up to your practitioners, provision, and curriculum offer to convert prospective parents into customers.

    Your nursery website should be simple and straightforward, don’t overcomplicate your design – it can put parents off. What you may think is smart and whizzy may be complex and hard for your parents to navigate.

    A graphic of convoluted post-its showing paths and connections

    How often have you visited a website and become frustrated that to click on the page you want you have to slowly move your mouse with military precision so it doesn’t jump off the top navigation bar? This doesn’t make for a good user experience – which is what we want.

    There’s a reason why Google is the most used search engine. Aside from the speed and accuracy of the search engine, the homepage is as simple as it comes. There is no room for distraction, complication, or confusion. You simply type your search into the bar.

    Your parents will be looking for information about your provision, prices, availability, and how to make the next steps. Make these super simple and obvious to find on your website, and your enquiry rate will surely increase.

    2. Don’t ignore SEO

    We mentioned SEO briefly earlier. To learn more about marketing strategies your nursery should be implementing, download our free ultimate nursery manager’s guide to marketing. It has all the juicy details and tips companies use to improve their search visibility and traffic to their website.

    SEO is how parents find your nursery website. If they search ‘nurseries near [your location], you want yours to come up top of the pile. The figures for people who click onto the second page of Google’s search results are low, 0.63% in fact! So, having your nursery on the first page is essential.

    You’ll need to think about SEO and keywords not just on your website but also on social media platforms. If you’re serious about using Facebook professionally, SEO is a must-have.

    Blossoms marketing guide

    3. Don’t take data security risks

    A nursery website that is GDPR-conscious is a must. As parents share personal data when they fill in your enquiry form and your website is linked to your professional brand, you can’t afford any unsecured forms that could risk a data breach.

    GDPR is important for all aspects of parent communication. That’s why our app uses the highest-security processes to store, collect, and use parent and child data.

    Creating a nursery website that engages parents, showcases your nursery USPs and simplifies the enquiry process can seem tricky – but it doesn’t have to be. Our Be Seen website builder feature gives nursery managers a professionally designed, mobile-friendly website that aligns with your nursery branding.

    The benefits of having your website seamlessly integrated to your nursery management system are plenty. From managing updates and enquiries directly synced to your notifications, you can focus on what matters most – your amazing nursery.

    If you’d like to learn more about how Blossom can streamline the efficiency of how your nursery runs, get in touch with our team today and book your free demo.

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