Everyone take a big breath out. We did it. The 2017-18 school year is a wrap! Each year our busy times seem to creep further into our free time and holidays – I am notoriously bad at unplugging. Heading up our UK & International Client Success Team in itself works wonderfully for my connected nature as with timezones alone, I want to stay as ahead of the curve as much as possible and don’t want to miss a thing. And, working from our FinalsiteUK Office these past 18 months has really ensured that I am in the middle of everything – literally and figuratively in GMT.

Part of what makes my job so exciting is not knowing what I will wake up to – an ecstatic Project Manager letting me know about an amazing new site that just launched; a client email confirming they are signing on to Composer and can’t wait to get the project started; seeing an update to the Google algorithm that has the potential to change search for schools forever, or a long-awaited feature to our product is out and is incredible! On my walk in to work, stopping in Starbucks for my mandatory Venti Iced Soy(a) Latte that the baristas have memorized, while  reading up on my notifications via slack, WhatsApp, Gmail, iMessage, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Skype and Calendar invites, it’s incredible how accessible we all are, yet I can’t wait to see which red #1 alert will pop up next on my screen.

I say all this to make a point: more and more schools I talk to are really starting to hone in on cutting through all of the ‘noise’. It’s getting more difficult to determine not only how to stand out, but how to effectively portray themselves online, and which communications tools to utilize when. Capturing the true essence and identity of a school remains the ultimate challenge.

I work with international schools where 80% of their incoming class had never stepped foot on campus until Orientation. Game changer. In certain cities, drones are not allowed, so there goes that beautiful bird’s eye view video campus footage. ‘Above the fold content’ is definitely important in this respect; however, the personalized experience leading up to or after this first website visit is key. If you aren’t doing so already, developing main personas is extremely helpful for your admissions and marketing strategy. Not to mention fundraising. Finalsite’s Creative and Product Teams are taking this concept even further to serve up personalized content built off user journey and geographic location.

As school staffers are hopefully getting some time this summer to focus on their ‘actual’ jobs, I’d challenge you to think about these four things in anticipation of August:

1. Become your school website’s online tour guide.

A few campuses I have visited are looking to robots to give campus tours, so let’s guide the user online based on their interests and let the website do some of the work for you. Be bold on persona selection straight from the getgo, such as Phoenix Country Day School.

Not only will these selections help with visitor behavioral data collection, but it gives direction to the user to what they seek. Something as clear and straightforward as to what Pangbourne College is doing helps answer the ‘is my homepage for current or prospective families’ question.

The next phase of developing personalization is along the lines of Dubai College in which targeted content is served to the user based on their selected interests.

Watch this space as Finalsite’s Inbound Marketing Suite is hot off the presses. Keep that running wishlist going of website improvements and product tools that could potentially help. Subscribe to Finalsite’s Software Update Blog here.

2. Google yourself.  

Branded (Meredith University) and unbranded (expat Client Success Manager with curly hair; best-iced coffee shops in London) search.

Sounds simple but as we know, Google is constantly changing and this is most likely the first impression of a future family. Manage your Google My Business Listing and stay up on what’s coming – employment opportunities will be hitting the international market, in which Google will pull in listings directly from your school. University search has just rolled out.

Learn how Google’s carousel feature is influencing school performance in search in this webinar on demand.

3. Keep GDPR in mind.

Not only could we all breathe a sigh of relief come end of school year, but how about making it through GDPR?

25th May 2018 was a date we all had earmarked. To that end - schools gained valuable insights amidst their internal data mapping and key departments involved in specific collection and transfer. Along that same vein - how efficient is your data flow? As we roll over and graduate families another year, Finalsite tightens up our best of breed data partner integrations and single sign ons (SSOs), releasing features based on feedback and needs of our clients. Right now is a perfect time to take your data map one step further and leverage Finalsite’s tools and partnerships. Become a part of that discussion and share your ideas with the product team, while recruiting peers to vote for said ideas.

4. Plan valuable professional development for yourself and relevant team members.

I am 100% biased but on the plane ride back to London after my 6th Finalsite University in Leesburg, VA last week, I am recharged. Not only did I pick up on so many new tips and tricks from our staff’s presentations but fellow schools are doing some really cool things that I would never have thought of. I love seeing super users and how they push our software to the limits.

International School of Brussels’ 3 part series demonstrated how they are revolutionizing the admissions process and how to rethink, well, everything. Or, the ‘Not Your Typical IT Guys’ from La Salle College HS in PA sharing their incoming class retention strategy, around the process of ensuring student success or graduation. I also realized I need to step my social media and digital analytics game up after getting a sneak peek into how American School of Paris’ team has this mastered. The #TeamMeredith squad got me excited about our next gathering in London in October. Book a trip to join me and my colleagues as well as awesome fellow users.

In addition to attending our user conferences and web strategy workshops, set up some time with your Client Success Manager to check in and for some additional consulting on how to help you reach your website and communication goals. Our Team geeks out year round and we’d love to share our knowledge as well as get you all the resources you need. Summer is also a great time to catch up on those webinars you may have missed and read up on our amazing blog articles.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a member of the Finalsite team since 2013, Client Success Manager Meredith helps schools use best web practices everyday. Meredith comes from a unique background working in Connecticut education, implementing STEM programs across public school districts, and later joining the Development & Alumni Office of an independent school. She's hopped the pond and currently heads up International Client Success out of the FinalsiteUK Office. If she’s not helping her clients to be successful or counting down to the next FinalsiteU, you can find her at the nearest Starbucks or out on the field playing/coaching football in between international conferences.