Analysis of the school website

Before you add a new website,
so that you know what they’re expected to be able to do.

I’ll review the website from the perspective of both parents and prospective students and identify any obstacles preventing them from accessing the information they need. You’ll receive a report that will help you decide what adjustments can be made in-house and what it makes sense to outsource to a contractor.

Delivery within 10 working days. From 4,900 Kč excluding VAT.
What’s being discussed

Things that happen time and again in schools.

Parents are calling to enquire about the dates and conditions listed on the website.
An applicant takes a look. If they can’t find the right course, they move on.
Information on the same subject can be found in three places, and each one says something different.
Adding content is easy. Nobody knows how to remove it.
The school does lots of things that you won’t find out about on its website.
Management is considering whether to make the website more user-friendly or to start afresh.

Most of these situations do not arise from negligence. They arise because the website has been expanding over the years and no one has any reason to look at it from the perspective of someone who is unfamiliar with the school.

Why sort this out before placing an order?

A new look and a new website are not the same thing.

It happens all the time. A school commissions a new website, gets a fresh look, and six months later realises that parents are phoning about the same issues as before. That’s because the content has simply been carried over. The structure has remained the same.

You can review the brief before paying for it. It costs a fraction of the price of the website and will help you decide what to ask of the supplier. You don’t need to have the brief finalised. That’s exactly what I’m here to help with.

Who is it for?

This is usually dealt with by senior management, who make the decisions.

This is right for you if

  • Are you planning to commission a new website and want to have a clear idea before you receive a quote,
  • You’ve taken over the management and inherited the website as it is,
  • The website is working, but the office phone keeps ringing about the same things,
  • You’re not sure whether it’s enough to just tweak the website, or whether a more significant change is needed.

It won’t suit you if

  • you have finalised the terms of reference and selected a contractor, and you just want to approve it,
  • You’re expecting a graphic design. That’s a different service.

Design of the school’s homepage →

How I do it

You navigate a website depending on what you need to do on it.

1.

Visitor’s tasks

We’ll determine what users need to be able to do on the website: find enrolment dates, information on the admissions process, open days, degree programmes, the canteen menu or contact details for a specific person.

2.

The Journey

I’ll work through each of these tasks from the first page. I’m keeping track of where the path branches off, where it repeats and where it ends without an answer.

3.

Contents

Where the information is unclear, where it appears in different versions in several places, and where it is missing altogether.

4.

Mobile phone

Most parents view the website on their mobile phones. They check to see if the same tasks appear there as on a computer.

5.

Data, if any

If you have the data, I’ll add details on what people are actually searching for and where they leave the site. If not, the analysis can still be carried out without it, and I’ll sort out the data for you.

What you get

A document that can be taken to a management meeting.

Written in clear, non-technical language. Completion within ten working days, including a joint review of the final deliverable.

i.

Where visitors get lost

Specific points along the path to information, not general impressions.

ii.

What you can do on your own

Adjustments that can be carried out by any member of the team, even without technical knowledge.

iii.

What is work for a supplier?

And what, on the other hand, is fine and shouldn’t be tampered with.

iv.

Terms of Reference

When planning a new website, focus on specific points rather than vague wishes.

Before you ask

Four things everyone asks about.

The founding body must approve this.

That is why the report is written in such a way that it can be presented. It clearly sets out what needs to be addressed, what does not need to be addressed, and why. Decisions are then made on the basis of the facts, not on the basis of impressions.

We don’t have anyone to look after the website.

The analysis takes this into account. Some of the recommendations are always designed so that they can be carried out by a member of staff without technical knowledge. The rest are identified as tasks for the contractor.

We wanted a brand-new website straight away.

And feel free to specify it. The analysis will provide you with the specifications for it. It’ll work out cheaper than having to make an extra round of amendments during implementation.

The website is managed by a company.

Never mind. The output is written in such a way that she can adopt it. I’m not tampering with your website, nor am I replacing anyone.

Price

The scope will be agreed in advance.

Analysis and preparation of the terms of reference
on an individual basis

Once the decision has been made to create a new website, and you want to draw up the brief for the contractor.

  • Everything from the analysis
  • Web structure design
  • Points to include in a request for quotation for suppliers
  • Review of incoming tenders
Agree on the scope

The price depends on the size of the website. I’ll give you a specific figure up front; there’s no hourly billing.

Still undecided?

You’ll probably contact several suppliers.

I’ve drawn up seven questions that you should ask each of them. They’ll help you tell who’s looking for the root cause of the problem and who’s just going through the motions.

Please send me the website address. I’ll get back to you with whatever I can find out.

All you need is your address and a brief description of the issue you’re dealing with. I’ll let you know what the analysis will cover and how much it will cost.

If nothing comes of it, I’ll let you know. This isn’t a binding order.

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