If you have been directed by the powers-that-be to update the website, one of your very first decisions will be whether to DIY in-house or hire education specialists. There is no one size fits all answer, it will depend on your time and budget available to you (and how confident you feel about keeping the site compliant etc).
When DIY can work well
A staff member is able to spend some time with the project and has web development experience
Just want a simple site with some basic pages
Are fine with a template-based platform
News, letters, policies and term dates kept regularly updated.
Although, for a quick fix (new term dates or new policy page) you might find DIY useful even if you use an agency to do the big build.
The downsides of DIY
The biggest challenge is time. School websites are not set and forget – they require regular updates and a logical layout to allow parents to quickly find the information that they need.
DIY can also become risky if:
Only one person has control. What if they leave?
Not enough attention is provided to accessibility and compliance
Inconsistent security, backups and updates management.
A well-designed website can still cause users to struggle if it is not user-friendly, has longer-than-average load times or lacks important information.
When an agency is the best option
An agency-built school website provides:
A systematic approach; easy for parents to navigate
Strong accessibility and compliance support
Reliable hosting, security, and backups
Staff training for easy updates
System health checks (to stop the office doing firefighting)
Various agencies working with schools know the standards – policy libraries, calendar layouts, newsletters, typical admissions pages and so on. For Websites for schools, contact //www.fsedesign.co.uk/websites-for-schools
Disadvantages of an Agency
The biggest drawback is price, as you still need someone in-house to handle the content. The best agency in the world can’t publish your latest letter or update your uniform list without input.
It also might be worth making sure you will not be tied to a platform that is hard to escape later on.
A practical way to decide
Ask these questions:
Which person(s) will write the site weekly?
What about accessibility, security and backup?
What if the person in charge calls in sick, or worse yet, leaves for a different position?
If you can confidently answer these, DIY probably will suffice. Otherwise, it’s always better for schools to opt for an agency-built site with training and support.