SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
The Heritage School
The Heritage School in Newnan, Georgia, is committed to providing a loving, community-oriented environment where students become confident, engaging adults passionate about their interests and goals.
However, the need for The Heritage School to redesign its website emerged from a clear recognition that its existing online presence should reflect its standards and mission.
While Nathan Watts, Director of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, knew Heritage offered a superior experience, its website lagged behind its competitors, failing to showcase its strengths and qualities effectively.
This realization set in motion a strategic plan that included creating an informative website that would be a "living" reflection of the school's dynamic environment.
At a Glance
Established in 1970, The Heritage School is a co-ed private school serving students in grades 3-12. The school is a member of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), and is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)
For schools contemplating a similar project, The Heritage School's experience underscores the importance of a well-structured plan, clear roles and responsibilities, and a commitment to prioritizing the website project. As Nathan Watts recounts, the benefits are exponential.
How did The Heritage School know it was time to redesign its website?
"Our previous website wasn’t meeting our current and future needs, and it was clearly time for a revamp. Our competitors had much better websites, and while we had the best product in the area, our previous website didn’t do it justice."
How did your team determine the site's goals, design, and structure?
"Part of our strategic plan was to find ways to tell our rich history and embrace our strong culture."
"Our Admissions Director researched his favorite sites that Finalsite served and started mapping out the best flow for our school. In the meantime, we strongly desired to tell our story and mission, so we started creating video content to express our “why” adequately, and the new website and content do just that."
“The website is far beyond our expectations. Our inquiries are running three times higher than they were this time last year. Alumni contact updates are four times what they were in the past. With every data point, we are seeing increased traffic and engagement with our site."
NATHAN WATTS
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT & ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
How did you ensure that the content on each page was fresh and focused?
"We created it to be a living product. From the style we chose to the panels we placed, we wanted it to be a "living" representation of The Heritage School and not a static timestamp of this year. Therefore, we integrated social media posts, our weekly newsletters, and more to keep the site content fresh without making regular updates."
What suggestions would you give a school considering starting a website project?
"Create a team focused on your plan, and divide the roles and responsibilities. Hold each other accountable to deadlines and ensure it is the number one project you are currently working on."
How has your community responded to your new site?
"The website is far beyond our expectations. Our inquiries are running three times higher than they were this time last year. Alumni contact updates are four times what they were in the past. With every data point, we are seeing increased traffic and engagement with our site."
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