Your website is the digital storefront for your studio. It is the first impression many people have of your business and it's the first place many new and current students go to answer timely questions! Just like you need to regularly spruce up your lobby and dance room to keep it fresh and clean, your website needs to be periodically cleaned up too to keep it as up-to-date as possible.
1. Schedule Your Website Cleanup
Add website cleanup to your calendar every month. Spending a half hour auditing what your website needs will make all of the difference in keeping it fresh and current. When going through the site, read over the content on each page and make note of what needs to be updated, what needs to be deleted, and what is missing. Check all of the links to make sure they bring the user to the correct destination.
2. Content, Content, Content
Always be adding content to your website. Find ways to add videos to your class pages, add images to your galleries, and think about starting a blog with resources for dance parents and students. The longer you keep a prospective dancer on your site, the more excited they will get and the less time they will be spending looking at other studio websites. Fill your site with as many photos, videos, and information resources as possible. Parents of young children will love watching cute short videos of classes or recitals, building their excitement of what they're signing their kid up for.
3. Check Your Studio E-Newsletters
Go through and check your recent studio emails and newsletters. Can the same information be found on the site. If a parent accidentally deletes an email or "never gets it", they should be able to go to your website to find the same information. Make sure your website calendar is up to date with holiday closings and important deadlines and make sure recital information (like dates and times, show assignments, locations, and ticket information) is easy to access.
4. Check How Your Site Looks on Mobile
Over half of all web traffic happens on mobile devices, so chances are your prospective and current students are looking at your website on their phone or tablet. Make sure to check how your website looks on a variety of devices. Check it on your phone and tablet and ask a friend with a different flavor of phone or tablet if you can check it on theirs too!
5. Make Sure You Have the Basics Covered
Can you easily find the studio's address and location? Can you easily find the studio's phone number? Can you easily find the studio's phone number? Can you easily find the studio's email address. Sounds simple, but you have no idea how many studio website's forget to put on the address or put the email address in a super obscure location. Once parents fall in love with your studio from the website, they'll want to call with more questions or stop by and visit. Make sure it's easy for them to ask questions or sign up!
Spending a little time each month on updating your website will give it the TLC it needs to be an awesome resource for your studio - for both prospective new students as well as your current student base!
Joe Naftal
Growing up in the studio family business, Joe Naftal is the CEO of Naftal Creative. Naftal Creative's portfolio includes RecitalProgramAds.com, MyStudioSource.com, Standby in the Wings, and Check In Pointe. He is the author of Standby in the Wings: The Behind the Scenes Guide to Producing the Perfect Dance Recital and the Marketing Director and Production Manager for Dance Connection in Islip, New York. Joe regularly collaborates with dance studio owners around the world, has been on the seminar faculty of the Dance Teacher Summit in New York City and the Energize Conference in Chicago, has been featured in Dance Teacher Magazine, and sits on the Expert Panel for DanceStudioOwner.com. Joe lives in New York City and enjoys theatre, art museums, and travel.