an open laptop with its screen showing the Wichita Innovative Schools and Educators website

How WISE’s Website Helped It Gain More Attention and Customers

ByEmmi

Client Overview

Wichita Innovative Schools and Educators (WISE) is a network supporting education entrepreneurs. Their mission is to provide creative learning options for families in their community. WISE is run by motivated educator leaders making waves in the education space. However, they needed help establishing an online presence and centralizing their efforts.

The Challenge

WISE’s original website was quickly put together using a template. It was a great start but quickly outgrew its usefulness.

Several of the pages became too long and hard to navigate. There was no central hub for the growing organization and no platform for marketing their members’ success stories. Additionally, the team was busy, and the website didn’t support their operations.

  • The WISE About Section Before the Makeover
  • The Homepage Hero Section Before the Makeover
  • The Mission and Purpose Section Before the Makeover
  • The Resource Page Before the Makeover

The Solution

We transformed WISE’s website to become a true marketing and communication arm for the organization.

Key Improvements:

– Branding: We created a unified visual identity using a color palette based on their logo, and selected fonts to keep the look professional and consistent.

– Personality & Identity: We added pictures, videos, and clear, compelling language to communicate WISE’s mission.

– Clear Calls to Action: We added specific calls to action for different visitor groups (e.g., members, families, media).

Enhanced Navigation & User Experience:

– Resource Hub: We reorganized the resources into a central hub that was easier to navigate.

– School Directory: We built a searchable school directory, allowing users to find schools based on criteria like location and type. This helped both visitors and the website’s search engine ranking by linking out to member schools and encouraging member schools to link back.

– Content Creation: We added a blog section to educate the public about microschools and innovative education, further boosting traffic and engagement.

  • WISE Homepage HERO Section After the Makeover
  • WISE Searchable Directory After the Makeover
  • WISE About Us HERO Section After the Makeover
  • WISE Board Members Section After the Makeover
  • WISE Meetings and Events After the Makeover

Operational Functionality

The website wasn’t just about marketing; it also improved operational efficiency. We implemented:

– Membership registration and event sign-ups, streamlining processes for school fairs.

– Email inquiries and member management, making communication smoother.

– A central hub for newsletters, allowing WISE to keep its members informed and engaged.

Results

– An almost 200% increase in traffic following the website revamp.

– Improved communication with media and new contacts through the website.

– The site ranked on Google’s first page for “microschool” when we were actively creating content.

– More inquiries and increased engagement from the community.

Lessons Learned

1. Plan for growth: Always map out the website’s growth from the beginning.

2. User Experience is key: The customer journey should be clear and easy, making it simple for users to contact you.

3. Brand imagery matters: Use personable, compelling images instead of stock photos.

4. Websites can do more: A well-designed website can handle communication and operational tasks, not just look good.