We all do online research before we make a major purchase, and parents purchasing classes for their kids are no different! Even if you don’t take payments online, your website still represents your brand. When your customers come to your website, they should be able to easily find out who you are, what you are providing and how they can get it. With children’s activity businesses, we need to cater to the children’s parents.
Here are 5 things that should be available on every great children’s activity website:
1. AN UPDATED CALENDAR
Your website calendar should be mobile responsive and updated in real time. Parents manage multiple schedules – especially if they have more than one child. They want to be able to see the calendar of classes and events easily so that they can figure out if your classes can fit in their schedule. Parents don’t have time for a paper calendar anymore. They want to find out in real time if there is class today or not. Your website should have a clear calendar page that is updated with daily events. So whether it’s a regular school day, a holiday or a snow day, parents can simply navigate to your website and double check when their child’s class is taking place.
2. ENROLL NOW BUTTON
We live in the digital age. Parents, especially young parents are accustomed to doing their transactions online. Calling up or coming in person to register their child just does not cut it anymore. We live in an immediate gratification society. Signing up for your classes should be an easy streamlined process that takes under 5 minutes. Parents are busy. They want to be able to find which classes work for their kids age group and level and sign up quickly. And yes, even parents make impulse purchases sometimes. You will receive lots more enrollments with a quick, easy streamlined process.
3. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY
We are a children’s business. Parent’s are entrusting us with their most valuable asset. In order for them to trust you with their child, it is important that they know the beliefs and values behind your program. Your program’s philosophy should be presented on your website in a carefully thought out and well worded manner. Every parent coming to your website should be able to learn what your program is all about as well as the details of the staff members that might be working with their child.
4. SECURE CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS
It’s just a small detail – but without security we lose trust. So we must make sure that we are always safe and trustworthy in every way possible. Make sure that all payment processing done through your business is trustworthy and safe. Sometimes, it’s cheaper to use shopping carts that don’t ensure secured payments. I would recommend spending the money on staying safe.
5. KEEP IT SIMPLE!
The more products and services you offer the harder it is to sell them! The more complicated your website design, the harder it will be for parents to find what they want. Have a simple, clean website. All the information should be easy to find and classes should be easy to buy and sign up for. It’s not important for the website to be gorgeous but just like your place of business or your home – you need to keep your website clean. No one likes a dirty space so remove the clutter. Less is more. Put up a few key photos, the program information and a way to sign up. That’s all you need.
To Summarize:
Parents are inundated with so much. They want a clear, easy interface that will be easy to use. Parents are busy. They want to be able to find which classes work for their kids age group and level and sign up quickly. Parents want to be able to see the calendar of classes and events easily so that they can figure out their scheduling especially if they have multiple kids. And parents want to understand the team and philosophy behind your program so that they can trust that this is a great space for their kids.
Parents always want what’s best for their kids. That’s a huge advantage for our industry. As long as we show parents that we offer a valuable service for their children, they will want to enroll in our classes. When you create a simple, easy interface for the parents in your program, they won’t have to think twice before signing up. So have your business philosophy spelled out clearly and make enrollment as simple as possible. Let’s keep those kids rolling in!
Check out this article on how to figure out which parents are your best customers!