Here, you’ll find two things to do in order to generate leads as soon as they land on your website – after all, your site is an active part of your sales funnel, not a placeholder on the internet.
In order to succeed, you need these two components:
- A tagline placed above the fold
- A clear call to action
Your Tagline
The first five seconds that a student spends on your website are the most crucial. For this reason, the best place to start is ‘above the fold.’ ‘Above the fold’ is a term co-opted from newspapers and it refers to what people see before they unfold the paper.
In a website’s case, ‘above the fold’ is what someone sees before they scroll down. This is what should capture a student’s attention – not send them away.
If someone has just searched for ‘best colleges near me,’ they’re experiencing a problem and they’ve consulted Google for the solution. Once they arrive at your website, they’ve got to see two things in order to stay:
- A tagline
- A concise statement of what you’re offering
This is where you tell students what you can do for them – and you’ve got to tell them fast. Don’t waste the valuable real estate ‘above the fold’ by trying to be quippy or clever. Don’t be vague, either. If a prospective student doesn’t read your opening line and think ‘that’s what I need!’ then you’ve lost them.
This prospective student came to your website in search of what you’re offering. If you lose them, that’s on you. But we’re here to make sure you don’t lose them.
A Clear Call to Action
As a website for a college or a university, if you don’t have a button that says ‘apply now’ or ‘schedule a campus tour,’ you’re losing new students.
These days, attention spans are short. Prospective students aren’t going to search around for your phone number or an application. They landed on your website because they’re experiencing a problem, and it’s your job to hand the solution to them in the simplest manner possible.
Here are some calls to action that work for colleges and universities:
- Enroll Now
- Schedule an Appointment Today
- Book a Campus Tour
- And some calls-to-action you should avoid using:
- Learn More
- Get Started
- Contact Us
On every page of your website, and sometimes more than once, there should be a call to action button. These buttons are the point of your entire site. Without them, you can’t capture leads.
Using Your Website to the Fullest
Following these tips will allow you to use your website to the fullest and capture the leads you need. Don’t hesitate – revamp your website today!
