Using Finalsite's Forms tool, set up an auto-reply email response as a "thank you" that includes your school's look book, or whatever information you typically follow up with. This way, the prospect who filled out the form gets immediate gratification, and you're not manually emailing each and every individual who submitted the form. You can also target this group of individuals in another week or two with a personalized email prompting them to fill out your longer inquiry form.

Add Calls-to-Action to Your Main Navigation

Ever notice when you're online shopping — whether it's on Amazon or a small, local specialty store — that there's always a shopping cart in the top right-hand corner you can access at any point?

It's not a coincidence — it's a strategic decision based on these two points of reason:

• When browsing the web, the eye naturally looks to the top right-hand corner and bottom right of a web page.
• At any point during a user's visit on your website, you want to give them the option to convert when they're ready — they don't want to go looking.

Today's user experiences the web in micro-moments, meaning they pick up their smartphone or laptop because they're looking for something they want or need in that moment — whether it's to take an action (like inquire at your school) or look up additional information to help them take action.

Placing an inquiry call-to-action in the top right corner of your navigation appeals to them in this micro-moment — whether they're ready to take action, or will be ready to take action after they learn more.

Here are a few examples from our schools:

Thayer's "Request Information" button is one of three calls-to-action docked in the top right-hand corner, making conversions easy for three different, and very important, audiences.

Punahou School's capital campaign microsite has one important call-to-action: Make a Gift — and it stands out in the top right-hand corner in a fun, lime green color, contrasting the site's black-and-white color scheme.

Pine Point School's yellow "Inquire" button stands out against the green navigation — and since the site features a stick navigation, it follows users as they click and scroll throughout the site.

Pro Tip:

Always be sure your call-to-action links to a form. Often, will link to a page with additional information, rather than giving site visitors exactly what they're looking form — a way to take action. Pine Point School's "Inquire" button links to a beautiful, short inquiry form — implementing both of these best practices.

Other Factors

Of course, numerous other factors go into conversion rates. Responsive design, the story you tell, page load time, the images and video on your homepage, and even your tuition all play a significant roll in getting your website visitor to click and submit.

If you're curious as to how these factors are affecting your school's website, sign up for a free school website audit. You'll get paired up with one of our school website experts and go through your website's performance and functionality to see how you can improve and increase conversions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As Finalsite's Content Marketing Manager, Mia plans and executes a variety of inbound marketing and digital content strategies. As a former TV and news reporter, freelance cinematographer and certified inbound marketer, Mia specializes in helping schools find new ways to share their stories online through web design, social media, copywriting, photography and videography. She is the author of numerous blogs, and Finalsite's popular eBook, The Website Redesign Playbook.