Why Your Day Care Needs A Website
Tips On Creating A Website For Your Day Care
Your day care business can benefit enormously from having a website and blog. I have connected with a lot of clients that otherwise might not have found me or might have overlooked my service in favor of one of the above. There are many bigger, faster, shinier, more centrally located days with bigger advertising budgets than mine.
People were impressed with my website; with the pictures, information and 'glimpse inside' that it offered. They liked the beautiful setting, the family run element and our montessori program. They felt like they knew us already thanks to the 'personal touch' effect of the website.
Having an online presence has many advantages in terms of marketing and simply communicating with current and potential clients. It is not difficult to maintain or create a website and a professional look can be easily achieved. A vibrant, regularly updated site and blog can sell your business better than anything else. Include lots of information about you and your day care and ensure your site is easily navigated.
Granted it took a few months of work submitting my site to online business directories and ensuring I had all my meta tags and keywords up to speed but ultimately it was worth it. My day care almost always shows up in the first few listings for any search for child care in my area (oftentimes for nationwide searches).
Ensure you have pictures of your bright, airy playrooms, outdoor playgrounds and shots of the exterior of your day care. Help parents understand what your day care offers by incorporating details of important policies, your educational curriculum and what you charge. Downloads of your parent handbook and day care contract provides answers many telling questions for parents and puts their minds at rest.
Having a blog associated with your site is a lovely idea and keeps both present and future clients updated and involved. I just recently revamped my site adding a blog (I use wordpress and highly recommend it) and am already reaping the rewards and hearing lots of nice feedback. Consider having a staff page with pictures and mini biographies of your carers (even it it's just you). People love that personal touch and feel that you are less of a stranger to them.
10 years experience of running a day care renders Fiona Lohrenz very capable of writing articles on all aspects of childcare. She also pours this knowledge into her child care website and has made a 'How to Start a Day Care Business' DVD guide: Start A Daycare Business DVD She can be reached at her website: ChildCareOnly.com
Published June 25th, 2008
Filed in Business
