Episcopal Day School : Design
WEBSITE ADOPTION AND ENHANCEMENT
Obstacles: A website that was not effectively communicating important information to visitors and a CMS system that was both difficult to use and limited in functionality.
Solution: A website refresh, custom components to allow more flexibility in content display, and a highly responsive team at Powerserve to quickly address requests.
OVERVIEW
Episcopal Day School (EDS) approached Powerserve with an already existing WordPress website. In order to meet the evolving needs of the school community and having not had the most ideal customer experience with their previous web provider, EDS was looking for a design refresh as well as an easier to use WordPress CMS that was flexible to their needs. Powerserve tackled the project aiming to enhance the overall user experience, streamline content management, and implement custom new features.
GOALS
Improve the visual appeal of the website to make calls to actions easier to locate, this included an efficient place to access visitor inquiries, information for prospective students and current students, and a clear way of communicating all of the programs available at EDS. Making the website easily navigable by parents of prospective students and current students was key.
Within the confines of the current CMS…
Create a way to easily input additional information into the sidebars, as they were limited to containing only one component per page.
Create a more digestible presentation of weekly communications to parents through the school’s newsletter, Panther Posts.
Provide training and tools for the school's administrative staff to independently manage routine updates.
Provide continuous support throughout the year as EDS is in need of urgent updates, particularly during school events and enrollment periods.
PROCESS & SOLUTIONS
Powerserve worked closely with EDS to ascertain their needs and goals for the initial, most pressing, updates. After an initial phase of meetings and approval of mockups, the homepage was redesigned, making it more visually appealing and implementing changes that guided visitors more easily throughout the site and brought them to key calls to action.
A new method of adding multiple components into the sidebar was created using a custom script that made it easy for anyone at EDS to update and add this content, building upon the system with which they were already familiar. Powerserve also implemented a new method to layout accordions for Panther Posts , making the content entry much easier for those maintaining the site at EDS and also making the newsletter more readable to visitors. Powerserve provided training sessions and written guides for administrative staff to empower them to make content updates independently.
Powerserve provides continuous support on an ongoing and as-needed basis. Updates since the website refresh include:
New staff card for Nature School Staff highlighting their credentials and past experience.
Incorporating visual aids and videos to engage users and showcase the school's activities.
Created a secure section accessible only to board members for confidential information.
Responsive adjustments to areas that were malfunctioning and consistent QA checks for all new components built to ensure they display and function correctly on mobile devices.
RESULTS
The design refresh resulted in a modern and visually appealing landing page, enhancing the overall user experience and providing a seamless and user-friendly experience for both prospective and enrolled parents. For parents exploring the school for the first time, calls to action made it easier to find admission details, financial planning, and a specialized point of contact. Simultaneously, parents of enrolled students benefited from a more organized layout, allowing swift access to event updates and registration, calendars, and resources through the Panther Post.
EDS staff members making updates to the site now had a more streamlined process of content updates, empowering administrative staff to make changes quickly and independently.
Powerserve successfully transformed Episcopal Day School's WordPress website, addressing design shortcomings, optimizing content management, and introducing custom features. The collaboration resulted in a modern, functional, and user-friendly platform that meets the dynamic needs of the school and its community. Powerserve continues to work with EDS as new requirements arise.
