6 Proven School Website Strategies to Increase Inquiries
Empowered Enrollment Team
Your website is one of the first stops prospective families make when searching for the right school. Their experience on your website will shape what they expect from your school.
Yet many school websites don’t reflect the care or community that make those schools shine in person. We hear common frustrations:
- “Our site feels outdated. It doesn’t reflect who we are.”
- “It’s hard for our team to update things internally.”
- “Traffic is ok, but we’re not seeing many inquiries come through.”
- “We know now there are better options out there, but we’re stuck in a contract.”
- “It’s become a catch-all for information.”
Sometimes, a full website redesign is needed to address the core problem. But a redesign isn’t always the answer. A few targeted updates can make a significant difference. Below are six strategies we use to help schools turn their websites into inquiry-generating tools.
1. Build content for every stage of the Family Journey™
Your website visitors aren’t all starting from the same place. Therefore, So it stands to reason that they’re not all looking for the same thing.
Some families are in the Awareness stage of the Family Journey™, where they are just learning about your school. They’re asking friends for recommendations, searching online, and beginning to form first impressions. Others are comparing options. A few may be one click away from applying.
To serve them well, your messaging needs to match where they are in the Family Journey™ — Tassel’s enrollment framework that empowers schools to build meaningful connections with families from recruitment through retention.
Here’s how that breaks down in the recruitment phases, and content you should consider for each phase:
Awareness-stage content
This is for families just beginning to explore. Focus on general value and telling stories.
- Blog articles that unpack your educational philosophy
- “Why families choose us” pages
- Program spotlights that show what makes your school distinct
Consideration-stage content
These families want a closer look. Help them imagine being part of your community.
- Parent testimonial videos
- Digital and print guides that highlight value propositions
- FAQs about core values integration, daily life, or curriculum
Decision-stage content
Now they’re weighing their top choices. This is where clarity and ease matter most.
- Application checklists
- Tuition and financial aid guides
- Clear next-step CTAs
A good website doesn’t just show off your school. It helps families determine if your school is going to support the aspirations they have for their child.
2. Add clear next steps on every page
Many school websites share a lot of helpful information, but never actually invite families to do anything with it. A strong call to action (CTA) moves prospective families from interest to intent. The key is matching the CTA to where the family is in their journey.
Here’s what that can look like in practice:
• On an Age-and-Stage® page: “Explore Our Programs” or “Meet Our Teachers”
• On a campus life page: “See What Other Parents Are Saying”
• On an admissions page: “Schedule a Tour” or “Start Your Application”
It’s not about pushing families too quickly. It’s about making the next step easy and obvious for where they are in their journey. Every page should feel like a guidepost, not a dead end.
We often see schools with strong content but weak CTA strategy. Either the buttons blend in, the language is generic (“Click here”), there are too many CTAs, or there’s no action step at all. Updating your CTAs can be one of the fastest ways to improve inquiry flow.
3. Show up where families are searching
Search behavior is changing fast. Families aren’t just using Google — they’re asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and other AI platforms for school recommendations, program comparisons, and answers to specific enrollment questions.
This means your website needs to do more than rank well. It needs to show up in varying search experiences with content that’s accurate, helpful, and AI-readable.
Solutions like Tassel AI-SEO™ can help you turn your website into an AI-ready knowledge base that:
- Boosts visibility on search engines and AI platforms
- Prioritizes content that answers real parent questions
- Improves the way AI assistants surface your school in results
Want to know more about how it works? Schedule a call with a Tassel solutions advisor
4. Use AI to personalize the experience
Most school websites are built for everyone, which means they rarely speak directly to anyone. AI-driven personalization solves that. With the right tools and content strategy, you can guide families to the content they care about most, based on how they interact with your site.
For example, a parent exploring your kindergarten program is going to have different questions than the parent of a high schooler. Tools like Tassel AI-Convert™, powered by Halda, helps surface the right information.
This kind of personalization:
- Helps schools with open seats drive new inquiries
- Supports schools with strong interest by creating a healthy wait pool
- Gives families a smoother experience that builds confidence
Want to see how it works? Schedule a call with a Tassel solutions advisor
5. Clean up your admissions section
Your homepage might make a strong first impression, but your Admissions page is where families decide whether to take the next step. It’s often one of the first places they click. If it’s hard to follow, out of date, or overly transactional, families may bounce before they ever inquire.
Here’s what to focus on:
- A warm, inviting introduction that reflects your school’s personality and culture
- A clear, step-by-step overview of the admissions process
- A simple, relevant CTA that encourages next steps
This page isn’t just a checklist. It’s a conversation starter. Think less “here’s everything you need to do” and more “here’s how we’ll walk with you as you make this important decision for your family.”
The language you use matters, too. Admissions content should:
- Speak in first-person plural (“We’re here to help,” not “Applicants should expect…”)
- Avoid jargon or unexplained terms (“rolling admissions” needs context)
- Reinforce fit and alignment (“We’re a good fit for families who value…”)
Try a quick role play: If you were a prospective parent visiting your school’s site for the first time, would the Admissions section…
- Make you feel welcomed?
- Clearly explain what to do next?
- Encourage you to take action?
If not, it may be time for a refresh.
Not sure where to begin? Start with a free audit of your Admissions section. We’ll help you identify what’s working and where you’re losing families. Schedule a Free Audit
6. Build on a flexible, easy-to-update platform
Even the best-designed website loses impact if your team can’t keep it updated.
We hear this a lot from schools: “We want to make changes, but we have to submit a ticket,” or “It takes days and sometimes weeks to update simple info.” When your content is hard to manage, it gets neglected, and that affects everything from parent confidence to search visibility.
Your platform should serve your team, not slow them down. Look for a CMS that balances professional design with internal usability. It should be:
- Easy for non-technical staff to update
- Come with the support you need (training, security updates, etc.)
- Flexible enough to grow with your needs
- Aligned to your school’s size, budget, and team capacity.
Tassel helps schools by offering fully custom and themed website options — all built for usability, accessibility, and long-term performance.
Ready to increase inquiries coming through your school website?
Sometimes having an outside perspective can help you identify the right opportunities that put prospective families first, supports your internal team, and aligns every page with your enrollment goals.
Tassel builds school website with strategy at the core. We understand how families search, challenges enrollment teams face, and how content converts. Let’s talk about what your website could be, and how to get it there.
