Skip to main content

Got Web? Investing in a District Website

Popularity Report

Total Popularity Score: 0

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

Rank

Bookmark History

Saved by 1 people (-1 private), first by anonymouse user on 2008-03-30


Public Sticky notes

Today, it is all too easy to find district websites that are little more than electronic bulletin boards presenting information in random, sometimes bizarre fashion.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

From a public and community relations perspective, school system leaders should examine how their district might commit limited resources to maintain an effective website to achieve important organizational goals.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Public relations is about building and maintaining strategic relationships with key publics on whom the survival of the organization depends.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Such relationships are often enhanced through effective communication.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

As such, a reputation is not something that an organization can produce because it’s created in the public mind. But it can be managed.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

72 percent of American adults are online

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Do the research.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Create a planning committee.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Create goals and objectives.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

More school districts are adopting content management systems

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Explain in these promotions how users can make the district home page their startup page

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Websites offer certain advantages over traditional media, including relatively low production costs, easy content revisions, limitless content space and, perhaps most important, interactivity.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

The Allen, Texas, Independent School District organized its home page by key publics including visitors, parents, staff and students.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Some district websites, such as the one maintained in Virginia Beach, Va., have developed news sections that include what is known as online newsrooms with public relations contact information, archived and categorized news releases, backgrounders and downloadable graphics.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Also, to encourage frequent return visits, front pages should contain a “what’s new” link that helps demonstrate the site’s vitality and currency.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

The two most important navigational features are (1) a “home” button located consistently on each page so users who get lost can easily return to the home page, and (2) an internal search engine for the convenience of users who want to use a keyword search to find specific information on the site.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

The capacity of websites to interact with the user through e-mail, weblogs (“blogs”), electronic bulletin boards, chat rooms and instant messaging is the greatest advantage the web offers over the more traditional mass media.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Organizations have the ability to engage in two-way communication, a major component of effective communication and relationship building.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

My research shows school districts are hesitant to use such features because of concerns about site security, privacy and adequate staffing to respond to online communication. Yet ignoring the interactive possibilities can make a website’s communication potential no better than a district newsletter’s.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

Viewers might wonder how organized and in control of the situation a school district really is if it fails to recognize the crisis on its own website. Education organizations should take the lead from the business world and consider their website an essential component of their crisis planning. School districts should provide important factual information quickly and consistently, including background materials about the school.

Highlighted by ryanbretag

  • The rise of participatory journalism.
  • Journalists are no longer the only ones reporting the news. One of the biggest debates in journalism today is defining who is a journalist. With the rise of Internet technology and, in particular, blogs, everyone is a reporter. More and more people are gathering and disseminating news and opinions via a website than ever before. While most of these sites lack the credibility of mainstream media, their influence is growing.

    Highlighted by ryanbretag

    Schools should take proactive measures to address their concerns and communicate with strategic publics (including activists) frequently and effectively.

    Highlighted by ryanbretag

    Readers (2)