Birla Open Minds, one of the leading schools in Chennai, sought a revamp of their digital presence to meet the evolving expectations of parents and prospective students. The goal was to design a website that provided parents with all the information they needed, making it easy for them to evaluate the school and initiate the admission process. At Pixel Studios, we developed a website that was intuitive, visually appealing, and functional, keeping parents’ decision-making journeys at the forefront.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Challenge
Birla Open Minds faced several challenges that hindered its online presence and effectiveness:
- The existing website lacked a structured layout and user-centric design.
- Parents visiting the website were unable to quickly access the information they needed, such as details about specific academic levels or admission procedures.
- There was no feature to showcase the school’s infrastructure, achievements, or activities, which are often key decision-making factors for parents.
- Calls-to-action (CTAs) were minimal and did not actively encourage engagement or lead generation.
- The website was not optimized for mobile users, a significant concern given the widespread usage of mobile devices.
- Additionally, the school required better visibility on search engines to attract parents researching schools online.
Birla Open Minds wanted a solution that not only addressed these issues but also elevated their brand perception as a premier institution offering world-class education.
Our Solution
To address these challenges, we focused on crafting a website that aligned with how parents think, search, and decide on schools for their children. The result was an intuitive, parent-focused website designed with functionality and aesthetics in mind.
1. Intuitive Information Architecture
We started by rethinking the website’s information structure to make it user-friendly and logical for parents. We segmented the academic information into clear categories based on the age groups of students:
- Pre-Primary School (18 months to 5 Years)
- Primary School (6 to 10 Years)
- Middle School (10 to 14 Years)
- High School (14 to 17 Years)
Each category was given its dedicated landing page, which provided detailed information on the curriculum, teaching methodology, extracurricular activities, and facilities specific to that age group. This structure allowed parents to easily navigate to the section most relevant to their child, reducing the time spent searching for information.
Key features of this architecture:
- Dedicated Landing Pages: Each age group had a separate, detailed page that provided all relevant information in one place.
- Clear Navigation Menus: The navigation bar prominently displayed these categories, making it easier for parents to find what they needed.
- SEO Integration: Each landing page was optimized with targeted keywords to improve search engine rankings.
This restructuring provided a seamless user experience and addressed one of the key pain points parents had with the previous website.
2. Virtual Tour Feature
One of the standout features of the new website was the inclusion of a 360-degree virtual tour of the school campus. Recognizing that many parents prefer to assess a school’s infrastructure before making a decision, we developed this feature to offer a realistic, interactive experience.
- Interactive Navigation: Parents could select specific buildings, classrooms, or amenities they wanted to explore.
- 360-Degree View: The tour provided an immersive experience, helping parents visualize the campus layout, facilities, and overall environment.
- Convenience: This feature enabled parents to assess the school remotely, saving them the effort of visiting in person initially.
The virtual tour became a significant tool in building trust and transparency, as it allowed prospective parents to see the quality of the school’s facilities firsthand.
3. Prominent Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Driving admissions was one of the primary objectives of the new website. To ensure this, we strategically placed prominent CTAs throughout the site to guide parents toward taking action.
Key CTA features:
- Sticky Side Bar: A persistent side bar allowed parents to access the admission form from any page of the website.
- Popup Forms: We implemented popups with admission inquiry forms that appeared at key moments during the user journey.
- Clear Contact Details: The website prominently displayed the school’s contact number and email address across all pages, making it easy for parents to reach out directly.
These CTAs were designed to be visually appealing and strategically placed, ensuring they were noticeable without being intrusive. By simplifying the process for inquiries and form submissions, we made it easier for parents to take the next step in the admission process.
4. Tabbed Photo Gallery
A key element of the revamped website was the photo gallery, which showcased the school’s vibrant activities and achievements. Instead of a generic photo display, we organized the gallery into tabs based on events and categories, making it more accessible and engaging for parents.
Key features:
- Tabbed Organization: Parents could easily navigate through different categories, such as cultural events, academic activities, sports achievements, and more.
- Clickable Thumbnails: Each photo could be enlarged with a single click, allowing parents to view the details.
- Updated Content: The gallery was designed to be easily updated, ensuring it remained relevant and showcased recent events.
This feature highlighted the dynamic and holistic environment Birla Open Minds offered, helping to build credibility and engagement.
5. Mobile & SEO-Friendly Design
To cater to modern user behavior, the website was built with a mobile-first approach. Given that many parents rely on their smartphones to browse the internet, mobile responsiveness was a critical focus.
Key improvements:
- Mobile Optimization: The website was designed to function seamlessly across all devices, ensuring a smooth user experience on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
- SEO Optimization: The website was optimized with targeted keywords such as “best schools in Chennai,” “CBSE schools in Chennai,” and “school admissions in Chennai.” Meta descriptions, alt tags, and structured data were implemented to improve search engine rankings.
These optimizations helped increase the website’s visibility and usability, driving more traffic and inquiries.
Result
The revamped website delivered impressive results, addressing the challenges faced by Birla Open Minds and elevating their digital presence:
- Improved User Experience: Parents found it easier to navigate the website and access the information they needed.
- Increased Admission Inquiries: Prominent CTAs and an intuitive layout contributed to a significant rise in inquiries.
- Higher Engagement: Features like the virtual tour and photo gallery kept users engaged for longer periods.
- Enhanced Mobile Experience: The mobile-friendly design ensured a seamless browsing experience, boosting user satisfaction.
- Improved SEO Rankings: The website ranked higher for relevant keywords, driving more organic traffic.
Conclusion
At Pixel Studios, we believe in creating websites that don’t just look good but also deliver results. For Birla Open Minds, this meant designing a parent-centric, visually engaging, and functional website that set them apart from other schools. By focusing on user experience, engagement, and lead generation, we helped Birla Open Minds build a strong online presence that aligned with their goals.
If your school is looking to enhance its digital presence and drive more admissions, contact Pixel Studios today. Together, we can create a website that reflects the excellence and values of your institution.
