With what seems like unlimited options for extracurricular activities, it’s essential to make the programs at your youth activity center stand out from the competition. To do that, you’ll first need to start with your online presence. One of the best ways to get ahead of your competitors and appeal to new students in your community is to create a phenomenal website that attracts and informs curious students. 

How do you do it? What should you include on your swim school, gymnastics gym, or dance studio’s website? 

To help identify website must-haves, we went straight to Jackrabbit’s 7,000+ client base. Here are the top 7 website must-haves ranked by Jackrabbit Class users. 

7 website must-haves for your youth activity center

Online registration for new and returning students

When your business is fueled by children taking swim, gymnastics, music, or dance classes, you have to make it easy for new and returning families to register for those classes. That’s why offering an easy online registration process tops the charts of website must-haves for youth activity centers.  

When you integrate your website with Jackrabbit Class, you’re able to show customers which classes are available and allow them to register for classes anytime, anywhere. Instant gratification can’t be beat. Not to mention, your staff will save hours of time on manual, paper registration. 

Need help integrating Jackrabbit Class to your business website? Check out these help resources exclusively for Jackrabbit users. 

A form for collecting leads

Tied for the number one website must-have is all collecting leads. While retaining the students you currently have enrolled is important, your youth activity center should always have an eye out for sales opportunities. 

Lead capture examples: 

• Trial class information form
• Contact us form
• Newsletter opt-in form

Make it easy for potential families to get in touch with your youth activity center by adding a lead capture form or multiple forms across your website.

Use of an aesthetically pleasing design

There’s nothing worse than a cluttered website. We believe it and Jackrabbit clients do too, which is why a design that’s easy on the eyes is toward the top of the must-have list for your youth activity center’s website. 

Like a cluttered room or office, a cluttered website leads to a cluttered mind. Make sure you use an aesthetically pleasing design that incorporates your center’s brand. You can be minimalistic in your design while remaining user-friendly and showing customers what your program is all about.

Include high-quality multimedia

People love videos and pictures. We’re way too accustomed to social media to expect anything less than scroll-stopping content.

Post a combination of high-quality videos and pictures to give visitors to your site a glimpse into your studio. For videos, you can post clips of what life is like for students at your program, videos of your athletes, students, or dancers, virtual tours of your facility, and other relevant material. Add a photo gallery to your site and post staff and student group shots, action shots, and more.

Hot tip: When selecting which images and videos to share, make sure they are filled with students that accurately depict your entire student base. For example, if you have a stellar competition team and are working to grow your preschool aged classes, don’t forget to include imagery of younger students at your program. 

Get insights into common age groups for different types of youth activity centers in the 2023 Youth Activities Industry Benchmark Report. Read more.  

A calendar of upcoming events and class schedules

When you create a calendar of upcoming events and classes at your youth activity center, you not only make it easy for returning and prospective students to stay up to date on current events at your program, you condition them to visit your website regularly. Adding this page to your playbook will help keep traffic to your website up, which in today’s day and age is a fantastic digital asset.  

Create an ‘About Us’ page

Q: Why should a family enroll their children at your swim school instead of the one down the street?

A: About us page. 

Q: Where can a parent look to confirm you’re the gym owner they met randomly in the grocery store?

A: About us page. 

Q: How can a family assess the quality of your staff? 

A: About us page. 

An amazing ‘About Us’ page is another must-have for your youth activity center’s website and should paint a picture of your program’s history and what you currently offer. You want to add enough information to make people feel like they know who you are and what your school, gym, or studio values are.

Let people know when you’re hiring with a ‘Careers’ page

Rounding out the list of website must-haves ranked by Jackrabbit Class clients is a career page. 

Even if you don’t have available positions, post a general candidate profile application to allow people to raise their hands. Think of it as a lead generation form but for staff. We know that staffing continues to throw our industries curve balls post-pandemic, so this easy edition should be a no-brainer when it comes to enhancing your business website. 

Now that you know what other successful youth activity centers are prioritizing on their websites, it’s time for you to do the same. If you really want to increase the chances of your website generating business for your gym, swim or music school, or dance studio, consider working with a fully integrated class management system and join the 7,000 clients who have trusted Jackrabbit Class with their online registration needs.