Are you aware that approximately 25 percent of children age 5 and under are in a childcare type of situation? For the parents that are using childcare, 84 percent of them say that it’s hard to find childcare that is both quality and affordable- it seems as if you have to choose one or the other.

These days, there is a huge demand for responsible childcare providers- and you can make your preschool successful both in the business and educational realms. However, one of the biggest ways you can market your preschool/childcare business is by improving your visibility online. Studies have proven that approximately 20 percent of all Google searches are people looking for a local business. After all, the search engines are becoming a phone book. In other words, if you do not have an online presence, you may be completely invisible.

However, there is hope- simply keep the following tips in mind and you can improve your website as well as your marketing campaigns.

1. Childcare Marketing Should Be Cute, But Professional

The truth is that marketing strategies for childcare are typically unique because they often incorporate bright colors, fun graphics/lettering, and many other things that typical businesses tend to shy away from. However, you must understand that this “cutesy” stuff must also have an air of professionalism. After all, parents take the care of their little ones very seriously- and taking time to present a paragraph that explains how you comply with the required child/teacher ratio in your classrooms will be much more acceptable than a huge graphic of a sparkly teddy bear. In addition, make sure that you proofread- and have someone else do it too- your website to make sure you have a professional tone, that your message is clear, and that you have used proper grammar.

2. Think About The Design Of Your Website

Current research has revealed that visitors typically make a judgement about your site within the first three seconds they arrive. If your website is not appealing, doesn’t load quick, and is not easy to navigate, you will find visitors bouncing right back out. Think about the information that parents/guardians are interested in seeing: info about your programs, your rates, and how to contact you are some of the basics. In addition, be sure to include information about your facilities and nutrition on your website. Finally, make sure that your site loads quickly and if it doesn’t, hire someone to fix that. If your website is taking more than three seconds to load, you are losing around 40 percent of your visitors.

3. Don’t Forget About Email Marketing, Too

Be aware that email is a phenomenal marketing tool. Give your visitors the option of subscribing to a newsletter regarding your childcare center and make plans to send the newsletter out once a week or twice a month. The newsletter should include updates about your programs, what the kids are doing, any new/recent news about your facility, and any helpful links to information on childcare. After all, statistics show that 91 percent of people check their email at least once a day. So, an email newsletter will not only be helpful for reaching new customers, but keeping you engaged with your current ones.

You must use your website and online marketing tools to show the world that you can be trusted with children. You must be professional, but cute and you must know how to spell properly. If you have difficulty with this, you can hire someone to do your site for you or you can take the time to learn on your own.