School’s out for summer! But not forever. Students may have flipped their tassels and teachers may be off writing their books, but higher education administrators and professionals are looking for ways to keep everyone engaged between extended absences and those beach trips we all love.

Now is the time to take a beat and consider what sets your institution apart and which user groups have needs from your site. Summer is also a unique time, when universities may seem idle but prospective students are hustling. Here are a few features that can help you make the most of this valuable window for communications at colleges and universities.

Feed the early birds

If someone is looking into colleges between their junior and senior years in high school, they’re serious. Maybe they took early exams and are looking for the security of an early decision. Maybe they’re interested in courses before they commit to a school. These students should know where to go right away to explore these and other early-bird options.

Leave breadcrumbs for the late owls

Some recent high school grads panic if they don’t get into their top choices. They’ll spend the summer looking for reasonable options, often limited by deadlines and restrictions. If you offer flexibility (rolling admission, life experience equivalents, easy credit transfers, etc.), it belongs front and center during summer sessions.

Feed who’s already in your nest

A lot of current students will be curious how they could get ahead over the summer, or just have local fun. Consider summer or early fall events featured somewhere easy to see. Remember, building your student’s happy memories of college means they’re more likely to make gifts in the future!

Don’t waste high-payoff content on low traffic

University news readership drops noticeably from spring into summer. This may be a good time to publish niche news or older stories that won’t be affected much by poor initial readership. Big news that raises your profile and important initiatives that need community buy-in can wait until more people are paying attention.

Time for a checkup!

Any institution could stand to review their digital assets while there aren’t a lot of other priorities. Can’t tell if your site needs a few new features or a complete re-engineering? Time to find out. Want to launch a microsite while Web traffic is slower? This is your moment. If you have something on your list that you haven’t gotten to yet, there won’t be a better time than now.

We love web evolution at Digital Wave – from strategy to execution, it’s our passion to grow your reach. Isn’t summer the best time to grow?