Running a daycare or preschool in Columbus, Ohio? We understand the unique challenges and opportunities you’re facing. We know because we’ve helped schools improve enrollment, elevate brand trust, and secure top spots in online searches. Whether you’re starting out fresh or trying to destroy nearby competitors, tweaks to your approach in marketing, web design, and SEO strategy can make a big impact.
Check out 3.5 (three and a half) marketing questions you might be asking and how to solve them.
Question 1: What’s the Best Way to Get Leads and Improve Enrollment?
Your goal as a school is simple: keep every seat filled. Let’s break down the most effective marketing strategies to maximize enrollment:
- Referrals Matter – Word-of-mouth marketing is gold. Make sure your current families have a great experience, and then incentivize them to refer others. Offer discounts or referral bonuses and stay top of mind. You can also gamify things by offering a prize for the most likes in a social post. Parents know other parents with similar net wealth and kids of the same age, so tap into their network.
- Quality Control Is a Must – In Columbus’ competitive childcare market, staffing and consistency are ongoing significant challenges. Retaining great teachers and administrative staff directly impacts your marketing results. Why? Because 1) leads don’t convert if your team isn’t following up, and 2) leads won’t reach out if your brand is tainted by bad experiences. You need a well-trained staff that responds to inquiries, sends emails, makes timely calls, and has a good reputation within the community.
- Meet Parents Where They Are – Columbus is growing fast, and your next student could be just one event away! Attend local events like the Powell Festival, Westerville Music & Arts Festival, or community farmers markets. These venues attract high-intent families and decision-makers. A single enrollment can more than pay for your attendance. You can also explore email marketing to target nearby businesses for promoting your school to working parents.
Question 2: Should I Invest in SEO and Why?
Absolutely. SEO for Columbus-based schools is more important than ever. You’re not just competing with nearby schools for attendance; you’re competing for search visibility:
- Parents are always searching – Did you know that combined, there are over 2,500 searches each month for Columbus daycares, Columbus childcares, and Columbus preschools? And, are you getting 1% of them in leads? Parents are in the market, qualifying which schools are best, what curricula are offered, and what to expect at each developmental stage. To capitalize on this, your web presence must offer quality content and provide answers through on-page content, social posts, blogs, FAQs, resource pages, and more.
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the future – Google now prioritizes direct answers to user questions. By creating content that answers what parents are asking, you increase your visibility and become the go-to answer from ChatGPT and similar answer engines.
Additionally, traditional backlinks, directory listings, and PR efforts still help support SEO/AEO. But nothing replaces strong, helpful content marketing.
Question 3: How Can I Improve the Local Presence of My Daycare or Preschool?
If you’re not showing up in local search, you’re missing out on dozens of potential leads every week. Here’s how to fix that:
- Google Business Profile (GBP) – If you don’t already have one, stop what you’re doing and set it up. Then ask every parent, staff member, and vendor to leave reviews. Google uses this profile to rank you in local results, and it’s one of the most powerful (and free) tools in your local marketing toolkit. Keep your GBP up to date.
- Local Listings Matter – Sites like Yelp, BBB, Yellow Pages, and other directories are key. Make sure your business is listed consistently with the same name, address, phone number, and URL as your GBP listing.
- Your Website Is Your #1 Sales Tool – Your website should be clean, fast, mobile-friendly, and aligned with your brand. Search engines reward local websites that are and penalize ones that aren’t. A Columbus web design agency like Uplancer can help you build a Minimum Viable Website (MVW), a marketing site that not only looks great but also converts.
Question 3.5: When Will I Know My Marketing Job Is Done?
It’s never done, and that’s okay!
A few things will never be static: what your competition is doing and what your parents are looking for. The key is iteration. What works this year might need to be reworked next year:
- A/B test your messaging, visuals, and calls-to-action.
- Monitor what channels bring the most leads.
- Keep adapting.
Remember: once you stop with marketing, you’re basically giving away potential parents to your competitors.
The Bottom Line
If you’re running a daycare or preschool in Columbus, don’t leave your success to chance. Your digital presence, including web design, SEO, and local marketing, is foundational to your enrollment strategy.
Ready to grow your school with proven marketing? At Uplancer, we specialize in web design and SEO for Columbus-based schools, and we’d love to help you turn more website visitors into happy parents and students.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
