less is not always more. add value to your tuition + rates pages.
When it comes to school and camp, families don’t just want to know what they are paying, they want to know why it’s worth it. The tuition, rates + fees, investment–-whatever verbiage you use on your website to express how much it costs for a child to attend–should be accompanied not only by a value statement, but proof of concept.
Why? Three primary reasons (there are many more):
Sticker shock is a thing. A family may be exploring your school and also considering a public school where the investment is less. A family may be choosing between sending their kids to camp at all or taking a vacation. Don’t make assumptions that they will proactively dig around your website to learn why you stand out among other options.
Your job as a marketer (or a role adjacent to marketing) is to differentiate your brand. Solve your audience’s problems. Helping them picture their child(ren) engaged academically, gaining independence + acquiring self-advocacy skills, and/or being kids. Yes, it’s about the benefits and tangible/intangible advantages you are providing, but it’s actually about them.
Tuition + rates pages have a high entrance rate on a website, meaning they are engaging in a branded search on Google (or Bing!), e.g. ABC School tuition or Camp DEF dates and rates. They also have a high bounce rate, meaning readers are abandoning the site on your investment page. They need reasons to stay.
Let’s break it down further.
On Solebury School’s affordability page, they not only reinforce the value of the investment, but also share statistics about their financial aid program. People are funny about money. No one likes to talk about it and potentially feel othered. They also include a testimonial from a family receiving tuition assistance.
Westminster School places tuition assistance information before they list their tuition and fees. Thumbnails and links to their student experience run in parallel with their dollar amounts.
After reading your tuition page, families should be able to exhale and feel comfortable making the call or sending an email to learn more about your school (and financial aid, if needed).
Capital Camps describes the investment in your child’s growth, as well as the greater community. They also link to program areas on the website AND grants that are available. Overnight camp is an “extra.” What’s your case for overnight camp AND for the significant investment?
The first things you see on Liberty Lake Day Camp’s dates and rates page are a value statement AND a 90 second video talking about and showing the experience.
These schools and camps are achieving the following:
Assuring families that their investment aligns with shared values and priorities.
Making their intended impact clear.
Establishing trust with new and returning visitors through transparency and clarity.
Creating a digital experience with the user in mind.
How to create your own value statement.
Reinforce impact without overwhelm. 3-4 sentences in a paragraph, use video and imagery where possible.
Restate your commitment to transforming lives through school year and/or summer experiences.
Focus on the ROI. What are the long-term benefits? The tangible and intangible outcomes?
Follow it up with links to other content areas including program highlights, student or camper life + outcomes, testimonials, and video.
A well-crafted value statement does more than justify costs—it conveys your transformative power, nurtures relationships with families, and “sticks” with families while they are looking at other educational and/or summer options.
