Common reasons a childcare website may lose families
A website exit does not tell you why a family left. They may have found the answer, become distracted, chosen another service or decided the centre was not a match. Treat the following as hypotheses to test, not universal facts.
The essential information is missing
Families may not be able to find fees, age groups, opening hours, availability, quality information or the next step.
The information looks out of date
Old fee sheets, past dates, broken links and stale vacancy messages reduce confidence. Add review dates to information that changes.
The site is difficult to use on a phone
Test navigation, forms, buttons, font size and tap targets on common mobile devices. WCAG 2.2 provides an internationally recognised accessibility standard for web content. R12
The site is slow or unstable
Large images, unnecessary scripts and layout shifts can make a site frustrating. Google’s Core Web Vitals focus on loading performance, responsiveness and visual stability. R13
The next step is unclear or misleading
A button labelled “Book a tour” should not lead to a generic contact form without explaining that the time still needs confirmation.
The content does not build trust
Generic stock language is less useful than current photos, named leadership, quality information, clear policies and specific examples of practice.
The form asks for too much
Long forms and unnecessary personal questions create friction and privacy concerns. Collect only what is reasonably necessary for the enquiry. R11
Use analytics carefully. Review mobile exits, form starts, completion rates and popular pages, then pair the data with short family interviews or usability tests. Numbers show where a problem may exist; observation helps explain why.
Practical next step: run five mobile usability tests with people who do not know the service. Give each person the same tasks and record where they get stuck.
Related guides
- Five questions a childcare website should answer before a family enquires
- Does my childcare centre need a new website?
- How to add a CCS calculator or tour booking to a childcare website
Next step
Test your mobile parent journeyPreview the decision path on a phone, where most families first encounter the centre.
Sources
- Australian Privacy Principles guidelines — Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 — World Wide Web Consortium
- Web Vitals — web.dev