9 Pro Web Developers for Crafting Educational Websites (That You Might Want to Work For)

Crafting educational websites is in a different league of its own compared to standard web development, given the many considerations of the user base. While 73% of students agree that modern technology such as educational platforms helps make learning easier and more accessible, there is a distinct lack of platforms that take needs into account. As a graduate entering digital marketing, branding or web development, you can contribute to better platforms.

Voodoo Agency - best for bespoke site development

A specialist in creating custom WordPress websites designed around client requirements, Voodoo Agency is positioned as one of the top-rated services for web development in the UK. With sites rich with SEO and advanced custom fields, sites are designed around functionality.

Standout features

• Custom-built and feature-rich WordPress sites designed around exact client needs.
• Responsiveness and efficiency are considered as part of the design process.
• Ongoing support and maintenance while offering excellent hosting services.

Most suited to: schools, colleges and universities requiring a custom website.

Official website: https://voodooagency.com/website-design-preston/

Atomic Smash - best for enterprise education platforms

Atomic Smash develops some of the highest performing digital platforms for organisations requiring advanced functionality. As such, they can offer a highly talented team with high-level technical expertise and world-class UX design for educational institutions with complex needs.

Standout features

• Enterprise-level WordPress educational platform and website development.
• Offers designs that can focus on the accessibility needs of the platform.
• Supports API integrations and inserting advanced custom functionality.

Most suited to: universities, colleges and large educational providers.

Official website: https://www.atomicsmash.co.uk/

Wholegrain Digital - best for sustainable education sites

Not many web development companies consider sustainability, but Wholegrain Digital is an environmentally aware developer. As such, they aim to minimise the carbon footprint of everything they do, with sites designed to meet the minimum environmental impact possible.

Standout features

• Carbon-conscious web development practices suitable for similarly aware clients.
• Excellent Core Web Vitals for increasing Google ranking based on optimisation.
• Highly skilled team with expertise in website accessibility requirements.

Most suited to: schools looking to meet their sustainability goals and practices.

Official website: https://www.wholegraindigital.com/

Studio Republic - best for higher education branding

Studio Republic creates visually engaging websites that combine very strong branding with intuitive user journeys that engage with people. As such, the studio’s work focuses heavily on the storytelling aspect of marketing, helping bridge the gap between students and institutions.

Standout features

• Extremely creative and original UX designs that meet clients' needs.
• Teams with expert understanding and experience in modern digital branding.
• Offers services with rich SEO and sales focus with conversion development.

Most suited to: universities and colleges focused on mass student recruitment.

Official website: https://www.studiorepublic.com/

Cyber-Duck - best for accessibility and compliance

Cyber-Duck is well known for developing accessible websites, something that many developers overlook. This could be a great platform for landing a UX design job that covers everything when crafting educational websites for the 16% of the world’s global population with a disability.

Standout features

• Highly professional websites that conform to WCAG accessibility standards.
• Places an emphasis on user research and continually tests website designs.
• ISO-certified processes that stay compliant for accessibility web design.

Most suited to: educational organisations that prioritise accessibility compliance.

Official website: https://www.cyber-duck.co.uk/

Crafted - best for premium school websites

With a premium digital service, Crafted focuses on performance and modern design. Because of this, the teams will work closely with clients to develop websites that clearly communicate what they need while installing systems for continued development as the platform grows.

Standout features

• Bespoke website development crafted by industry-leading web developers.
• A growth-driven approach to platforms with SEO-friendly backend architecture.
• Platforms are designed with features that support a long-term digital strategy.

Most suited to: independent schools and growing educational brands.

Official website: https://crafted.co.uk/

Plug and Play - best for user experience

Plug and Play creates websites and platforms centred around the user experience more than anything else. As such, the team helps organisations simplify information while improving engagement across multiple devices to help reduce the friction for students and parents.

Standout features

• An emphasis on user-focused design and a simplified user experience.
• Fast and agile responsive development for use across multiple devices.
• Ongoing support for developing platforms with a unique overall digital strategy.

Most suited to: schools that want to improve communication between institutions and families.

Official website: https://www.plugandplaydesign.co.uk/

Kyan - best for digital transformation

Kyan develops digital platforms that combine highly creative designs with advanced technology. This has helped them come up with strategic development services that help educational organisations improve engagement and operational efficiency, especially when scaling.

Standout features

• Highly skilled development teams with expertise in digital transformation.
• Features and toolsets for integrating custom software with web platforms.
• Excellent understanding of what a modern user experience should be.

Most suited to: educational organisations currently undergoing digital transformation.

Official website: https://www.kyan.com/

Box UK - best for large-scale educational platforms

Box UK has a specialist team for developing complex web development projects for educational institutions that require powerful digital platforms for the modern audience. As such, the team is highly capable when it comes to web application scalability, security and multiuser support.

Standout features

• More focused on larger, enterprise-level web development for larger schools.
• An expert team with experience building large-scale educational platforms.
• Offers scalable platform infrastructure with an emphasis on security.

Most suited to: universities and nationwide educational schools and organisations.

Official website: https://www.boxuk.com/

Mistakes to Avoid

There are many wonderful web development services you can step into for a rewarding career. However, you can make some mistakes as a client, so here are some of the most common.

Choosing design over function

An impressive design doesn't mean much if users can’t navigate the site! Navigation should always come first so users can find what they need, so keep this in mind when hiring a team.

Ignoring accessibility needs

Educational websites should be usable by everyone. As such, you need a team who takes this into consideration and can design a website around WCAG standards for accessibility.

Overlooking website maintenance

A website isn’t a fire-and-forget situation. A platform requires regular updates, security patches and performance monitoring, so you might want a team who also offers ongoing support.

Summary

Bespoke development is usually the way to go when it comes to crafting educational websites for a school, university or learning platform. Of course, an educational site should also be accessible with WCAG compliance, and you might also need support for scalability.