Is Your Camp’s Homepage Doing Its Job?

Written By Laurie Ehrlich

Your homepage isn’t just there to look good. It’s your camp’s digital welcome mat, and the starting point for almost every recruitment, retention, and employment decision.

In just a few seconds, families should understand who your camp is for, what makes it different, and why it might be the right place for their child this summer.

That’s a big job. And an essential one.

Why This Matters

It’s your first impression.
Most prospective families, returning families, staff candidates, and even donors visit your website before ever filling out an inquiry form, booking a tour, or replying to an email. 

Your homepage shapes how they feel about your camp long before you speak with them.

It’s where your messaging converges.
Enrollment, marketing, program, and leadership priorities all show up on the homepage. If the story isn’t clear and aligned, families sense it. This can prompt hesitation, confusion, and potentially a bounce from the site.

It’s flexible and testable.
Unlike a printed brochure or viewbook, your homepage can evolve in real time. Small changes to headlines, imagery, or calls to action can impact inquiries, re-enrollment confidence, and tour registrations.

Clarity + Distinction = Enrollment Momentum

We see this constantly: camp homepages filled with phrases like “Building lifelong friendships” or “A summer they’ll never forget.”

These ideas matter, but every camp says them. What makes your camp different?

Families don’t linger to interpret vague language. They skim. If your headlines sound interchangeable with the camp down the road, families will move on in seconds.

Clarity beats cleverness every time.

Be specific about:

  • Who your camp is designed for
    What campers experience day to day

  • How your values show up in programming, relationships, and culture

When families clearly understand what makes your camp stand out, they’re far more likely to take the next step, be it requesting information, booking a tour, or hitting “Enroll.”

Try this:
Read only your homepage headlines. Would a first-time camp parent understand your camp’s distinctions? If not, rewrite until the answer is unmistakable. AI can help refine language, but only once your positioning is clear (and you’ve spent the past few weeks and months training it).

Design for Families, Not Insiders

Your homepage isn’t for your board, your senior staff, or your most loyal veteran camp families. It’s for families who are still deciding.

Many camp websites are shaped by internal language and assumptions, including acronyms, traditions, or program names that mean everything to insiders and very little to newcomers.

Your homepage should answer the questions families are already asking:

  • Will my child feel safe, known, and supported?

  • What kind of kid thrives here?

  • Does this camp align with our family’s values and expectations?

Try this:
Ask, “Could someone brand-new to overnight camp or day camp understand this?” If not, simplify and refocus.

Be Intentional About Who You’re Talking To

Most camps serve multiple audiences:

  • Prospective families

  • Returning families

  • Staff candidates

  • Alumni and donors

The goal isn’t to speak to everyone at once, rather to be intentional.

Strong camp homepages often:

  • Lead with a clear, family-facing value proposition

  • Create pathways for different audiences (Enroll, Work at Camp, Visit, Give)

  • Prioritize prospective and returning families, while still supporting others

Try this:
Decide who your homepage is primarily for right now and tweak your layout, language, and calls to action accordingly. We’re not talking about a redesign. We can revisit this topic in September.

Your Homepage Is Never “Done”

Your homepage is a living part of your enrollment and staff recruitment strategy. As family expectations shift and your camp evolves, your messaging should evolve too.

Start small:

  • One clearer headline
    One stronger call to action
    One simplified section that speaks directly to parent concerns

Your homepage tells the story of camp to everyone who lands there. Make sure it’s a story that invites families to stay, explore, and picture their child this coming summer.

Laurie Ehrlich