Are You the Shake-Away of Dance Schools? How to Avoid Overwhelming Your Customers

This article was written by Deborah Laws, founder of Dance Business Lab. Deborah is a former performer, dance school owner, and ISTD examiner turned business coach and strategist, dedicated to helping dance school owners build successful businesses. Passionate about uniting the dance industry, Deborah combines business strategy with mindset and personal growth, and prides herself on the inclusive, warm and empowering community she has built.

For more information, visit her website or Facebook. 

Last week, I found myself standing in a milkshake shop, staring at what felt like an endless wall of options—100-plus milkshake flavours, toppings, and combinations. For three minutes, I stood there, completely overwhelmed, not knowing where to start. If it wasn’t for my son’s excitement about getting a milkshake, I might have just walked out.

There were no clear instructions, no guidance on how to order, no suggestions for pre-made combinations. I didn’t know what size to pick or what I could customise. All I needed was a friendly face to walk me through the process, but instead, I got a grunt from the staff and zero help.

In theory, the idea of customising your milkshake is fun, but from a customer’s perspective, it was a nightmare.

This experience got me thinking: how often do parents feel this way when they visit the website of a dance school?

Imagine being a parent, new to the world of dance classes, landing on your school’s website. You’re greeted with a massive timetable of endless classes—ballet, tap, jazz, acro, hip hop—for every age group and level. Then, add in the complexity of discounts, payment schemes, and unclear registration processes.

What might feel clear and logical to you as the studio owner could be completely overwhelming for them. Some parents may spend just a few seconds trying to figure it out before leaving the page and searching for a simpler option elsewhere.

Here’s the truth: we need to make it easy for parents to understand what’s available for their child and how to get started. If the process feels confusing or too time-consuming, they’re far less likely to follow through.

So, what can we do? Let’s break it down:

Do you have every genre possible for each age group listed on your website? Instead of overwhelming parents with an entire timetable, think about presenting only the options relevant to their child’s age and experience level.

For example, instead of “click here for ballet, tap, and jazz,” guide them to a page like “Dance Classes for Ages 5–7.” From there, they can see the specific options for their child.

• Is it clear where your classes take place?
• Can they easily find pricing information?
• Do you explain the benefits of each class? Parents want to know what their child will gain from attending your school, whether it’s confidence, coordination, or a sense of belonging.

Do only a handful of students take every genre in their age group? If so, it might be time to reconsider offering every class to every group. Simplify your timetable to reflect the classes with the most interest.

Are there classes on your timetable that consistently have low enrollment? If they’re barely covering costs, it might be time to let them go. Focus your energy on the classes that bring the most value to your school and students.

• If I were a parent visiting my website for the first time, would I feel confident and clear about where to start?
• Is the information easy to find and understand?
• Are there too many options, making it overwhelming for new families?

Your goal is to create a customer experience that feels welcoming, simple, and supportive. Think of it as the opposite of my milkshake shop experience—you want parents to feel guided, not frustrated.

The parents who visit your website are just like me in that milkshake shop. They want to make a choice, but they need your help. They need clarity, simplicity, and a friendly guide to walk them through the process.

If your website—or your timetable—feels like a maze, they might just walk away. Don’t let your dance school become the shake-away of your industry. 

Make it easy for families to choose you, and watch your school grow as a result.

Deborah is part of our Step Up Scholarship initiative, where we are providing financial assistance for dance schools by contributing £50 per month for up to two years towards the cost of education with some of the UK’s leading dance business coaches. 

Click here to apply.