It’s the most common event mistake on classical school websites:

You have a big event coming up—say, a feast day, house competition, or Shakespeare night. You design a beautiful flyer, save it as a PDF, upload it to your “News” or “Events” section, and call it done.

But here’s the truth: a flyer is not a webpage.

And if your website treats them as interchangeable, you’re hurting your mobile experience, tanking your SEO, and frustrating the very families you’re trying to serve.

This isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about functionality, accessibility, and trust.

PDFs Are Terrible on Mobile

Most parents view your site from their phones—often while juggling drop-off, making dinner, or waiting in a parking lot. PDFs are hard to zoom, slow to load, and nearly impossible to skim.

When you ask a parent to open a flyer instead of giving them a clean webpage, you’re adding friction at the exact moment they need clarity.

Result? They give up. Or worse—they show up at the wrong time, confused and frustrated.

You’re Throwing Away SEO Value

Search engines don’t read PDFs the way they read HTML. A flyer might have your event’s name, date, and purpose—but Google won’t index that properly, which means families searching for your upcoming events won’t find them.

Want to appear in searches for “St. George feast day [your city]” or “classical school recitation event”? A flyer won’t get you there. A well-structured event page will.

You Look Less Trustworthy

When your site consists of scattered PDFs and outdated flyers, it sends the wrong message. It tells parents you’re behind. That you’re not investing in clear communication. That they’ll need to jump through hoops to stay informed.

Even if that’s not true, your site is the perception layer. And perception becomes reality for prospective families.

What to Do Instead

As we explain in What Every Classical School Event Page Should Include (But Often Misses), your events deserve real pages—not just uploads.

A good event page should include:

• Date, time, and location in text (not just on a flyer)
• A brief explanation of the event’s purpose and value
• Photos or banners that reflect past versions
• Instructions for new families or prospective guests
• Optional RSVP, donation, or volunteer links

You can still include a downloadable flyer for people who want to print it—but make it supplemental, not primary. Lead with accessible, structured HTML content that’s easy to read, easy to share, and built to convert.

Additionally, with a proper event calendar platform built into your website, it is easier than creating a PDF – it’s as simple as filling out a form – and it will look better. It will save you time and look better just to do it on your website. Everyone wins.

Bottom Line

Your school’s events are rich with meaning and beauty. Don’t let them get lost in low-resolution flyers and mobile-unfriendly PDFs.

Build real pages. Tell real stories. Serve real families.