Well-Engineered Web Sites Add Value to Members

By Jeanne Sheehy

When most organizations develop their first Web site, the goal is often to get the site up-and-running as quickly as possible. They feel a need to be able to say “we have a Web site” and to begin promoting the Web site address as a feature that’s available to members and other stakeholders.

Today’s added emphasis on providing value to members, including the need to provide the best return on the limited resources of the organization, has many associations scrutinizing their Web sites to determine if they are actually benefiting members and the public. Is the content relevant to their information needs? Do interactive features make it easier to participate in association events? Does the site add to the efficiency and effectiveness of the association’s marketing efforts?

If you cannot answer the question of whether the Web site is actually benefiting members or not, then perhaps it’s time to consider re-engineering the site so that it helps increase the value that members receive for their investment in your association. For a more detailed discussion on the topic of providing value, see a related article, “Job #1: A Relentless Focus on Providing Value to Members,” Solutions, Issue One, by Philip Lesser.

THE NEED FOR UP-FRONT PLANNING
The adage, “defining the problem is half of the solution,” is appropriate when considering a Web site re-engineering project. It can help you stop and realize that the objective of your effort is not to improve your Web site, but rather to achieve the goals of the organization. The Web site becomes one of the specific ways in which you achieve goals.

Strategic goals and objectives. This top-down planning effort, then, begins with a review of the strategic goals and objectives of the association. Understanding the goals (the major benefits needed to achieve your mission) helps you define the role that the Web site must play in achieving the goals; understanding the objectives (the measurements of your goals) helps you define the role of the Web site and ways you can measure its success.

Research members’ needs. Understanding members’ needs is key to providing clear and compelling value for their investment in the association. And that includes the content of your Web site. What content do they want? Is a “members only” section important ? Is the design of your site easy to navigate? To read more about how to conduct member research, see related article, “Research Helps Uncover Member Needs,” Solutions, Issue Five, by Daniel Martinage.

Work with an IT consultant. It is highly recommended that you work with an IT consultant to make sure your Web site project is planned and executed successfully. The consultant will help you select the correct technology to power your site, including making sure it integrates well with other systems in your association.

As part of the planning, you and the consultant will need to develop a “site map.” The map charts-out the content components of the site, including the components that are secure, the components that can be updated on an ongoing basis (possibly through a content management system), and other content issues. In addition, all application integration issues are taken into account.

The consultant can also help you select the suppliers that will be needed to implement the site, including a Web designer/programmer and software provider.

ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER IN WEB SITE RE-ENGINEERING
There are 10 elements that are commonly considered when conducting a Web site re-engineering effort.

1. Application integration. Web sites do not stand alone. They must be integrated with other systems in your association, such as your membership database and your event planning software, if they are to complement each other and deliver desired efficiencies.
   
   
2. Branding. A brand—the promise of your association that aligns your strengths with the needs of your members—is one of your most valuable assets. The content of your Web site must communicate your brand in the same way that your literature does.
   
   
3. Interaction. It has to be easy for members to interact with the content of the Web site if you want them to use it. That means you want to keep the site content fresh and engage visitors when they log online. A few ways of encouraging interaction include allowing members to register for events online, conduct discussion forums, and shop for relevant items on the site (e.g., brochures, training materials, apparel, etc.)
   
   
4. Content management. Site content must be kept fresh to be useful to members. Therefore, consideration has to be given to providing access to certain members of the staff and membership who can add content to the site on an ongoing basis without having to be HTML experts.
   
   
5. Personalization. The world of marketing has figured out that consumers want a personalized message—not mass marketing—and that includes your Web site. Consider mimicking corporate portals by greeting members by name when they log in and, following, highlighting the information relevant to their member status (e.g., providing them with a specific committee work area, offering information relating to the leadership role they play, etc.)
   
   
6. User-friendly design. A professional Web site designer can show you how to make the site easy to read (white backgrounds are best) and how not to bog-down the site and the visitor with unnecessary graphics. The designer will also show you how to make the site easy to navigate, and how to incorporate “engaging” features through design.
   
   
7. Security. Every Web site requires security features for e-commerce and “members only” areas. Your IT consultant can help you select the best security package for your site.
   
   
8. Web site optimization. To attract the largest number of visitors possible to your site, and optimize your investment, you’ll need to register the site with search engines. That means steps have to be taken in the site design stage to include meta tags and key words that will allow search engines to find you.
   
   
9. Web site marketing. In addition to registering your site with search engines, you can market your site by advertising with the search engines, trading links to your site with other sites, and making sure you aggressively promote your site in all your promotional, technical and routine communications materials (e.g., list the site address in all of your collateral and advertising materials.)
   
   
10. Integrated marketing. Remember that your Web site is a tool that helps you implement your association’s goals and objectives. As such, it should be considered one element of, and mirror the integrated marketing and communications plan.

SUMMARY
Efforts to re-engineer your Web site should begin with a review of your strategic goals and objectives and include a definition of how the Web site will help implement the strategic plan of the association. Members’ needs from the Web site should be researched, and an IT consultant should be added to the re-engineering team to make sure technology system integration issues are addressed and a site map is properly created. A number of other marketing, system design, security, and content management issues must also be addressed to create the most effective Web site. Finally, make sure you track your site to measure the volume of hits you are receiving daily and click-through paths your visitors are taking. You should also continuously survey your members and use that information to enhance your ongoing site strategy.

Jeanne Sheehy is Director of Marketing at Bostrom Corporation.