We’ve been building websites since 1998. We’ve been working with associations exclusively for over 10 years. I am personally in my 17th year of working with associations and their websites. Over nearly two decades, a lot has changed on the Internet. Advances in mobile, search, social media and online video are just a few of many improvements we’ve all enjoyed.
But no matter the year. No matter the latest and greatest new, new trend. There is one thing and one thing only that members of associations of all colors, stripes and sizes have complained about consistently.
What is it?
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Topics:
website redesign,
association websites,
complaint
If any or all of these items are true about your association's website, it's probably time to consider a website redesign. The advent of tablets and increased mobile Internet usage, even sites just a few years old may need a bit of an overhaul.
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Topics:
web strategy,
website redesign,
website of the future,
responsive web design
After “how long will it take” the other question we most often hear is “how much does a website design project cost?” Well, the short answer is... it depends.
Just like building a new house, you can design and build a townhouse, a ranch-style rambler… or a McMansion. It depends on how much “stuff” you have, how many rooms you need and how you plan to use it.
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Topics:
web governance,
website redesign,
budget,
web strategy
I wish had known about X…
If only I had thought about Y…
If I had done Z we would have launched on time…
It is natural to look back at the end of a website redesign project and realize there were things you hadn’t thought of or didn’t know before you started the project. But as the saying goes, “there are things we don’t know and then there are things we don’t know we don’t know.”
While some of our clients are seasoned web redesign pros, we also have many that have never been through a web project (much less one as complex as the redesign of an association website).
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Topics:
mmcc,
ASAE,
website redesign,
association website design,
association websites
Welcome to this week’s issue of our 5 For Friday series. Here are five articles or resources that caught our eye this week for people buildling and managing association websites.
Five Forces Reshaping Associations
Jeff Hurt calls out the elephant in the room with this insightful post. The fact is that association management and the business of associations is changing at a faster and faster pace. New technologies, nimble competitors (and not just associations) and individual expectations are changing the way associations serve their audiences.
Read more on the Velvet Chainsaw Blog
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Topics:
content strategy,
associations,
association website design,
google anaytics,
5 for Friday,
website redesign
One of my favorite advertising slogans ever is a cheesy campaign NBC ran in the 90 to get people to watch reruns over the summer with the tagline “If you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you!” (Ok, this WAS before everyone had a DVR and was streaming TV series on Netflix).
So what does this have to do with associations and website content? Let’s start with a few questions:
- If you assume a member churn rate of 10%-20%, over a period of 5 years how many new members do you have that never read your old magazine articles?
- How many long-term members have moved up in their careers and now need new and completely different content than when they first joined your association?
- What are your industry best practices that have been around for 8 to 10 years or more and are still relevant?
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Topics:
content strategy,
website redesign
Welcome to the first installment of our new 5 For Friday series. Each week, we will find 5 relevant articles or resources that relate to how associations are building and managing their websites. Some of these might be new articles and others might be “oldie but goodies.” So grab a cup of coffee and read on.
Content Curation
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Topics:
website redesign,
responsive web design,
association website design,
5 for Friday
1. Leverage What Works.
The Internet is full of “good enough” information. Trying to be all things to all members is the kiss of death online in 2012. Determine what’s working on your website, what your members seem to gravitate toward, and do more of that. Don’t be afraid to cut content for the sake of doing fewer things better.
2. Curate.
Do the searching for your members. Content curation sites like scoop.it and squidoo.com make it drop dead simple for people to cull niche content for specialized audiences. Is there a way to curate your organizational or industry content in a relevant and meaningful way for your members? When isn’t making your members’ lives easier a killer member benefit?
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Topics:
twitter,
web 2.0,
checklist,
higher logic,
facebook,
Chris Bonney,
Google+,
marketing,
web strategy,
association technology,
website redesign,
social media,
associations,
Websites
