Gone are the days when your website could get away with not being updated for months at a time. Your website is now the face of your organization – the first place members go to for news, help, resources and educational materials. Ideally, your website should be integrated with your membership database, social media, and payment services.
As a dynamic element of your communications department, it needs to have the following features:
Be responsive: Now that members are frequent mobile users, and use a variety of computers, you site must look great on all devices, and adjusts to any screen size.
Integrate with member database: so you can grant members access to member specific content, and provide customized information according to their membership type.
Payment systems: To allow your members to pay for events, membership, dues
Integrate with a CMS system: so you can control your own content, and update content from any location.
Be SEO optimized: Your association’s website should be easy to find in search engine listings. The site’s mechanics should make it fast to load, and source code should be accessible so you can update the keywords.
Navigation: design should be intuitive so that visitors should be able to find content easily
Accommodate future growth: your site should incorporate future programs, events and communications tools, including other systems you might adopt such as membership software or learning management software
Content: while this isn’t a software feature – it’s often the first feature! Before creating a website you need to first determine who your audience is, and what sort of content serves their needs. Design and navigation should reflect the content. Ideally, website content for an association should encourage potential members to join, attract sponsors and exhibitors and serve as a central hub for all your members’ needs.