Effective Association Websites

You can name almost any topic and find an association that brings together people with that topic in common. From automotive to zoological, groups for business, industry, trade, hobbies, service, and political causes can be found. And, are increasingly found online.

Association websites have much in common with traditional business websites. In both cases, the website should exist to support organizational goals. Most association websites have three main goals:

1. Educate the public
2. Support members
3. Increase membership

Let's look at a few ways association websites can achieve these goals.

1. Educate the Public

The home page is the first stop in the education process. Too many associations assume that website visitors already know what their organization is about. They either assume you are a member or at least that you understand their particular jargon. However, a website visitor might be a complete stranger to the topic. A clear-to-anyone explanation of what your association does is the #1 priority for the home page. It's also quite helpful to show photos of typical "members in action." The subtle reminder is that your organization is actively serving people.

Educational articles can be solicited from members and posted on the website. It's a win-win situation: contributors gain exposure and the association gains valuable content for visitors and for the search engines.

No association website should be without good contact information for any media people who happen to be preparing for an upcoming article or show. A list of press releases, or at least the name, email, and phone number of the media contact can be the ticket to priceless publicity.

2. Support Members

Existing members frequently look online for the latest information about upcoming events. You can use a calendar format to display these, but only if there are many events (too few and calendar pages look sadly empty). Otherwise a simple list, organized by date or by topic, is perfectly fine.

However, events are extremely date-sensitive. There's nothing worse than seeing an "upcoming events" list with dates all in the past. If you are going to list anything with dates, plan ahead how the site will be updated to remove old news.

Some association websites have a "members-only" area that requires a password to enter. If you are storing sensitive or specialty information that is part of member responsibilities or benefits, a members-only area is a good solution. However, many associations have a members area that only serves to hide valuable content—content that might support goals #1 and #3. So, make sure that the information stored in a members-only area truly has to be there.

3. Increase Membership

If you want people to become a member, say so. Use a link called "Join Us" and include all the qualifications, responsibilities, costs, and benefits of being a member. Make sure that you list actual benefits, not simply features of membership. For example, a subheading might be "Grow Your Business" (the benefit) and listed under that might be specific features, like presenting at meetings and advertising in association publications.

Make it easy for people to become a member. The first step is to scrutinize your membership form. Do you ask questions that people will shy away from answering? Is it just too darn long? Don't give people a reason to turn away from your organization. Trim your questions down to what you have to know to get the person in the door. You can always follow up with them afterwards, if needed.

Anticipate questions and hesitation. Provide the contact information for the membership chair and encourage visitors to ask anything. It's also valuable to encourage potential members to visit a meeting or two before they decide—"try us, you'll like us". Of course, once they visit, they'll be hooked, so you'll want paper copies of your membership form available at the meetings.

If you suspect your association website is not fulfilling its goals, take a fresh look at it from the point of view different types of visitors. Like associations themselves, association websites are all about service.