The best association websites attract new members and provide mechanisms for joining while also informing and communicating new information with current members. Finding this balance is important for the future of your association. The team at BCS Website Services in Richmond, Virginia is here to help you create a truly outstanding website for your association. Our team of designers and developers is here to help you take your website from boring to engaging in just a few simple steps. By following these steps, you’ll likely see an increase in membership as well as member engagement.
Presentation is everything. Ensuring that potential members feel confident in their decision to join your association directly relies on how professional your website looks and feels. It’s surprisingly easy to lose the interest of a potential member by appearing like an amateur organization. Using an outdated design style or having typos in your writing can reflect poorly on the professionalism of your association.
By keeping your website design clean and simple, you can avoid using outdated design techniques. It’s also important to thoroughly proofread all text and ensure that all information is accurate. Establishing a strong foundation is critical prior to graduating to a more complex website.
It’s likely that your website isn’t the only marketing avenue for your association. Keeping the association’s branding consistent across all platforms, including the website, will build more trust in the strength of your organization in the eyes of potential members. Consistent branding can help draw in new members while giving current members a brand to stand behind.
Make sure that all colors, fonts, images, and logos used on your website match those used in other marketing materials. Inconsistent branding is not only sloppy but can also confuse potential members and create apprehension about joining your association.
Website navigation is also a critical element of a strong association website. When designing the navigation of your website, take into account its purpose. If you are attempting to increase membership, your website should immediately educate potential members and prompt them to join. If your website seeks to inform and engage current members, consider posting association events, news and other content at the forefront of your website.
It’s important to remember that a successful website for an association often has a blend of content ranging from new member acquisition to member education and engagement. Be sure that you are providing a means for new members to join or request more information as well as addressing your current member needs.
No matter how beautifully designed your website is, if it doesn’t function properly, you will not get the membership engagement you’re looking for. Having unwanted error messages, missing pages, or broken links can ruin user experience and negatively affect trust in the association.
While there is a lot that goes into creating the perfect association website, if nothing else, make sure that your website functions properly. Thoroughly read through all of the content and check all links and forms. It’s also important to remember to load and review your website on different devices and browsers. That way, you can ensure that potential members do not experience difficulty accessing your website.
Nowadays, a large portion of online browsing is done using mobile devices. In 2018, 52.2% of all website traffic worldwide was generated from mobile devices. With that figure in mind, your organization’s website absolutely must be responsive and optimized across all mobile devices. Having a mobile-friendly website is critical to controlling how your organization appears to the public. With optimization, you can ensure that users can learn about and join your association on any device.
In order to stay up to date and keep members informed, associations must update content and events on their websites frequently. Utilizing a content management system (CMS) will help make it easy for association staff members to add and edit website content in real time. By employing an easy-to-use CMS for your website, you can increase member engagement through diversifying the content on your website by posting events, calendars, discussion boards, and articles. This new, regularly updated content will not only engage current members but will also show prospective members exactly what it is like within your association’s community.
Building a full website for your association is a big task. BCS Website Services is an experienced website development firm in Richmond, Virginia that specializes in association websites. Our team of talented developers and designers will work alongside your team to create the website you’ve been dreaming of. Contact us today or review our portfolio to see how transforming your website with BCS Website Services can increase the success of your business.
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