Multiple choice question:
What are good reasons for redesigning an association’s web site?
Possible Answers:
Okay, so first off, trick question. Any or all these answers may be “good” as far as association management is concerned. I come from this from a different position, as head of a firm that has developed hundreds of web sites for associations over 20+ years and worked with associations before that in another capacity. Most of these associations have 10 or less staff people. Associations with small staffs just don’t have enough staff power to be great at everything they do. Often that “lesser skill” is the world of online. And the associations that don’t fill in with expertise, either through membership or consultants or IT contractors or some other quality source end up making a decision primarily for just ONE of those reasons above.
And it’s often not the one reason that should be selected.
Over the next few months I’m going to post about all 6 of these possible answers – the strengths and pitfalls of these answers, the long-term implications of these answers. The Internet has been around for associations for over 20 years. It is way past time associations think of it more long-term. Yes, technology changes, associations have to be flexible enough to evolve with those changes, and that is part of the long-term planning.