On the web / 04.12 » www.oregoned.org
If You Build it, They Will Come By Erin Roby / OEA Member, Hillsboro Education Association
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first visited the Hillsboro Education Association website as a new building representative. I needed a form for a colleague and assumed the website would be the perfect starting point. As the screen loaded, a yellowish background came in to view littered with red clipart apples. I clicked through a series of links, eventually finding the link that I needed. Just one click away, I found myself at a dead end. The form was not only outdated, but it had been posted over three years ago. Looking back, this moment was likely when my journey to build a new website for HEA began. My biggest fear was my lack of experience. I am a middle school science teacher with an amateur interest in web design and only slightly above average computer skills. Would I have the knowledge to build an association website that was both useful and visually attractive? Along the path to creating the current HEA website (check us out! www.heaoea.org) — I collected a few key ingredients to share with other associations looking to improve their presence on the internet. Consider your target audience. When developing or rejuvenating an association website, consider your target audience and
Quick Tips n Find a member with an interest in web design n Visit other local websites for layout and topic ideas n Begin compiling photos of members and union activities n Use universal file types, such as PDF and JPEG n Develop a professional logo and brand style
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Today’s OEA | april 2012
keep content relevant to this group. In Hillsboro, the target audience is our amazing professional teaching staff. Too often I happen upon websites intended for educators with sparkling clipart apples and animated school bells swinging from side to side. As a professional teaching organization, I wanted HEA’s presence on the internet to be respectful of the intelligence and dedication of my fellow teachers. Showcase your membership. Teachers are continually developing creative techniques in the classroom. An association website is a great place to champion the accomplishments of members while providing others with ideas and inspiration. Diligently rotating and refreshing pictures will entice members to return to the site in the future. Include a convenient avenue for members to submit pictures to the association through an email address or online form. Avoid clutter and clipart. Consider a complimentary color palette and logo which can be used online as well as on print material. Refrain from using clipart, instead opting to use photos when an image is needed. Keep the design simple and streamlined. Trade a limited number of pages crowded with information for more pages with clear and concise titles in your menu bar. This will allow members to efficiently access information while limiting the need to scroll through paragraphs. Store older articles and files in online archives or in an offline file you can access in the future if needed. Maintain and update your website. A fantastic website is wasted if it is not being visited regularly by the association membership. A static page without regular revisions and current news will not entice members to return. I review and update information on the HEA website at least once each week. New, useful information should
continually be added so members look forward to visiting the page again. Provide useful information. Consider the needs of your audience when adding content to your site. In Hillsboro, our association participates in a wide variety of activities each month. Providing a calendar for members to view details regarding upcoming events and meetings will increase participation and attendance. Information accessed frequently by our members on the HEA website includes a wide variety of forms, grant applications, registration for workshops, scholarship opportunities, and contract language. Make your website interactive. In addition to allowing members online access to forms and useful links, consider avenues for members to communicate with association staff. One of the newest additions to the HEA website is a section where members can submit questions through an online form on the website or by sending an email. The questions and answers are then posted for all members to view. Link your website to other online media such as an association Facebook page or Twitter account to provide a way for members to access information and funnels traffic toward your website. Have questions about setting up a website for your local? I’m happy to help. Email me at: robye@hsd.k12.or.us.