Increasingly, having a strong web presence is expected.
- Provide online payments, subscription renewals
& donations
- Enable self-service
- Build online engaged communities
- Facilitate special interest groups
- Fundraise online
Linking your back office system with the Internet and social
networks will be central to your web strategy.
Secure web-enablement provides internal users with up-to-date
information and the tools to interact more with members, donors,
supporters and alumni. Equally, it enables users to ‘self-serve’ to
update their details, buy services and participate in the online
peer-to-peer communities that build relationships and foster their
long-term engagement.
The web offers new ways to communicate with existing supporters
and members, reach new audiences, and deliver services more
cost-effectively. You need to ask:
- How can you build online communities for members, supporters
and beneficiaries in a dedicated area on your website?
- What benefits will clients, members and donors get from this
and what benefits will we see?
Integrating your outward-facing website with your back office
opens up a world of opportunities, including:
-
Enabling members and supporters to self-serve
Your clients expect you to provide the
web-enablement that will allow them to self-serve to update their
personal details. Your system should be able to exceed these
expectations, providing supporters and members with a tailored,
personalised view of your organisation according to factors such as
their communications preferences, region and interests.
-
Building communities
Today’s clients, members, students and
donors expect to be able to participate in the online peer-to-peer
communities, such as networks, forums and knowledge hubs that build
relationships and foster long-term engagement.
A web portal with interesting and useful content and privileged
access to a members-only area becomes another compelling reason for
people to become involved with your organisation. It reinforces
their connection with the organisation and helps you to maintain
your own links with them over the long-term.
Having a strong web presence also enables you to attract a new
generation of supporters, members and alumni and re-engage with
lapsed donors. In education, for instance, offering strong, vibrant
networks becomes one of the differentiating benefits of studying
with your school, university or college. Students have easy,
life-long access to exclusive networks that help them to build
their careers or meet like-minded people. You’ll assist them to
keep in touch with their contemporaries, develop cross-generational
links, and help them to build mutually beneficial contacts.
-
Ensuring data integrity
Your organisation gains by being able to
delegate to supporters much of the routine administration around
maintaining their profiles. Not only does this reduce the internal
workload, it contributes to the cleanliness and health of your
data.
-
Canvassing feedback
Online surveys and feedback on events
become much easier to distribute and collate through the Internet
and can maximise your marketing budgets when planning activities in
the future.
-
Facilitating online payments
Enabling your clients to donate, renew
membership or shop online for branded products, resources such as
publications, and services such as events and training reduces
costs while developing new revenue streams.