Website Revolutions
This month I've been working with a non-profit society that has an outdated website in need of a total revamp. Sometimes you can help organizations if they don't have the internal expertise to work on the website, and simply get the log in and restyle copy and images, and viola - their online identity has been refreshened. But even in this day and age of seemingly everybody and their dog having their own website or blog, you can still find yourself at the verge of tears when you come across a website that hasn't been touched for a decade.
PSNM is the Pacific Society of Nutrition Management, and their online presence required more than a touch up. They were in desperate need of a website revolution. The difficulty many organizations have, is they don't have the time or consensus to move forward with updating their marketing efforts. For sure non-profits and volunteer-lead organizations can struggle to strike the right tone with their online media and brand identities, mostly because they can find it overwhelming and sometimes expensive.
Having met with the Board members tasked with bringing their website up to date, I was able to better understand how PSNM could reinvent themselves online. I had to revolutionize their entire "style".
THE BEFORE
I knew there was nothing to be saved. Very little of the copy made sense and PSNM Board didn't even know who the people were in the photo on their home page. Their logo is out of date, but I assured them they would be able to have a new website without having a new logo. The logo will not be missed on the new website and they will have time to work on a logo that brings meaning to their Society in their own time, with a professional graphic artist, and add it to the site later.
The original site included broken links, "News" that was outdated from two years ago, an uninspired design, and provided no real value or sense of identity. Getting to work right away on a brand new site was imperative.
Here is what the first new home page draft I presented to them:
Make it Personal
Another important aspect to creating engagement is connecting faces of real people. THE BEFORE About Us Page:
THE REDESIGNED About Us page:
The new site is expansive. The layout is mobile ready, the theme is modern and has a freshness it. And the new website includes a blog so that the Society can ask members and vendors to contribute useful articles and information that will enhance their site's interest and value.
RELATED FORMS
Another component I worked on for them was their related forms from their website. I downloaded their application/membership renewal form and found it too could be improved. First, it was a Word document - which is not a recommended format, simply because you can't assume every user will have the software to open it and the form can be changed.
Here is the original PSNM membership form:
The NEW Membership Application/Renewal Form:
The members were excited to launch the new PSNM website well before their pending April Annual General Meeting. With their site, I included some cards for them to hand out to promote their new site. The cards included a QR code so people can scan for it right off their smart phones at the meeting.
If you have an outdated website, and your society, non-profit or small business is contemplating a website revolution, I would love to talk revolution with you too!
Be mavenly,
Stephanie
