Understanding the website needs of member organisations
Whilst a website is technically a website, how you approach building effective websites for membership based organisations and associations has its own unique set of challenges and issues:
- Promoting benefits & increasing membership - obviously a key requirement for a membership organisation website is to promote the offering & benefits in a tangible manner, highlighting why this is going to add value to the visitor, ultimately enticing potential members to sign-up or join.
- Revenue generation - whilst many membership based organisations survive on membership fees, there are often opportunities and challenges in relation to generating additional revenue streams for the organisation.
- Proving value to members - many organisations fall into the trap of using their website to prove the value they offer to members, rather than using their website to enhance value and offering.
- Engagement with members - key to the success of member organisations are their ability to engage and connect with members and stakeholders, ensuring they feel valued and part of a large community.
- Extending membership benefits - whilst the website can be a strong promotional tool, the ability to create digital services and offerings via the online can transform and extend the benefits provided to members.
- Individuals & institutional members - whilst some organisations memberships consist of individuals, other organisations memberships are institutional, requiring a very different approach and flavour. To complicate things, some organisations cater to both institutions as well as their members, creating a very wide stakeholder group.
