The elements of a great Jaycee website
In Part One of the From Myspace to Awesome series, I explained how many people jump right into their Jaycee chapter website development without taking the time to think. Instead, let’s start by looking at what makes a great Jaycee website.
Do I want to join them?
In my opinion, the primary objective of every Jaycee website should be the recruitment of new members. Your website should show off your chapter’s strengths, hide your weaknesses, and give the impression of an active and vibrant group.
What does it say about your chapter if the site hasn’t been updated in six months? If it’s a myspace page? If the design is poor?
Free time is at a premium these days. Make sure your chapter website creates the impression, “this Jaycees thing just might be worth my time.”
Serving your members
Once you recruit new members, it’s important to keep them. The secondary objective of every chapter site should be the service of its current members.
Communicating chapter news, promoting upcoming events, facilitating discussion between members, distributing forms – the website should help your membership make the most of their Jaycee experience.
Make a great impression on others
Having a great website will help your chapter in many not-so-obvious ways. Image is everything. If you appear to have your ducks in a row, you will have more credibility, and you may find doors opening that were once closed.
Image the following scenarios:
- Your chapter wants to run a fundraiser within the community.
- You want to highlight your Jaycee experience for a job interview.
- Your chapter is looking for a corporate sponsor for an upcoming event.
What would these third-parties would say when they look at your chapter’s website? Will they be impressed? With a solid chapter website, you just might start hearing “yes” instead of “no.” If you create the impression of credible organization, people will treat you like one.
Wrapping up
Once you have spent some time evaluating your needs and goals, it’s time to get some manpower together and execute. More to come…
