GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR WEBSITE Not just “brochureware”

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Overview Websites What are they really for? Who is my audience? Starting from Scratch on a new site How does a website fit in with Facebook, Twitter & YouTube? Google Useful tips & tricks Effective Newsletters Memberships Online entries Questions

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE What are they really for? Websites are a fantastic source of information for: Immediate future information “What time does the race start on Saturday?” Immediate past information Race Results Historical information Can store vast amounts of information, results, photos, etc Information for potential newcomers to the sport “My son wants to get into the sport, but I have no idea where to start”

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Who is my audience? Potential newcomers Single biggest omission for most sites “Paddling for All” is an excellent initiative Need only be a single page on your website Don’t just say “we do this …”, but list the activities that would be appropriate for each demographic at your club The “regulars” What time is today’s race How do I enter for xxx? What is the latest news? Did someone put a photo of me on the website?

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Starting from Scratch Don’t form a Committee! Ask forgiveness, not permission Any more than 2 people is a problem Don’t get too hung up on graphics Requires a minimum standard, but after the first few visits, people tend not to see the graphics Draw a structure chart of the final(ish) product, then mark the minimum required to launch. 20 pages is the maximum Set a deadline for release and stick to it Design from the top down, but build from the button up Collect club documents (Constitution, Club Rules etc) to pad out your website And finally …… Don’t form a Committee!

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Structure Chart Home Page About the Club Disciplines Flatwater Whitewater Getting Started Admin

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE How does a website fit in with Facebook, Twitter & Youtube? Facebook The place where a younger audience gets all their information Fulfils much of the same role as a website, but also has “push” capabilities Twitter Great for events with quick updates Information can be input by multiple people at an event, and display can be duplicated on the event website Doubles as an “push” Generally links back to more information on the website Youtube A website for storing and streaming videos Can be embedded in your website Can easily setup a “group” of videos

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Overview Improving your Google ranking Make your content relevant Regular updates to your website Links from other similar, well respected sites Google Analytics A measurement tool to evaluate the effectiveness of your website How does it work?

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Tips and Tricks Uploading multiple images EventID Changing the type of news on the front page Shortcuts Including Team lists in your web page Cutting and Pasting from Word Sharing menus

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Newsletters The single most effective tool to Drive members to your website Increase event participation However, Newsletters must be: Informative Regular, but not too frequent Summarised, so users can skim over and drill down for more information where it suits Available to ALL, not just paid up members If people see an active club, they will eventually join If they don’t fulfil these first three points, people will soon tune out and unsubscribe

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Memberships Two methods of taking online memberships Invoice to existing members Direct website entry

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Online Entry Online entry through BvIT Not just for events Attendance at a Committee meeting Social function pre-purchase

G ETTING THE M OST FROM YOUR W EBSITE Questions