This document discusses 5 online trends for reinventing association websites: content marketing, search engine optimization, personalization, social sharing, and responsive web design. It provides examples and statistics for each trend, and emphasizes creating engaging content, making content easy to publish and share, and designing websites that are accessible on any device through responsive design. The document aims to help associations understand modern website best practices and priorities for redesigning their online presence.

1. 5 ONLINE TRENDS
REINVENTING
ASSOCIATION WEBSITES
#AUDC13

2. www.VTCUS.com
SAY HELLO
Ray van Hilst
Ray is Director of Client Strategy at
Vanguard Technology where he blends 20
years of marketing experience with modern
photo web principles to create high value websites
that help organizations meet their goals. His
career includes work with Fortune 500
brands such as Disney and The Home
Depot and non-profits and associations.
Follow (and heckle) him on Twitter
@rvanhilst.
#AUDC13

3. www.VTCUS.com
ABOUT VANGUARD
Integrated Websites for Associations
Vanguard Technology is an online technology
service provider specializing in website Vanguard shares more than 20 clients with
redesigns, content management, social Avectra and integrates with both netFORUM
networking, and mobile experiences for Enterprise and netFORUM Pro.
associations exclusively.
We integrating our offerings with Avectra’s
netFORUM to create a seamless member
experience to drive online engagement that
For more information please visit your
supports the organization’s mission and meets website:
their business goals.
Vanguard features the Sitefinity CMS and is a
www.VTCUS.com
Sitefinity Platinum Partner.
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4. ENOUGH BABBLE….

8. 5 ONLINE TRENDS
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9. “If you build it they will come…”

10. But… no one goes to hear a bad orchestra.

12. Content Marketing is an umbrella
term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation
and sharing of content in order to attract, acquire and engage
clearly defined and understood current and potential consumer
bases with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
Content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering
information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer
action. Content marketing has benefits in terms of retaining reader
attention and improving brand loyalty.
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13. Content Marketing Examples
• White Papers
• Infographics
• Webinars
• Emails
• Fact Sheets
• Blogs
• Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
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14. Content Marketing
• A 2011 survey found that 82% of B2B companies use
content marketing
• Predicted Trends
– Shifting Technologies (e.g. RSS to Google+)
– Emerging content channels will steal the spotlight from more
established media
– Curated Content
– Search Engine Optimization including off site optimization (e.g.
social channels)
http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2012/6827/content-marketing-
trends-for-2012-whats-in-and-whats-out #AUDC13

15. 1 Billion

16. #AUDC13

17. “Google is my homepage so
everything starts there.”
“I Google something at
least 12 to 14 times a
day.”
“Google is my primary research source.”
“If I need something I Google it.”
“I keep up to date on my
industry with Google alerts.”
#AUDC13

20. Personalization Trends from
Adobe and eConsultancy
• 52% of digital marketers agree “The ability to personalize web
content is fundamental to their online strategy.”
• 41% are “Committed to providing personalized experiences.”
• Data used to personalize the web experience:
– Personal Data
– Browser History
– Purchase History
– Onsite Behaviour
– User Preferences
#AUDC13
http://infographicsmania.com/website-personalization-trends/

22. Sharing Trends
• Facebook accounts for almost
53% of online sharing
– An 18% increase from 2011
• Pinterest is fastest growing
network
• More options mean more sharing
• Mobile sharing is growing
http://www.addthis.com/blog/2012/12/05/2012-social-
sharing-trends/#.USIiq6WyUz1
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27. 5 Trends
1. Content Marketing
2. Search Engine Optimization
3. Personalization
4. Social Sharing
5. Responsive Web Design

29. YOU’RE PROBABLY ABOUT TO
REDESIGN YOUR WEBSITE

31. #AUDC13

32. Top Factors for a Redesign
• 70.2% - Look and feel is outdated
• 57.9% - Make it easier/faster to update;
• 57.9% - Integrated with other technologies
• 45.6% - Lack of functionality
• 22.8% - Shifting business Model
• 21.1% - Member Complaints
• 5.3% - Board directive
• 3.5% - Competition
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34. Make it easy to publish content
SELECT THE RIGHT TOOLS

35. “The hardest part of managing a website should
be writing the content. Not coding.”
Ray van Hilst
Some guy speaking at a conference
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36. WYSIWIG & HTML
News
Events
Calendar
Shared Content
Lists
Form Builder
Multimedia
Social integration
More than just a website editor
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37. “My staff really likes their CMS [Sitefinity] - they
find it intuitive and with enough safeguards that
they're not afraid of screwing up the whole site.”
Cathy Stegmaier
Executive Director
Alliance of Cambridge Advisors
#AUDC13

38. Testing a CMS
• Give the vendor sample content to migrate in the
demo
• Do a side by side comparison of publishing
content
• Try a Sandbox Demo
• Ask about training and documentation
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39. Create member value through content
CONTENT MARKETING

40. “I am very much of a content-is-the-most-
important-thing [mindset]. You can have
the most effective integrated social media
platform and every kind of technology, but
if you don’t have anything to say, you’re
done.”
- James Carville, Associations Now
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41. Association Content Marketing
• Industry News
• Press Releases
• Magazine Articles
• Videos
• Education
• Blogs
• Newsletters
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42. Get Started
• Content Audit
– What do you have?
– Where is it?
• Identify your channels
– Where should it go?
• Institutionalize
– Get everyone on board
– Adopt the Manifesto
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43. Content Pyramid
Social Informal Right Now
Media
Blog Posts
News Articles
Features
Evergreen Content Formal 3 Years
from Now
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44. Content Marketer’s Manifesto
(Top 5)
#1 – I am a Marketer
– If you are creating content – even editorial – you are engaged in marketing
#2 – I hold the hottest tool for retention – Content
– Relevant content is the best way to create value
#3 – My content is aligned with the organization’s goals
– I create content that achieves my organization’s goals
#4 – I am in the influencing behavior game
– My purpose is to provide value through content to influence and drive behavior
#5 – I have an ongoing dialogue
– Content topics are driven by ongoing discussion and listening to their needs.
http://bussolati.com/manifesto/ #AUDC13

45. Making your content found
SEARCH ENGINE
OPTIMIZATION
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46. Good content trumps SEO
"Even if you do brain-dead stupid things
and shoot yourself in the foot, but have
good content, we still want to return it,”
“Google tries to make it so that sites don't
have to do SEO."
Matt Cutts
Google Webmaster Extraordinaire
http://readwrite.com/2011/12/13/googles-matt-cutts-good-conten
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47. SEO Tips
• Make it visible
– Relevant content can’t be hidden behind a login
• Know your relevant keywords… and use them!
– Headlines
– Body Copy
– Internal Links
• Build links back to your site
– Press Releases
– Partner Sites
– Social Media and Communities
– Embrace Google+
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48. SEO Basics
• SEO Friendly URL
• Title Tag
• Keywords
• Descriptions
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49. USER CENTRIC PHILOSOPHY
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50. Jim Susan
• 26 Years Old • 34 Years Old
• General RT in a hospital • Radiation Therapist
• Early in career • Hospital based
• Single, enjoys life outside • Married with two small kids,
work always on the go
• Transaction driven • Transaction driven
Generalist Specialist
Sarah Bob
• 40 Years Old • 48 Years Old
• Senior Technician with • Operations Manager
many positions • Service provider
• Engaged at state level • Volunteers with state
• Married with two kids (8 affiliates and national org
& 11) •
Careerist Evangelist Married with active
teenagers
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51. CEs Drive Web Usage
Transactional
1
Transactional
2
Career
Focused
Evangelist
Check & X X X X
Manage CEs
Continuing X X X
Education
Industry News X X X
Standards X
Events X
Careers X X
Vote X X
Volunteer X
Advocacy
Member
Benefits
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52. #AUDC13

53. Welcome Box
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54. Easy Personalization
• Recognize Member Type
• Renewal Reminders
• Capture Topic Codes

55. FRICTIONLESS SOCIAL
SHARING
#AUDC13

56. Engagement Pyramid – Charlene Li
Curators
Producers
Commentators
Sharers
Watchers
http://www.slideshare.net/charleneli/understand-your-customers-social-behaviors #AUDC13

57. #AUDC13

58. ATA Sharing
(1 month)
• 247 Shares
• 35 Clicks
• 14% Viral Lift
• Top Content
– Learning
– Case Studies
– Meeting
• Top Share platforms
– Email
– Facebook
– Twitter
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59. ONLINE COMMUNITY

60. Why Online Communities Matter
• Members join associations because of:
– Networking (22%)
– Access to specialized/current info (12%)
– Advocacy (12%)
2012 Association Membership Benchmarking Report,
Marketing General
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61. Communities Align With Trends
• Create Content
– Discussion Groups
– Libraries
– Blogs
• Facilitate Sharing
– Connections
– Networks
– Relationships
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62. Conversion Points
Integrated
Feeds
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63. Make it Easy
• Include with all other
social icons
• Single Sign-On
• Include in all
communications
– Emails
– Publications

64. Future Proof Your Website
RESPONSIVE DESIGN

65. Responsive Design
• One site
– Consistent content management
• User experience is based on screen
resolution
• Device Independent
• Restructured Layout
#AUDC13

66. A website that responds to the device that accesses it
and delivers the appropriate output for it uses
responsive design. Rather than designing multiple
sites for different-sized devices, this approach designs
one site but specifies how it should appear on varied
devices.
https://itservices.stanford.edu/service/web/mobile/about/terminology
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67. #AUDC13

68. Desktop
• Define breakpoints
• Prioritize content
• Develop
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69. Tablet Mobile
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70. WRAP UP
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71. Top Takeaways
• Create good content
– Put your users first
• Make your content easy to
– Publish
– Go anywhere your users go
– Be found
• Expand your website’s footprint
– Sharable content
– Create user connections
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72. Q&A
Get more tips at www.vtcus.com/10-things
Download our eBook:
10 Things Members Want from Your Association Website
#AUDC13

73. Ray van Hilst
Director of Client Strategy and Marketing
Vanguard Technology Corporation
703.439.1990
rvanhilst@vtcus.com
@rvanhilst
#AUDC13

74. THANK YOU
#AUDC13