According to Business Development Manager, Gavin Thorne from Pixl8 the most common mistakes associations make when developing new websites are:

1) Not recognising the benefits of a fully integrated website and membership database.

2) Underestimating the time it takes to create and tag all content prior to go live.

3) Not dedicating someone with the right skills and experience to manage the website.

4) Underestimating the cost and resource savings of moving services like renewals online.

5) Not budgeting for on-going investment to ensure the website evolves with the organisation and changing requirements of its members.

It’s also important that associations brief their web development partner fully on their background, philosophy, audiences and aims and business objectives.  “As web developers we need to know as much about the association as possible,” explains Gavin Thorne.

“It’s this knowledge that enables us to suggest new ideas for site design and functions that not only meet the organisational goals but will deliver the right benefits to members and other users.  “In addition to technical expertise and a flare for design and creativity the best web development partners will provide proactive advice and support on your online marketing strategies, search engine optimisation and e-mail campaigns to maximise effectiveness and revenue generation for the business.”

To ensure you provide your web developer with a comprehensive brief, contacts us to grab a copy of Pixl8’s handy checklist.