Encourage Use

Sometimes your web site will need a little help to get going ... remember that you need to provide a reason for people to visit and contribute. Everyone will have a different motivation - so try and give as many reasons as possible to encourage as much use as possible!

Some suggestions:

• Make sure your administrative staff are getting full benefit from the system by being aware of what it can do for them, and give them adequate training so they can use it. Stop using out of date databases and mailing lists (by deleting them if necessary!), otherwise members will think changing their web site profile is pointless. Staff and leadership need to lead the way with using the web site.
  
  
• If your office receives phone calls requesting information - about an event or asking for somebody's phone number - encourage the caller to look it up for themselves on the web site in future.
  
  
• Organize a photo session to get photos into the online address book. Grab a digital camera and take photos of individuals and families after a meeting. Upload their photo as part of their profile and they will have a reason to visit the address book to check their own photo and peek at everyone else's!
  
  
• Don't wait for a weekly newsletter to give news to people, distribute news throughout the week using the web site, then people will check often to get the latest information.
  
  
• If you currently send out emails with news, don't stop - but use the mailing wizard to do so - it gives people an incentive to login and maintain their profile. In your emails, refer to the web site for further information - and make sure that further info is available in the form of articles, online booking forms, etc.
  
  
• Run a competition on the web site to get a bit of community spirit going - for example best joke, worst photo, name the pet, funniest web site link ... whatever is appropriate for your membership.
  
  
• A perennial favourite forum is some form of "classifieds" where people can share wanted / available ads for things, accommodation, lifts, help etc. This can really help to build community at a practical level.
  
  
• Use your web site as a means for distributing teaching by uploading notes for teaching or for small groups. Even better, record digital audio to accompany teaching notes and add this to the web site! This gives people a reason to go to the web site.
  
  
• Stuck for ideas? Send out an interview questionnaire! People are interested in people, why not use the web site as a way of introducing leaders and key church members to the wider body. Firstly put together a questionnaire (by email or as a web site form) and ask for responses to some reasonably meaty and interesting questions about themselves, their experiences and day to day lives. Then (with their permission!) you can use this raw material in two ways: one is to write an article that tells more about someone, and two: to write an article about everyone's answers to a particular question: Instant site content, conversation starters and a greater depth of community.