Survey 0904: How Associations are Using the Web September

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1 272 Avenue Road Toronto Ontario M4V 2G7 Survey 0904: How Associations are Using the Web September Prepared by: Vivek Narula Marketing Manager NMA (416) xt 229

2 Summary This survey of associations was conducted by Vivek Narula, Marketing Manager of NMA (New Media Architects Ltd.) in September Our survey found that associations are using the web to great advantage. Over 86% of respondents felt their website was communicating effectively to both their members and to the general public. This was true of all associations, regardless of the number of members, the number of staff or the number of years that they had had a website. Yes 86% No 1 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Associations have dedicated a great deal of time and resources to making their website of value to their members. Features such as event registration, credit card processing, member surveys and online newsletters are equally popular with association members and staff. The primary benefits of a website are: Effective publishing of information to members and to other interested parties Supporting and improving member activities such as events and conferences Enabling association staff to better manage their association s activities Saving time and money 3.2 Website is Communicating Effectively At the same time, almost as many respondents indicated they thought their website could be improved. This is to be expected as many associations are still coming to terms with how to use make the best use of their website, when to make upgrades to their website, and what technologies to employ. Yes 69% No 30% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 3.2 Website Could Be Improved The associations we surveyed have confirmed that the web has been an important part of their past activities, and that it will play an even more critical role in the future. Page 2

3 Associations Profile We contacted a random sample of 250 small and medium-sized associations with offices in the GTA, drawn from a 2003 Toronto Board of Trade publication. Survey participants were primarily special interest-based associations, with a significant number of professional associations. Special Interest 6 Professional 27% Charitable Organization Chamber of Commerce 5% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 1.1 Type of Association Respondents were evenly split in their geographical focus with a slight majority concentrating on activities in the GTA, followed closely by national and provincial organizations. The associations varied widely in the number of members, with a majority of them being in the range, balanced by an equal number of small and large-member groups. National 31% 2500 or more 18% Regional Provincial 5% 29% % 17% 31% Local 34% less than % 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 1.2 Scope of Activities 1.3 Membership By far the most common characteristic of respondents was the relatively low number of staffmembers. Almost 70% of associations had fewer than 10 full-time employees. This indicates that most associations are efficiently managed by a small team of administrators. over % 8% 12% 69% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 1.4 Size of Staff Not surprisingly given the high ratio of members to staff, almost 40% of respondents listed member relations as their greatest challenge. Page 3

4 Website Background Associations are relatively early adopters of website technology, recognizing its value as an efficient communication channel. More than two thirds of respondents have had a website for at least five years. 10 years or more 8% 5-9 years 58% 2-4 years 18% 1-2 years 10% less than a year 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 2.1 Length of Time However, the frequency with which they update their website varies considerably. Website updates are typically a combination of graphic redesign, navigation restructuring, and the addition of new features. While almost half of respondents have undertaken some form of update in the previous year, 14% have never updated their website. Never 14% 3-5 years 21% 1-2 years 14% 6-12 months 21% Less than 6 months 28% 0% 10% 20% 30% 2.2 Last Redesign In addition, the scheduling of website updates is somewhat irregular. While almost 30% have some form of update planned in the next 24 months, at least 64% haven t set a date for their next update. Not planned 64% w ithin 3-5 years w ithin 1-2 years Less than 6 months 15% 15% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 2.2 Next Redesign Page 4

5 Website Management Our survey indicated that a majority of associations make at least weekly changes to their website. This is understandable since the mandate of many associations is to publish information on behalf of their members. Yet a significant number of associations are only making monthly updates to their websites. Ne ver Yearly 2% 4% Monthly 42% Weekly 34% Daily 19% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 3.1 Content Updates Not surprisingly, given the resourcefulness of most associations, a majority of these updates are handled by someone on staff who knows HTML programming. Relatively simple updates can be quickly made to smaller sites such as the adding of news items and the editing of existing content. Many associations choose to outsource their website maintenance to third-party suppliers. While more expensive than self-managed updates, 34% of surveyed associations use the services of a web programmer to make changes to their website. A smaller, but significant number of associations are looking to gain some efficiencies when it comes to their website. Almost 10% of respondents use some sort of content management system to make updates to their website. These cms systems range from Microsoft Frontpage and similar applications, to more advanced, full-featured cms systems incorporating a database. HTML in-house 55% HTML outs ourced 32% CMS in-house 10% Other 1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 3.2 Website Management While 10% of associations have employed some form of content management, almost 65% of associations surveyed said they were not familiar with a cms or the benefits and features of these types of websites. Page 5

6 Website Features For many associations, their website has become a powerful communication tool enabling them to conduct a wide variety of activities. credit card processing 22% online registration member surveys newsletter members-only extranet 34% 41% 45% 4 search other 29% 4 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 3.2 Website Features Credit Card Processing: While the use of credit cards over the Internet is growing, real-time credit card processing remains a prohibitively expensive undertaking for most associations. Some websites gather credit card numbers for off-line processing by staff. However, this practice carries an element of risk as it leaves the association vulnerable to hacker attacks. Online Registration: Many websites are set up to facilitate registration for events and membership. This can be as simple as a downloadable registration form that can be faxed or mailed or as sophisticated as an online registration database that lets members handle their own yearly membership renewals and event registration. Member Surveys: Online surveys are faster and easier for members to complete, making them more effective and less expensive than letter-based surveys. When web-based surveys utilize a database to gather responses, the hassle of managing hundreds or even thousands of responses is eliminated as all of the answers are already in the database and reports are automatically generated. Newsletters: newsletters may never completely replace letter-based newsletters, but associations are using them to increase the frequency of publication without increasing costs. Many web-based publication systems make use of a member database on the website to speed the setting up and distribution of e-newsletters. Members-Only Extranet: A database of registered members can be used to create a members-only area of the website. Many associations are splitting their website into two sections one for publish information to the media and the general public and another specifically for their members. Search: Many associations use their website to publish research and policy papers, and other publications. A search function allows visitors to the website to quickly find the information they are looking for. For a downloadable version of this summary, please visit: Page 6