THE CONVOS BLOG

In the past two weeks, I've been talking to some people at a large member organization to see how some of their content and online tools can be improved. I've been involved with the organization for a couple of years now and was familiar with their online "dashboard." Giving it some thought, I commented that the organization is still living in 2002.

I don't actually know when they implemented the dashboard, but it was around that time. Back then, the dashboard was pretty cool for the 200+ district advisors and 10,000+ active members to access. It was the one place for downloading manuals, reporting information, and looking over some basic statistics of the organization. They weren't using high-end association management tools. This was built from the ground up and customized for them. Seven years later, it badly needs to be updated or replaced with something better. Given what's come out on the web during that time (social media, more APIs, FB, etc.), there are lots of things that they can use to improve their operations.

Whichever tools they decide to go with, it was clear that they need to:

• Be simple to understand and learn
• Make content conveniently accessible
• Add communication and collaborative features
• Make reporting and documentation processes minimal but useful
• Be private and secure

A lot of the tools you can find now are extremely easy to use, well-designed, and actually useful. Trying to wade through the many online group solutions can be confusing and frustrating. The important thing is that the organization finds the tool(s) with the right features for them.

When selecting tools for online groups, you should start with identifying the needs of the people who will actually be using them. Without their input, you could be spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on something that will barely be used. Focus on what can make things convenient for them and that can add value to their busy lives. Then you can start to discussing the types of content that needs to be created and distributed as well as the communication channels that will work the best for everyone.

Once you get an idea of what the members actually need, then you can start examining the different solutions out there.  A lot of times, people do this in reverse. They look at the solutions available first and then get filled with lots of ideas, some of them useful and a lot of them irrelevant. By talking with the members (actual users) first, you get to see what the real issues and needs are. For example, you may find that one solution offers tagging on files. You might think that's such a great thing, but your members might not actually care. They just want the easiest and fastest way to find files, whether it's by tags, folders, or search.  Don't be fooled into thinking you actually need something when you don't.  

Overall, I think a lot of organizations are in this position. A few years ago, they made some significant investments in technology and now they're ready to do so again. But now the marketplace is filled with so many options. Some are cheap and some are insanely unaffordable. Others can focus on one function or they can have a broad range of functionality. By listening to your users carefully, you'll be able to narrow your options significantly and hopefully choose the best tool for your organization.