As the season of chills and thrills gets underway, don’t let the thought of your next big digital project scare you into early hibernation. We hope you had a moment to pause with us last month and set your intentions for your upcoming projects. Now, we’re taking a deep breath to catch that energizing scent of a caramel apple in the air (pumpkin spice is so 2019, we hear) and jumping into our to-dos like a pile of fall leaves. Take the leap into this month’s newsletter as we rhapsodize on the importance of requirements, raise a glass to the Society of Wine Educators, explore Google Search Ads and more.
While this won’t be the last All About…Web, it will be the last one authored by me. After 6 wonderful years at Fíonta, I’m moving onto an exciting opportunity at a nonprofit. It’s been a pleasure working with you and leading this email series. Stay tuned for your new author and thank you for your support over the years.
– Erin Rickard, Digital Services Manager
BLOG: Requirements: The Unsung Hero of Successful CRM (and CMS) Projects!
Crossover alert! This post from our Salesforce blog is just as relevant for web projects — just replace CRM with CMS. It’s important to start thinking through your requirements before you issue that RFP for a site rebuild or decide which CMS to use. Check out the post for pointers on the roles your stakeholders, executive sponsor and project manager should take in requirements gathering, and learn about the “requirements magic” that happens when it all comes together.
SITE LAUNCH: The Society of Wine Educators
Join us in raising a glass to our client The Society of Wine Educators in celebration of their website launch! As a leader in wine and spirits education and certification, the Society needed a new site to streamline member registration and access to materials. We served up a WordPress site with membership single sign-on, with Salesforce as the identity provider, to protect the Society’s proprietary content and drive subscriptions. Cheers to that!
ARTICLE: Google Search Ads for Associations: How to Get Started
If you’re trying to increase the online visibility of your organization and haven’t yet checked out Google Ad Grants, Sidecar Global’s detailed overview will get you started. Google offers grants of up to $10K per month in advertising dollars for qualifying nonprofits and associations. Use Google’s Keyword Planner to plan effective ad content and once you’re up and running, explore the Skillshop to make the most of your campaign or contact us to get expert help!
ARTICLE: Content is King When Competing for Sponsors
As associations look to rebound from the canceled events of the pandemic, one promising avenue forward can be found in showcasing sponsor-written content. Associations Now examines how creating a content hub with sponsors’ thought leadership can bring in revenue and attract members to the association website as a one-stop shop. Analytics with conversion tracking can help associations prove value to sponsors and ensure the content is engaging for members.
COURSES: Offered by NTEN
NTEN is offering two courses this month to help organizations diving into a site redesign. Anatomy of a Website Redesign on Oct 13 will cover identifying your organization’s needs, understanding the phases of a redesign, and how to effectively manage the process. Digital Success for Nonprofits on Oct 27 will outline the steps to formulate your organization’s digital strategy and ensure your new website will meet SEO, fundraising, digital engagement, and recruitment goals.
Anatomy of a Website Redesign
Date: October 13, 2021; course registration
Digital Success for Nonprofits
Date: October 27, 2021; course registration