5q communications - top 10 tips for effective web ministry

Top 10 Tips for Effective Web Ministry

Speakers: Todd Turner, Insight For Living

&Chad Williams, 5Q Communications

Internet Training Session

1Monday, March 1, 2010

* No oversight or responsibilities for Web; Executive; Management; Web Rockstars.* Vince Lombardi: 6 division titles, 5 NFL Championships, and 2 Super Bowls

Strategy


“Failing to plan is planning to fail”“Strategy is doing the right thing; Tactics is doing things right”“Begin with the end in mind”


Context: Ministry goals, funding, politics, culture, technology, human resourcesContent: What is it that we want to communicate, existing content, new contentUsers: Audiences, tasks, needs, experiences, vocabularies, etc

4


Context: Radio Advertising Agency -- relationshipUsers: Radio Ministries-- potential ministry partners and existing, stations--new and potentialContent: Unique content serving various audiences

5Monday, March 1, 2010Opened the Vault: Users: internet visitors weren’t purchasing; Context: fit philosophically--ministry minded; Content: 40 years of contentB/F: 4,500 downloads/mo1 Million Downloads/mo15 Million DownloadsRevenue: CD sales stayed the sameDecember largest giving month on record


Users: Radio Listeners, # audience have iphonesContext: RadioContent: Radio How do you get to the sweet spot? Ask right questions

7

Who is your audience?


demographics/psychographics


ministry, engagement, donations, sales, etc, sending traffic to ministry sites


ministry, engagement, donations, sales, etc, sending traffic to Ministry Sites

What is the primary action you want visitors

to take?


Mental Model

Does your site communicate effectively?


Graphic design, text, professional

Is your site integrated and complient?


Integrated: Sign upCompliant: COPPA, Can-SPAM, E-commerce,


Comprehensive Strategy:Chris Brogan: Trust Agents BookHome Base: Blog, donation, store,


Conference: March 25-27

Strategy Take Home Tips

✓ Find Your Sweet Spot

✓ Ask the Right Questions

✓ Build Encompassing Strategy


Strategy Resources

Groundswellby Charlene Li &

Josh Bernoff

The New Rules of Marketing &

PRby David Meerman

Scott


Groundswell: conversationsNew rules: see yourself as a publisher; give

Website or Web Ministry?


Website = Organization-centric; Same content as offline; Same audience as offlineWeb Ministry = User-centric; re-shaped and new content; new or growing audience


This is a websiteThis is a web ministry

37.4 Million Visitors


Not a clientTremendous job reachingAsk yourself: website or web ministry?

Right Stakeholders


Story: publishing new book, 2 days after hits the street, get email asking if www.yourministry.com/yourbook exists.Launch a new web promotion: free calendar -- 10,000 new names

Right Stakeholders

✓Who is your Web Champion?•Are they at the right tables?• “How can we leverage the Web?”

✓Brainstorm: Who Will This Touch?


Brainstorm: need to do that for every project/initiative -- production, sales, maintaining

Org Chart Conundrum


Where does the responsibility for the website fall?* IT? Marketing? Creative?* Goes back to strategy--what is your primary purpose for the site?* Never put it in IT; Media Ministry / Marketing

The Webmaster Is Dead


Poor tomato. Those who are responsible for everything say, “Yes, I’m dead--I’m overworked!”

Content

CreativeDesign

TechnicalDesign

User/Customer Input User/Customer Input

Project Manager

Team Approach


Project Manager: keeps things on taskContent Writer: creative writing; writing for the webCreative Design: graphic design; photoshop; html; CSS; flash design; information architecture;technical; programming; database

Hire or Outsource?

✓Volunteers✓Hire Staff✓Freelancers✓Web Agency


I’ve done all these...Volunteers: used a core of volunteers for certain things -- BTTB storyHire: hire best talent with ministry heartFreelance: lower price; need good Project ManagerWeb Agency: Exposure trends; Fill all your gaps; Consistency; Value

Working with Freelance/Agencies

✓References✓Single point of contact✓Single firm✓Clear expectations✓Avoid micro-management


Web Redesign 2.0: Workflow that Works by Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler

How to be a Great Web Clientwww.5Qcommunications.com

Workflow Resources


http://www.5Qcommunications.com


Design: More than Pretty


Form = abstractFunction = work well

www.leoburnett.ca


http://www.leoburnett.ca/



http://www.leoburnett.ca

http://www.leoburnett.ca


Balance between form and function. Works well, clear path-ways, clean. Leans towards functional.

Design Tips: Use Conventions

✓Logo✓Navigation✓Search box✓Metaphors (e.g. shopping carts)


* Common locations for logo, navigation, search box* Use metaphors* Tell site aspects without being able to read the language

Design Resources

www.SmashingMagazine.com http://sixrevisions.com

www.webcreme.com/


http://www.SmashingMagazine.com

http://www.SmashingMagazine.com

http://sixrevisions.com

http://sixrevisions.com

http://www.webcreme.com

http://www.webcreme.com

Search Engine Optimization


Finding your site is like finding a needle in the haystackSome say, “Ignore SEO”


What organization is this?Generic searches tell us that we are reaching a new audience

SEO Basics

✓Keyword research✓Keywords to content writers✓One key phrase per page

•Title•One H tag per page (H1)•Copy

✓Quality links


Keyword research

SEO Consultant

✓Training✓On-going process✓Conversions are key


Buyer Beware

✓Beware of out-of-the-blue emails

“Dear Google.com,I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories...”

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35291




Buyer Beware

✓No one can guarantee #1✓Beware of secrecy✓You should never have to link to an SEO



No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.Be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do.



SEO Resources

How to Write Killer Web Content

www.WordTracker.com

www.BruceClay.com

www.5Qcommunications.com

www.WordTracker.com www.WordTracker.com

www.seomoz.org


http://www.WordTracker.com


http://www.BruceClay.com

http://www.BruceClay.com





http://www.seomoz.org

http://www.seomoz.org

Usability: Cater to Visitors


How many times has this happened to YOU at a website?Why does this happen? Because we aren’t listening.

Good Navigation

✓Where am I?✓Where have I been?✓Where can I go next?✓Where is home?


Foundation is a good navigation system.


Where am I?Where have I been?Where can I go next?Where is home?


7 kids; kids grab knees;So there it was banging itʼs head against the window. How foolish it looked. What did it need to do the correct the situation? Change perspective; it needed to change its perspective. Same thing in usability; get another perspective. Causes us to take a step back and look at our products through the eyes our users. When we do it, it is amazing how much clearer things become.

Usability Testing

✓Observe one user at a time✓Inform your judgment ✓Test one person at a time✓Think like your visitors?✓Testing one person early is better than 50 people late✓Nothing beats a live audience reaction


What is it? Bringing in one person at a time.Why? (rest)How many have done usability test?


How many have ever done a usability test? Here is a sample.

✓34% Revenue

✓76% New Names

✓11% $ Per Order

✓9% Cart Abandonment


Usability website for FPA resulted in...

Resources

Usability Increases Revenue by 34%www.5Qcommunications.com

www.morae.com


* Don’t Make Me Think: Classic* Rocket Surgery: Released 2010* Morae * White Paper -- you can read full report on Listener’s Bible Case Study* Wrap-up: Strategy, website or web ministry, right stakeholders, org chart, right team, design, SEO, usability,





AnalysisTracking Web and Ministry Numbers


A top 10 best practice - do ongoing analysisIf you cannot measure it you cannot manage itIn the old days you measured views and hits - now it is conversionsCapture the right data so you can make the right decisions

Don’t build application(s) until ...

How are we going to measure “success?”

0

50

100

150

200

2007 2008 2009 2010

Conversion Visitors

Analysis

Building it is only half the battle.

Eyes on the page isn’t a good measuring stick.

Do certain paths produce different results?


When you build any web project - define what success is.Clearly define what success is then you can capture that goal. Example: capturing email addresses is a goal and there are multiple ways

You can’t manage it if you can’t measure it!

Spreadsheets vs Graphs

Analysis

0

25

50

75

100

20072008

20092010

GIVERS SUSTAININGDATA

2010 2009 2008

45590 54483 52433

42589 78524 45858

41598 24887 14452

40598 24785 44128

28658 36444 78722

56871 78545 17475

45887 47228 56585

16859 47214 54858


Graphing the data is key to helping you make the right decisions. This sounds simple but until you start graphing the data, how do you know what trends or anomalies you have?

Key data to capture

Analysis

Value of an email: Email to $$$ (1 to 1)... by channelDifferent channels equal different results

Do offline email imports behave the same way as online captures?Do you need different Welcome Flows?

Does a web sale bring the same revenue as retail pricing?Do you lower pricing periodically or hold prices?

What paths are visitors taking?Does your search box get more activity than your links?

What keywords are users searching for on YOUR site? Build that content? Buy that product?What emails are visitors unsubscribing from?

Do you see any trends here?A/B testing emails and reaction

Subjects lines? Premium vs straight ask?Do your donation forms all bring in the same average gift?

Why?

QUESTIONS BEYOND THE NORM...


What is the value of an email? You may have several different channels for collecting addresses, are different channels worth more to you?

“Welcome Flow” is an auto-responder plus, for Insight For Living, this launches a flow of “Welcome” information that educates the user about IFL and builds relationships.Depending on how you come to IFL you will get a different “Welcome Flow” (educational campaign/relationship building)

The Welcome Flow buffers you out of other correspondence until you are through the flow (that way there is no “asks” too soon)

New NamesValue for Value


When you collect names, think V for V. When asking for an email people these days think I better be getting something good.

Traffic and page counts are not good enough

New Names

0

17.5

35

52.5

70

2007 2008 2009 2010

Conversion TrafficRelationships are everything

Library vs corner bookstore approachContent provider

Emails collection / Phones numbers-Texting

Streaming player good space to play in

Left Nav collection

Landing page forms/sign up


* IFL has chosen to build relationships through emails. * Library vs. bookstore approach -- some ministries lay out their content as soon as you get in the door, itʼs all layed out -- content heavy* IFL takes more of the approach, “Hey, how are you? How can I direct you today?” We are here for you and want to build a relationship.* Some collect cell phone numbers for texting campaigns (Focus on Family)* Email sign ups in the Left Nav - IFL grew 200K address by doing this * By changing landing pages and adding opportunities for email they increased the size of their list.

Push, Don’t PullKiosk in the Mall


Take you website to people vs. trying to get people to drive down your road by billboard advertising.

Go to where people are hanging out - use social media, Oneplace, and other places where the people are.

If you build it, no one cares!

Push, Don’t Pull

Location, Location, Location

Countless hours spend planing, designing, coding, testing...building application

Little time worried about getting the RIGHT traffic there.

SEO doesn’t always fit (People don’t search for you like you may think) (Cribs)

Take your product to the MALL (Social Media)


Would you rather have more people or the right people?

SEO -- For instance if I were a dog breeder what key words would I want? Dog? Lab? Breeder?1 strategy = Those are too broad and everyone uses those. If you are in Nashville, then you want words like Nashville TN breeder.Cribs is general but now you can soft sell the product through baby names an also offer his work... tie it into2 strategy = social media

Multiple Approaches

Push, Don’t Pull

You Have Options

RSS - Let the Web work for you

Feedburner - Why reinvent the wheel?

Syndicate Widgets - People looking for content

XML - Work with developers

Your Content

Your Site

Other Sites

Social Media

PDA/APPS


Think about your content vs. just thinking about your website as the place to bring people to

Feedburner - free and a way to give out content

CommitmentStay with it!


Nothing more frustrating than building and not sticking with it. Easy to jump into the next thing.

It takes time to do it right

Commitment

Ready...Shoot...Aim...

Don’t Guess Just because you can, doesn’t mean you shouldNeed a buck-stops-here person - WEB experienceHomepage WILL look like your organization

ads, too many items above the fold, shotgun design

What Do you Do? Then do it... and keep doing it!

Most of us are not the patriarchs... Let technology assist the mission/vision... not change it.

The Org Chart


The web person needs to be a person that is empowered, know the vision

Most are not patriarchs -- means we are not the person who started the organization, why do something?

Todd [email protected]

Chad [email protected]

Eric [email protected]

Twitter: ask5Q

Attend the Internet Advisory CouncilOpen to all, Tuesday from 2 to 3 pm


mailto:[email protected]






5q communications - top 10 tips for effective web ministry

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