In today’s digital age, an association’s website serves as a critical hub for engagement, communication, and information resources. To maximize its impact, it is crucial that the website effectively serves both members and non-members with tailored content.
Of course there are other user groups that also require attention, but the core audiences for an association’s main website remain members and potential members. While attending the ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) Annual Conference in Cleveland a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having many conversations with different associations that face these same challenges of how to best serve multiple audiences through your website. Here’s why balancing these needs is important and how it can benefit your association and help to grow your association’s web presence.
Understanding User Needs for Associations Through User Personas and User Stories
First, we start every website design project with the user experience (“UX”) design phase by performing audience segmentation, and defining the organization and website’s user personas, which are detailed profiles representing different segments of your website's audience. They help you (and us) to clearly define and understand who your users are, including their goals, challenges, and preferences. By creating personas, we ensure that the redesign addresses the specific needs and behaviors of each of these different user groups.
Next, we recommend building out the user stories which describe how different personas will interact with your website. They outline what users need to do on the site, why they need to do it, and what they expect from the interaction. User stories help map out the user journey and ensure that the redesign aligns with user expectations.
While there are many other elements that go into creating a great user experience (e.g., user interviews, usability testing, brand identity, etc.), user personas and stories are foundational elements and serve as a guide for making strategic and informed design decisions. They help prioritize features, layout, and content based on real user needs rather than assumptions or just designing a website that looks beautiful. By referring to user personas and stories, it leads to a more user-centered design that enhances usability and is more effective in achieving the organization’s goals online. For instance, if a persona frequently accesses the site via mobile, ensuring a responsive design becomes a larger priority or if a persona’s key need is professional development, crafting a UX design that makes it easier for the user to access this part of the site will enhance the online experience and the organization’s brand reputation.
Let’s review the importance of serving members and non-members content on an association's website.
EXISTING MEMBERS: Enhancing Member Engagement and Retention
For associations, existing members are the lifeblood of the organization. Serving high-quality, relevant content to members is essential for enhancing engagement and ensuring retention. Members rely on exclusive resources, industry insights, networking opportunities, online communities, and professional development content to stay engaged. Our association websites provide easy access to these features, building member satisfaction and retention.
Members utilize association websites to:
- View Exclusive Member Content: Such as research reports, webinars, or specialized tools, associations can make members feel valued and invested.
- Member-Only Updates: Including news about upcoming events, changes in policies, or industry trends keeps members informed and involved.
- Renew or Manage Membership: They may need to renew their membership, update their personal or professional information, upgrade their membership level, or manage billing information.
- Register for Events and Webinars: Many associations host conferences, webinars, or networking events, and members need to be able to view event details, register, and pay for these events.
- Participate in Online Communities: Members may engage in discussion forums or online communities to connect with peers, share knowledge, and discuss industry trends.
- View or Update Member Directory Profile: Members often update their profiles, which are included in a member directory, making it easier to network with others in the association.
- Access Continuing Education and Certifications: Associations often offer professional development resources like courses, certifications, and training programs. Members may need to access course catalogs, sign up, and track their progress.
- View Industry News and Updates: Members may visit the site to stay informed about association news, industry trends, advocacy efforts, or regulatory changes that affect their profession.
- Download or Access Publications: Associations often produce newsletters, journals, or magazines. Members may want to download or read digital versions of these publications or services, which members may need to access through the website.
This tailored approach not only increases the perceived value of membership but also creates a sense of community and belonging.
POTENTIAL MEMBERS: Attracting and Converting Non-Members
A well-designed website isn’t just for current members; it’s also a powerful tool for attracting potential new members. Providing enough useful information to non-members, while locking down additional content is a powerful sales tool that helps drive conversions. One way to do this is to have a soft paywall that allows non-members to view a limited amount of content (such as articles, research, or online courses) without having to pay but requiring a membership to view all content.
Non-members often visit association websites to:
- Learn About the Association: Non-members may visit the site to understand what the association offers, its mission, values, and benefits of membership.
- Explore Resources: Free articles, blogs, white-papers, or industry reports can showcase the association’s expertise and relevance.
- Research Membership Benefits: Non-members may be evaluating whether joining the association is worth the cost and effort.
- Access Public Resources: Non-members might be looking for free resources, such as reports, articles, whitepapers, or blogs.
- Consider Career Development Opportunities: Non-members may be interested in certifications, training programs, or continuing education courses offered by the association.
- Understand Advocacy or Public Policy Efforts: Non-members, particularly those in industries impacted by the association’s work, may visit the website to learn about the association’s advocacy efforts.
- Look for Volunteering or Leadership Opportunities: Some non-members may be interested in getting involved in association leadership, volunteering, or contributing as subject matter experts.
By providing valuable content that is accessible to non-members, associations can demonstrate their authority in the field and encourage conversions. Offering a taste of what members receive can entice non-members to join and access premium content.
How To Create a Sense of Community with Website Design
One approach to create the feeling of community is to show members firsthand experiences with testimonials or real-life examples of how membership has improved their business or lives. Online reputation and credibility significantly influence decision-making and association member testimonials have become a powerful tool in shaping perceptions and driving engagement. These testimonials offer authentic, relatable insights into the value and impact of membership, and their presence on an association’s website can be a game-changer.
A great case study for this approach is our work on the National Association of Theatre Owners’ (NATO) new website, where we created a space (“The Faces of Exhibition”) where members answer questions about their passion for this industry, and how becoming an association member has improved their business.
There is also a section of the website titled “Member Spotlight”, where professionally shot member interviews are displayed and non-members can get insight into how a membership can benefit them. These sections not only driven interest from potential members, but provide an avenue for the existing members to learn more about their community and find commonalities to connect about.
“One of the challenges that we face as an association is how we tell the story of what our members do every day - not just in the overall business figures, but in the personal stories that explain why our members are so committed to this industry. The Faces of Exhibition project is a series of video interviews with our members so you can hear directly from those dedicated individuals about why they have a passion for their work. This initiative provided a much-needed additional perspective to sharing why NATO works to support our industry.”
Lou DiGioia, COO, National Association of Theatre Owners
Building Brand Authority and Trust
When non-members can easily find valuable information, they are more likely to view the association as a trustworthy resource and consider membership. An association’s website is a key component of its brand identity, and by offering a mix of content for both members and non-members it helps to:
- Showcase Expertise: Providing engaging, targeted content positions the association as a thought leader for the industry and its constituents. Including free and premium resources, the site attracts a wider audience and creates an opportunity to convert non-members into members.
- Build Trust: Transparent access to useful information helps establish credibility with both members and prospective members.
- Optimize for Search Engines: Offering high-quality, relevant content that answers common queries in the industry or for members can improve search engine rankings and bring more visitors to the site.
Ultimately, balancing content for members and non-members on an association website is not just a strategy but a necessity in today’s competitive landscape. By delivering value to both groups, associations can enhance member engagement, attract new members, build brand authority, and support overall growth. Leveraging user persona and user stories is the first step in crafting a thoughtful approach to UX strategy for associations, and serves as the foundation for content creation and distribution that ensures the website serves as a powerful tool for connection, information, and advancement in the association’s mission.
Through our various projects with associations and membership organizations such as the American Library Association, the International Documentary Association, the Motivational Interviewing Networking or Trainers, and more, Urban Insight has developed a deep understanding of the value of serving content to multiple unique users of your website, and we bring our industry expertise to every association project along with an eagerness to learn more about the needs of your specific audiences.
Reach out to learn how our expertise in association website design and development can help you engage members and attract new ones.
