Crafting an Effective User Experience

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Defining Service Excellence in the Digital
AgeDigitalNow 2006Orlando, FloridaApril 21,
2006
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Panel
Rick Johnston, CAE Senior Web Strategist
Association Practice Lead Ironworks
Consulting Amy Parker Strategy and Development
Director Virginia Society of CPAs Rob
Birgfeld Director, Online Marketing
Communications National Restaurant Association
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Ironworks Association Practice

• Web site usability
• Content taxonomy
• Online community
• E-communications
• Meetings registration
• Exhibits management
• Membership
• Online publications
• Media resources
• Member staff directories
• Interactive media
• E-commerce
• Foundation fund-raising

Enterprise Content Management
Application Development
Web Design
Strategy
Application Management
Enterprise Portal
Business Intelligence
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Association Clients

• American Cancer Society
• American Institute of Architects
• National Association of Convenience Stores
• American Institute of Aeronautics and
  Astronautics
• International Mission Board
• American Heart Association
• Smithsonian Institution
• American College of Physicians
• Clearpoint Financial Counseling
• American Health Care Association
• Edison Electric Institute
• 92nd St Y
• Christian Childrens Fund
• Carnegie Hall

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Defining Service Excellence in the Digital Age

• Understanding the needs of your
  associations constituents relative to your
  mission and exceeding their expectations.

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The Business of Associations

• Providing authoritative information resources and
  education
• Facilitating knowledge exchange among our
  constituents
• Advocating for ideals supported by our
  constituents

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The Business of Associations

• Providing authoritative information resources and
  education
• Publishing
• Educational programs
• Facilitating knowledge exchange among our
  constituents
• Meetings
• Advocating for ideals supported by our
  constituents
• Raising money to support causes
• Organizing grassroots campaigns

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So what has changed in the Digital Age?

• For many associations, the Web has become the
  most important channel to consistently and
  effectively engage their constituents
• Some current trends to consider
• Segmenting audiences to better meet their needs
• Online Community (blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc.)
• Pushing out content (customized e-newsletters,
  RSS feeds)
• eKnowledge initiatives
• Integrating applications and data through portals
• Business Intelligence (decision dashboards)
• Distance Learning
• Mobile Computing

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Segmenting audiences to better meet their needs

• An alternative to personalization and
  customization that is easier to implement and
  potentially more effective
• Segment key audiences who will appreciate your
  better serving their unique needs
• Consider mini-sites with their own navigation,
  highlighted content, and targeted promotions
• Your suggestions and experiences

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Building online communities

• Takes more than just building the capability
• Dont count on enthusiasm from the masses in the
  beginning
• Consider as an add-on to a meeting, grassroots
  advocacy effort, education program or special
  event
• The pros and cons of
• Listservs
• Message Boards
• Live Online Events
• Blogs
• Wikis
• Your suggestions and experiences

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Pushing out content

• Fewer and better email communications
• Consider generating customized versions based on
  segments or user-selected interests
• Allow constituents to subscribe to content
  updates via RSS
• Your suggestions and experiences

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eKnowledge initiatives

• Moving from information-based resources to
  knowledge-based resources
• Most of the knowledge that exists on any given
  topic is still in peoples heads give your
  constituents the opportunity to share what they
  know
• Include access to outside knowledge resources
  dont think that your organization is the only
  source of credible information
• Recognize knowledge contributions on the Web so
  they achieve a similar status to presenting at a
  meeting
• Your suggestions and experiences

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eKnowledge Initiatives
Knowledge Management
Intellectual assets linked to strategic direction
Information Management
Subject-matter experts
Tacit knowledge and insight
Policies, guidelines, authoritative sources
Collaborative environment and culture
Physical data stores
Extended to members and partners
Efficient information access
Source Gartner Group
Better
Good
Expertise
Insight
Explicit Information
Tacit Knowledge
Context
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Integrating applications and information through
portals

• Portals can provide an easy-to-maintain,
  collaborative environment for groups of people to
  access and contribute knowledge
• Often used for Intranets and Extranets
• Can be customized by the organization and/or the
  end user
• Include directories, community tools, polls,
  mini-applications (portlets), and links to others
  resources (such as RSS feeds)
• Microsofts SharePoint and BEAs Plumtree portal
  are two examples
• Your suggestions and experiences

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Business Intellegence

• Much of the data we collect is never used to make
  decisions
• It may reside in non-integrated applications
• There may be no easy way to analyze the data in
  ways that would be meaningful to decision-makers
• When reports are prepared, they may not be
  current enough to make critical decisions
• You may be measuring the wrong things
• In the social sectors, money is only an input,
  and not a measure of success. Jim Collins
• Lead versus lag measures
• Balanced Scorecard and Digital Dashboards
• Your suggestions and experiences

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Distance Learning

• The cost of travel continues to be a barrier to
  accessing traditional classroom education
• Developing good eLearning programs can also be
  expensive but the potential reach is much
  greater, especially for a national audience
• Some resources may already exist as meeting
  summaries, audiotapes, or CD-ROMs could they be
  offered as podcasts as well?
• Your suggestions and experiences

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So what has changed in the Digital Age?

• Mobile computing is here to stay
• Podcasts are becoming popular
• The impact of the Long Tail concept
• Fund-raising on the Web is becoming more
  sophisticated and effective
• Chapter support can be enhanced
• Embrace innovation and surprise your constituents
  by exceeding their expectations
• Your suggestions and experiences

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Contact Information

• Rick Johnston, CAE
• Ironworks Consulting, LLC
• rjohnston_at_ironworks.com
• Blog www.rjohnston.org
• Amy Parker
• Virginia Society of CPAs
• aparker_at_vscpa.com
• Rob Birgfeld
• National Restaurant Association
• rbirgfeld_at_dineout.org