2013 STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARD SUBMITTAL RAISING THE BAR

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1 2013 STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARD SUBMITTAL RAISING THE BAR SMPS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter May 3, 2013

3 OBJECTIVE In 2012, the SMPS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (SFBAC) re-launched their website ( to better serve the needs of its members. The Chapter s key objectives for improving the website were to: Create an easy to navigate/visually appealing layout Increase awareness of chapter events Connect members to social media channels RESEARCH, PLANNING, AND IMPLEMENTATION The SFBAC Communication Committee s approach to redesigning the website was to create a site that made the user s interaction as simple and efficient as possible. The Committee conducted a page-by-page website audit to determine how well the website was meeting the needs of chapter members. The data and feedback from the audit revealed several things: 1. The look was outdated 2. The home page was static and did not invite interaction with members 3. Navigation to information was not intuitive 4. There were too many pages 5. There was too much text and not enough white space 6. The home page did not effectively promote/highlight chapter events 7. There were no links to social media channels or RSS feeds 8. Some links did not work Since the re-launch of the new website SFBAC has implemented the following changes to meet their goals: 1. Updated layout to a more organized, intuitive design 2. Edited text, created more white space, added icons 3. Added a rotating image slider on the home page to promote chapter events 4. Created targeted graphics for homepage image slider 5. Deleted/consolidated pages 6. Added links to social media channels 7. Added RSS feeds to home page 8. Created multiple ways to find information 9. Fixed broken links Usability The website audit revealed that the previous site had too many pages, some with redundant information, lacked intuitive organization, and was outdated. This created a cluttered website and a confusing experience for the user. The SFBAC s first priority was to simplify the site s design so that chapter members could easily navigate through the site. The new website layout is reorganized so that each element is easily identifiable. Pages are designed topdown so that users can effortlessly find different sections without having to scroll down the page. The background color was changed from blue to white to create a cleaner backdrop for content. On the home page, icons linking to social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) and MySMPS (member s only materials) were added to the top of the page. The main image remains centered prominently towards the top, but is no longer a static stock photo. Instead, the image slider rotates through photography of recent chapter events, graphics promoting upcoming programs and events. Users can also click on the slider images to register for events. Below the slider, the page is divided into three columns. This layout is more organized and allows for more elements to be included on the page without feeling cluttered. Sponsor logos, a mailing list sign-up icon and list of events are shown in the first column. RSS feeds and job postings are shown in the remaining two columns. Having RSS feeds on the home page encourages more interaction with chapter members; members can easily like or respond to the chapter s social media channels directly from the home page. Site Navigation Part of the SFBAC s goals for creating a userfriendly website was to offer multiple ways for users to find information. For example, the SMPS logo at the top of every page can be clicked on to return back to the home page. Event information can be accessed from the home page three ways: by clicking on the slider image promoting the event, clicking on the events list, or by clicking on the event drop down menu and selecting the calendar. The calendar also offers multiple ways to view/ access information. For clarity, events shown on the calendar are color coded by type of event Educational, Social, CHAT, Special Program, Partner Event and can be searched by any of these categories. Users can now view events on the calendar by month or week by clicking the backward or forward arrows at the top of the page. Users can also click on links to view a map of the event location or register for events. There are also several ways to find job postings. Job opportunities can be found under the jobs drop down menu or as a list on the home page SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS 1

Consolidation It was determined that the much of the information from the previous website was either redundant or unnecessary. The website was consolidated from 28 pages to 18 pages.

The tab combines both sponsor information and sponsorship opportunities under one tab. Sponsors are now listed under their respective sponsorship levels in alphabetical order.

The Sponsorship Opportunity page includes links to sponsorship information packages and contact person s email addresses.

A Members Services menu was created to consolidate all member information in one area.

Co-Directors) and Membership Resources (link to MySMPS).

The old web site s interface for members-only material was very clunky and required members to sign in with different credentials; because of this, it went largely unused.

4 Consolidation It was determined that the much of the information from the previous website was either redundant or unnecessary. The website was consolidated from 28 pages to 18 pages. The content of each page was edited to be more succinct and leave more white space for ease of reading. The Sponsors tab is one example where information was consolidated and organized. The tab combines both sponsor information and sponsorship opportunities under one tab. Sponsors are now listed under their respective sponsorship levels in alphabetical order. All company descriptions are limited to one 100-word paragraph for consistency in look. Users can click on the sponsors logos to be taken to the firm s webpage. The Sponsorship Opportunity page includes links to sponsorship information packages and contact person s addresses. The previous Member Login page was confusing and underwhelming and included unnecessary pages in the drop down menu. A Members Services menu was created to consolidate all member information in one area. The pages in the drop down menu include: Why Join, (list of reasons to join, mailing list form) Join/Renew (link to join, application), Membership Inquiries (contact information for Membership Co-Directors) and Membership Resources (link to MySMPS). When the SFBAC moved forward with the upgrade to the Chapter website, it was decided that MySMPS would be an excellent resource tool for back-end storage of multiple members-only materials. The old web site s interface for members-only material was very clunky and required members to sign in with different credentials; because of this, it went largely unused. So that members could easily access all member-only information, MySMPS now stores valuable member resources such as the Salary Survey, Shortlist and Member Directory in an easily accessible place that is reached by simply clicking on the MySMPS icon on the home page. Accomplishments Since re-launching the website to a more simplified and user-friendly layout analytics show that views have increased 14% and the average visit duration has increased 32%. A correlation can be made between the upgrade in usability of the site and the increase in traffic and amount of time spent on the site, i.e. users are easily finding useful information that keeps them on the site longer. Typically, websites that are difficult to navigate are less likely to have return users and results in higher bounce rates. Since our re-launch we have seen an 11% decrease in bounce rates. The ability to promote events directly on the website utilizing specifically targeted graphics on the home page and cross promoting on multiple social media channels has resulted in increased awareness of chapter events consequently, the Chapter has seen an increase in member attendance with events quickly selling out. We are successfully connecting members to our social media channels with the addition of RSS feeds and icons on the home page that link to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Visits via social referral have increased 267% with 766 referrals since March of 2012 to March of 2013 versus 209 referrals from March of 2011 to March of EXPENDITURES The annual budget and actual expenditures to date for the website are $xx,xxx.xx. FREQUENCY OF WEB SITE UPDATES The SFBAC Website Affiliate updates the website on a weekly basis, sometimes several times a day. Content updates include additions/deletions of executive board members, committee members, new sponsor logos and descriptions. Updates to calendar events (descriptions, time, date, speakers, registration information) are the most frequently updated. The image slider is updated almost weekly with promotional graphics, photography of recent events/noteworthy events, including the SMPS President Chapter of the Year Award, incoming board members and charity events. 32% Increase in average length of time users spend on site. 267% Increase in Social referrals SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS

5 Former web site - home page New web site - home page 2013 SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS 3

6 About Page SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS

7 Executive Board Page 2013 SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS 5

8 Community Involvement Page SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS

9 Calendar Event Information 2013 SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS 7

10 Special Programs Page SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS

11 Why Join Page 2013 SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS 9

12 Sponsors Page SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS

13 Job Opportunities Page 2013 SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS 11

14 Blog SMPS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS

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