The Parke at Ocean Pines Communications Advisory Committee Website Review Sub-Committee Final Report

Transcription

1 The Parke at Ocean Pines Communications Advisory Committee Website Review Sub-Committee Final Report Prepared and Submitted by: Dee Asendorf Mary Ellen Clark July 6, 2018

2 Table of Contents I. Executive Summary and Priority of Recommendations II. Background and Approach III. Efficiency IV. Effectiveness V. Recommended next steps Appendices I. Survey Results II. Google Analytics Results III. Focus Group Summary IV. Original Framework and Project Plan

3 I. Executive Summary and Priority of Recommendations Following a review of the Parke website, analyzing survey and focus group results, the below set of recommendations have been created. The website tries to serve two separate audiences the outside public for marketing the Parke and to disseminate information to/from/between Parke members/residents. This project focused on the website and its efficiency and effectiveness in communications to/from/between Parke members/residents and not to the outside public. Overall, Parke members/residents make use of the website but have some difficulty finding high value areas. This can be remedied by some minor improvements to navigation and page layout. The Resident Directory is the area most valued and most in need of work, especially in light of the fact that the hardcopy directory is no longer updated and distributed. HIGH PRIORITY 1. Improve the Resident Directory by consolidating street and alpha listings 2. Create Shorts Cuts from the Home Page to the most used sections 3. Improve the photo submission process and the organization of photos on the website 4. Create separate entry pages for Parke members/residents and for prospective buyers MEDIUM PRIORITY 1. Streamline the search function and enable searches within sections, such as Governance documents 2. Create deletion/archive policies and procedures for each section of the website 3. Regularly encourage Parke members/residents to visit the website for new content including the Forum through the Parke Bench and s 4. Improve and synchronize the announcement process 5. Pilot the use of the website for activity sign up with the Program Committee 6. Improve Calendar Visibility 7. Create a place for Homeowner to view tasks and upcoming events in one place

4 II. Background and Approach The current Parke website is the third iteration of an online presence for this community in its 20 year history. Over the years, many Parke members worked to create the original website and subsequent revisions over the past several years. The most recent and current website has been in use for approximately one year. Under the leadership of then Communications Advisory Committee (CAC) Chair Jim Angstadt, Mary Ellen Clark and Dee Asendorf were asked to form a sub team and work together to conduct a brief review of the current Parke website. The scope of this review was to include a website survey to members and residents based on the most recent website survey, the 2015 website survey conducted by this committee. The charge to the sub team was as follows: 1) Evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of current website and identify opportunities for improvement to ensure that the HOA is spending money in the right place 2) Present Initial plan to CAC on March 7 th including method and timeline 3) Present Status Reports at Communications Committee meetings Dee and Mary Ellen created the initial framework and plan (see Appendix IV) and presented it to the CAC at the March 7 th meeting. It was approved and work was begun according to the plan. Two deviations from the plan were made and noted in the plan. Due to changes in the leadership and membership of the committee, the strategic matrix discussion was not held and will be revisited separately by the entire committee. It was also decided that the technology feasibility review will be done as a separate effort following the issuance of this report. The committee discussed with the committee and agreed to the following terminology - Effectiveness: (doing the right thing) Does the website provide the information that the members/residents want? Efficiency: (doing things right) Are members/residents able to access the information they want easily and is the website content easy to maintain by the staff? Dee and Mary Ellen reviewed prior website reviews including task force and CAC reports. Input from the staff was also included from discussions at committee meetings and in a separate meeting with the General Manager, Kristi Clarke. The following recommendations are based on input from Parke members/residents through data collection (Survey and website statistics) and discussions at the two open meeting focus group sessions. 141 survey responses were received to the survey and the two focus group sessions were attended by 35 members. The committee limited the scope of this review to review of website information flow between members/residents and the Parke Home Owners Association. Therefore, this review did not including content intended to market the Parke to prospective buyers, although some suggestions were made for potential changes for this audience from survey comments and in the focus group sessions. The scope of

5 the project also was limited to website recommendations that would be consistent with current technology utilized (WordPress) and not concerned with changing underlying technology. In reviewing the website and creating these recommendations, generally accepted website design principles were considered. Reduce scrolling and number of clicks to get to most used information Ensure font size and typeface is readable on various devices including phones and tablets Keep website information and links fresh Enable content update and deletion of information Ensure that loading and wait time is reasonable The output for this project is this report with recommendations for revisions and next steps as per the outline and plan agreed at the March 7 th Communications Advisory Committee meeting. Thanks are due to the Parke Staff, including Kristi Clarke, Vicki Magin and Barbara Cordrey for their patience, support and help in developing and distributing the survey, developing communications and website presence for our project, as well as setting up and running the two open focus group sessions. Thanks are also due to Michael Castoro for handling the A/V for the two focus group sessions. In addition, thanks go out to the 2018 Communications Advisory Committee, current and past for their input and support of this project and facilitation assistance at our two open focus group sessions including current members Karin and Bud Benton, Gene Edge, Steve Habeger, Peg Robinson as well as past members Jim Angstadt and Tom Weber. And finally, thanks are due to the many Parke members who had input to and created the current and past iterations of the website. Under their leadership a strong foundation was built and valuable lessons learned. The current and future websites certainly have benefitted from this foundation. Additionally, thanks to those Parke members who responded to our survey and gave honest answers and comments as well as those who were gracious enough to come to give us two hours of their time at our open focus group sessions to share their thoughts and suggestions.

6 III. Efficiency Efficiency is defined as doing things right. Are members/ residents able to access the information they want easily and is the website content easy to maintain by the staff? Originally, the plan included a review of the currently used technology (WordPress) to identify features and limitations. This work is deferred to a future sub team effort to follow this project. The committee is fortunate to have two technically proficient members, Gene Edge and Bud Benton who will take on this work. They will look at the recommendations in this report and develop a feasibility analysis of how these recommendations might be implemented on the current WordPress platform. Review of Navigation for Members/Residents Website Survey - How often do you visit the Parke website? 5% Daily 15% Several Times a Week 64% Occasionally 14% Hardly Ever The above chart shows how often survey respondents access the Parke website. 82% of respondents are satisfied with the ease of navigation about the site and 94% are satisfied with the response time when loading or moving to another section. These answers are encouraging in light of the fact that respondents utilize 6 different browsers and 7 different device types! This makes the creation of good navigation and consistent views for the potential of numerous combinations of browsers and devices quite complex. This complexity has increased since the last survey in In 2018, 50% of respondents

7 access the Parke website on their smart phones, 41% on tablets or e-readers, 45% on laptops. Increasingly Parke members are visiting the website on their phones, tablets AND home computers. Only 77% of respondents are satisfied with the ease of finding information on the site and focus group discussions demonstrated that it often difficult to find the most important information on the website. Therefore, navigation to find the most requested information became the focus of our analysis. Website Survey How Satisfied Are You with? 77% Ease of Finding Information 94% Response Time 82% Navigation In discussion with staff, the content update processes are fairly straightforward from a mechanics point of view. Wordpress makes it simple to load content changes quickly and easily. Where there is room for improvement from a process standpoint is in assigning accountability to committee and Parke members to review the various website pages and update content on each page. There is a plethora of outdated information which often creates a cluttered appearance and makes searching for information difficult to wade through. In particular the Governance Documents, Photos and Directory were cited as not up to date and containing old information.

8 Recommendations for navigation and process improvement efficiency: Overhaul and Synchronize the Resident Directories The Directory is cited as the most important and most used aspect of the website. However there are two listing, one by street from public county documents which is out of date and out of sync with the alphabetical listing of residents which is searchable. Users need to scroll down the page to get to the directory. Create one database of resident supplied information which is searchable and printable both from a street, and alphabetical perspective. Combine the public listing and the member supplied information into one database. Create an annual process whereby members are notified to review and update their personal information and the public county listing is reviewed and updated into the same database. Create an annual process to review and update the CRR and Block Captain listings. Create a shortcut to the directory from the home page and on the directory landing page Separate out the CRR and Block Captain Listings and put them below the resident directory. Create Shorts Cuts from the Home Page to the most used sections The most frequently used and most important parts of the website are hidden several clicks below the main page. Keep the menus across the top and create a bar down the side of the homepage for shortcuts to the directory, activity listing, the forum, the Parke Bench and important notices. Create separate entry pages for Parke members/residents and for prospective buyers The current website is trying to serve two audiences the members/residents and marketing to prospective buyers. Create a separate homepage and entrance to the website content for each audience in order to have homepage information that is relevant to each audience. Streamline the search function The general search function returns numerous results from the entire website. There is need for a sub-search. For example, one just for the governance documents to speed up the search process. Ensure that all documents posted are searchable. Create deletion and archive policies and procedures Create a deletion and archive policy and procedure to keep the content fresh and searchable, but with the ability to retrieve older documents when needed. Regularly encourage Parke members/residents to visit the website for new content Hold training sessions when new changes are made or new features added. Publicize various sections in the Parke Bench. Coordinate content with the Parke Bench. Have the Parke Bench contain links to content in the website to stimulate usage.

9 Improve and synchronize announcements - Important announcements should be ed and linked to the website. s should be limited in length to no more than a few lines. The full announcements can be read from the website, or attached documents. Create a deletion and archive policy for announcements on the website to keep content fresh.

10 IV. Effectiveness Effectiveness is defined as doing the right thing. Does the website provide the information that the members/residents want? The most utilized content areas of the website are the following: Resident Directory, Calendar, Announcements, Access to Documents, the Forum, the Parke Bench and Photos in that order according to the survey and focus group discussions. There was not consensus or critical mass for any particular additional content. Most discussed new features included improved search functionality in order to find current content and ensuring that content remains up to date. Recommendations for changes to website to improve effectiveness: Develop a process to allow Members to update their information in the Resident Directory regularly and to print out directories As recommended above in the efficiency section, make improvements to the Resident Directory to create one database that is reviewed and updated by members and staff on an annual basis to keep the content fresh. Include the ability for members/residents to print out street and alpha listings if desired to replace the hardcopy directory which is no longer published. Pilot the use of the website for activity sign up with the Program Committee Pilot the ability to sign up online for Parke Activities that do not require payment. Work with the Program Committee to develop feasibility and review results of the pilot before committing to expanding to include online payments. Improve the photo submission process and the organization of photos on the website There is no clear ownership of the photos create a photo czar to organize and stimulate photo submissions. Photos should include photographer credit, captions, description of the event and people s names where relevant. Old photos should be archived in a separate area. The photos on the home page are too large and force users to scroll down the page. Encourage Forum Usage - The forum is used when topics are relevant. Coordinate with the Parke Bench to entice and invite members to go to the Forum and post their experiences and search for information. Create a shortcut from the home page for members to get to the forum quickly. There are too many clicks to find the forum currently. Improve Calendar Visibility - The graying out of days prior to the current date on the calendar is difficult for many to view. Investigate a darker color and a better way to indicate the current date. Create a Homeowners Task List Create a quick reference for owners of tasks needing to be done as well as upcoming events.

11 V. Recommended next steps The immediate next steps are: 1. The Communications Advisory Committee to approve these recommendations 2. Present Report and Recommendations to the Board of Directors 3. Publish the survey results and report output to the Parke membership via the Parke Bench and the website 4. Charge a new technical sub team to develop feasibility and a plan to implement the recommendations Some potential technology-based projects include: 1. Review and overhaul the Resident Directory into one 2. Make simple fixes of additional high priority projects within the current technology. 3. Review Wordpress underlying technology and the possibility of a change based on the results of the technology feasibility study and if high priority projects are not able to be done. 4. Create a separate home page entrance for content aimed at marketing to potential buyers Process and Organizational Projects for the Communications Committee include: 1. Strategic look at overall Communications to/from and between members/residents to determine relevant content and appropriate communications vehicles for that content 2. Review and assign content ownership to keep content fresh 3. Assign a photo czar to organize and encourage photo submissions

12 APPENDIX I WEBSITE SURVEY RESULTS (separate 38 page pdf file)

13 APPENDIX II GOOGLE ANALYTICS (separate pdf files)

14 APPENDIX III FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY Two focus groups were held on the afternoon of June 4 th and the morning of June 5 th in the Great Hall of the Clubhouse. All members were invited to attend and no RSVP was required. Over the course of the two days, 35 members attended and lively discussions were held. The website was projected on the large screen so that discussions could center on navigation and the various web pages in real time. The agenda for the two sessions were identical. Communications Advisory Committee members were seated at each table to facilitate small group discussions at the table and take notes on the comments from the participants. After the welcome from CAC Chair Steve Habeger, Dee Asendorf gave a brief history of the various websites and thanked Parke members who had created the strong foundation for today s website. Mary Ellen Clark gave a summary of the survey results. Introductions were made and small table discussions were held around the topic of what the participants go to the Parke website to find most often and how easy it is to find it. Then the entire group reviewed all sections of the website and provided comments and suggestions for each page. These suggestions and ideas are incorporated into the recommendations into this report.

15 Appendix IV WEBSITE REVIEW FRAMEWORK AND PROJECT PLAN Sub-Committee: Mary Ellen Clark and Dee Asendorf Charge to Sub Committee Final Updated 06/25/2018 4) Evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of current website and identify opportunities for improvement to ensure that the HOA is spending money in the right place 5) Present Initial plan to CAC on March 7 th including method and timeline 6) Present Status Reports at Communications Committee meetings Common Terms: Effectiveness: (doing the right thing) Does the website provide the information that the members/ residents want? Efficiency: (doing things right) Are members/residents able to access the information they want easily and is the website content easy to maintain by the staff? Approach Review prior website task force and CAC reports and recommendations, input from staff and consultant Base recommendations on input from Parke members/residents through data collection (Survey and website statistics) and through open meeting focus group sessions to gain further insights from discussions Scope Information to be on the website determined by Communications Matrix, limited to information to/from Members/residents (not including marketing to prospective buyers for this project) Website recommendations will be consistent with current technology utilized (WordPress) (not changing underlying technology for this project) Output for this project is a report with recommendations for revisions and next steps Website Design Principles Reduce scrolling and number of clicks to get to most used information Ensure font size and typeface is readable on various device types (including phones, tablets) Keep website information and links fresh - Enable content update and deletion of information Ensure that loading and wait time is reasonable

16 Project Plan updated 6/25/2018 Task Date Who Status Comments Develop plan and timeline Feb 12 MEC/DA completed Present plan and timeline to CAC March 7 CAC completed Identify scope of Website from Communications Matrix MEC/DA/SH/ GE Review update process March 12 MEC/DA/KC completed Review technology and update with consultant MEC/DA/KC and consultant Gather Input through Survey May 10 - May 25 Gather Input through Open June 4 Meeting/Focus Group sessions June 5 Review Homepage and Explore the Parke Committees, Map, Plats, Floor Plans and Links Review Search the Parke Governing Documents, Resident Directory, Board of Directors, HOA, Financials, HOA Forms Review Parke Activities - Calendar, Sign Up Form, Massage, Fitness Class Descriptions Review The Parke Lifestyle Announcements, Parke Bench, Forum, FAQ s, Photos Develop Recommendations and final report based on input and reviews June 5 July 6 June 5 July 6 June 5 July 6 June 5 July 6 June 5 July 6 Separate project to be done by the whole committee Need to set date following recommendations for the next phase of project GE/BB coordinated by KC JA completed Board approved 4/24 MEC/DA completed Sessions held June 4 th 2:30 PM and June 5 10:30 12 DA/MEC DA/MEC DA/MEC DA/MEC DA/MEC completed completed completed completed Completed Present Final Report to CAC July 12th DA/MEC Completed Sent to committee by July 6 th CAC to Present to Board of Directors July 25 th? Dependent on outcome of meeting Legend: MEC Mary Ellen Clark, DA Dee Asendorf, KC - Kristi Clarke, SH- Steve Habeger, GE Gene Edge, JA Jim Angstadt, VM Vicki Magin, BB = Bud Benton