Session Length: 50 Minutes s4

WEBSITE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY SESSION #2012 NATIONAL ORDER OF THE ARROW CONFERENCE

SESSION LENGTH: 50 Minutes LEARNING OBJECTIVES: . Identify the target audience. . Understand factors contributing to a positive user experience. . Understand the importance of branding and consistency of message across platforms. . Plan for timely updates and continuity. . Understand the technical challenges associated with maintaining a website. . Be aware of the policies and guidelines of the BSA relative to Web communications. . Begin developing a strategy for their lodge website.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: . Flipchart or white board & markers . Power Point presentation file & projector . Lodge Website Guidelines – 1 copy per participant . Unit Website Guidelines – 1 copy per participant . Council Website Guidelines – 1 copy per participant . Resources – 1 copy per participant . Website Strategy Planning Tool – 1 copy per participant

TRAINER PREPARATION

This session is intended to guide participants through the process of planning a new website or evaluating an existing website. It is oriented toward strategic planning, rather than a technical discussion of how to build a website. It presents a series of discussion points leading to specific questions which participants will answer using the Website Strategy Planning Tool.

Participants from the same lodge should sit together so that they may collaborate on a strategy for their lodge.

The accompanying PowerPoint presentation includes samples of websites that illustrate the key learning points. Presenters may wish to substitute their own examples.

SESSION NARRATIVE

INTRODUCTION: 5 MINUTES

Introduce the presenters

[Assess the audience. By a show of hands answer the following questions:] . How many participants are currently responsible for, or involved with, their lodge website?

Order of the Arrow Page 1 of 14 Boy Scouts of America 2012 National Order of the Arrow Conference Session #: Website Communication Strategy

. How many lodges are working on re-imagining/redesigning their website? . How many feel their existing website is effective? Not effective? . How many lodges don’t currently maintain a website?

[Adjust the remainder of the presentation to address the needs of the audience as defined by this poll.]

According to the International Telecommunications Union (www.itu.int), the United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, in 2010 74% of Americans were Internet users. An April 2012 Pew Research Center study showed that percentage to be 94-95% among people ages 12-29. In June of 2012 approximately 50% of Americans were Facebook users. In 2012 if an organization is not making effective use of the Internet they are missing out on a critical method of communication with their members.

Developing and managing a website for your lodge can be complicated and time-consuming. It is important to start with a clear plan. The objective of this session is to help you develop this plan. We are going to give you four key questions to answer. At the end of this session your answers to these questions will become the framework for your lodge’s website strategy.

[Distribute Website Strategy Planning Tool worksheet]

Advance PPT Slide “LEARNING OBJECTIVES”

[Review learning objectives]

QUESTION #1: WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? 5 MINUTES

Advance PPT Slide “QUESTION #1”

The first thing to think about when planning your website is who the audience will be.

Who do you think might be part of your potential audience?

[Allow participants to answer]

The audience for your website may include: veteran lodge members, new lodge members, parents, non- members, or troop leaders. These groups may have very different needs.

What kinds of things might these different groups be looking for in your website?

[Allow participants to answer]

Advance PPT Slide “KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE”

Veteran lodge members may be interested in upcoming events, service projects, or how to become a lodge leader. New members and parents may want to know what the Order of the Arrow is all about. Troop leaders may be looking for information about how to schedule a unit election.

The first step in developing your website strategy is to identify which of these groups will be your primary audience, and which needs of these groups you will try to address. This will help define the scope of your website.

You may want to addresses other audiences to a lesser degree, but be careful about trying to be all things for all people. That often results in a site that is cluttered and difficult to navigate.

A Question 1 on your planning tool: Who is the target audience for your website?

QUESTION 2: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ORGANIZE AND DELIVER THE CONTENT? 10 MINUTES

Have you ever visited a website that you found frustrating or difficult to use?

The user experience is critical to the effectiveness of your website. We are going to talk about two major components of the user experience; how information is organized, and how information is presented. Keeping these factors in mind will help you deliver a positive user experience.

Once you have identified your target audience, and tried to anticipate their needs, the next step is to ask “What information will they be looking for?” What will they consider to be most important? That will help drive the organization of your site.

Advance PPT Slide “ORGANIZATION & NAVIGATION”

A site that is well organized and well designed will deliver information effectively and satisfy the users. A poorly organized site that is difficult to navigate will frustrate users. At best it be less effective, at worst, it will drive users away. What information are you going to present? How are you going to organize it? What information is most important to your target audience?

What are some possibilities for major organizational units of your site?

[Allow participants to answer.]

Sites may be organized by subject, audience, committee, or by district/chapter. There may be other organizational schemes that make sense for your site.

There is no one single, right way to organize your site. The important thing is that whatever organization you use meets the needs of your audience. Categorize information and make use of menus and other navigation tools to navigate the site.

Advance PPT Slide “GOOD ORGANIZATION”

[Discuss sample websites]

Unami Lodge – Icons near the top of the homepage anticipate what key audience members are likely to be looking for.

Advance PPT Slide “ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT”

Kola Lodge – No menus or organizational tools. Everything is on one long page.

Answer Question 2 on your planning tool: What are the major organizational units for your website?

How you display your information goes hand-in-hand with how your organize it.

Advance PPT Slide “DESIGN & LAYOUT”

Design and page layout are important. It is very easy to do too much on one page. Keep it simple. Make it readable. Avoid excessive scrolling. If a page is longer than two screens deep, users are likely to lose interest before they get to the bottom. At the same time beware of burying information under too many clicks. If it takes the user too long to find what they’re looking for the site will be seen as difficult to navigate.

Keep the most important information near the top of the screen, or otherwise easily accessible. Be careful of links that take users away from your site. Open links to third-party sites in a new window so your users don’t “get lost.”

Advance PPT Slide “GOOD DESIGN”

Shawnee Lodge – Timely info near the top. Good use of “bumpers” / “teasers”, short introductory paragraphs that encourage the user to click through for more information.

Wahunsenakah Lodge – Some links lead to third-party pages with no way to get back to the lodge site.

Advance PPT Slide “GRAPHICS & MULTIMEDIA”

Graphics and multi-media can enhance your site, but they can also be distracting. Don’t overdo it. Be careful of relying on graphics to navigate the site, users with slow connections, or mobile devices may disable graphics. Consider where your users might be when they are viewing your page. Videos with sound, music, or other sound effects may be distracting if viewed in a school, library, or office environment.

Avoid using copyrighted graphics, music, sound, or video without permission. Copyright infringement is a crime, and a Scout is trustworthy. Non-profits are not exempt from copyright law, and fines can be a serious financial burden for your lodge and council. Use free multi-media that includes a creative commons license, or that you have legitimately paid for.

Advance PPT Slide “GOOD USE OF MULTIMEDIA”

Occoneechee Lodge – Graphics make the site visually interesting, without being distracting. Without the graphics the site is still usable.

Papago Lodge – Without the graphics the site is almost unusable.

Spelling and grammar count. Obvious spelling errors suggest to your users a lack of quality and professionalism.

QUESTION 3: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAINTAIN THE CONTENT? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? 10 MINUTES

You have identified your target audience. You have spent time organizing your information and thinking about how you’re going to deliver it. The next critical piece of the puzzle is determining who will be responsible for setting up and maintaining your site.

Advance PPT Slide “USE YOUR RESOURCES”

There are dozens of tools available for creating and maintaining the content of your website. We don’t have time in this session to discuss the technical details of all the available options. One of the great things about Scouting is that we have access to a huge wealth of resources within our membership. Seek out the youth and adults in your lodge with the knowledge of the available software and the technical expertise necessary to help you make your website effective.

Advance PPT Slide “KEEP IT SIMPLE”

BSA policy requires that council websites be under the direct control of the council, and hosted on an offsite server. There are numerous free or low-cost hosting services available that are friendly to non- profit organizations.

Establish an easy to remember address or URL for your site, something like www.mylodge.org or mylodge.mycouncil.org, for example. Unique URLs are easy to communicate and include in emails, and printed materials.

Use existing tools, rather than try and reinvent the wheel. We want to be in the business of delivering timely, accurate content, not writing software. Make sure the people responsible for your site understand this.

Use a content management system (CMS). There are several free options available. Wordpress, Joomla, and Drupal are the three most popular. CMS are flexible, scalable, allow access control, and make routine updates quick, and easy.

Free services such as Google Apps can be used to create customized, branded email addresses, calendars, and document storage.

Establish processes which will keep your website located in the same place for multiple years to come. Moving sites, transferring domain names, and changing ownership is complicated, and may make it more difficult for search services such as Google to find your site.

Your local council may already have server space and bandwidth available to host your lodge site. Identify the people responsible for maintaining your council’s site and work with them, if possible.

Answer Question 3.1: Where will your site be hosted? Are you using a CMS?

Advance PPT Slide “KEEP IT ACCESSIBLE”

Establishing a website and convincing people to use it is a labor and time-intensive project. Over time, youth, volunteers, and staff come and go. You must establish a process to ensure that access to, and maintenance of the website is continued after the current volunteers and youth move on. Don’t create anything overly technical or complicated that may confuse future editors and maintainers of the website. Use industry standard conventions and programs when possible.

Maintain a list of documentation, including usernames and passwords, reasons why things were done, and notes about the site. Keep this with the website adviser, council communications chair, and Scout Executive. Update it regularly.

Accessibility extends to your users as well. Plan major updates and anything that will take the site offline, for times when usage is likely to be low. Present users with a message letting them know the site is unavailable and will be back shortly.

Test your site on all major browsers, and mobile devices.

Answer Question 3.2: How will you ensure continuity of service?

Advance PPT Slide “KEEP IT CURRENT”

Websites are only effective if their content is kept current, accurate, and relevant. Who is going to maintain the site, youth or adults? We want to empower youth leaders, but you will need to establish a policy to ensure that content quality is monitored and maintained. Some CMS plugins allow for workflows based on user account permissions. Others will allow emails to be sent automatically when content is updated.

How often are you going to make updates?

Answer Question 3.3: Who will maintain the content? How often will you make updates?

Advance PPT Slide “KEEP IT SAFE”

Youth protection is a primary concern. The BSA and the Order of the Arrow have established guidelines for Scouting websites. These guidelines exist to protect our members, and the BSA’s image.

[Distribute copies of website guidelines in Appendix A, B, & C]

Don’t post contact information or full names for youth. The common convention is to use the first name or first name and last initial for youth. Never post addresses, phone numbers or personal email addresses of youth members.

Use branded email forwarders ([email protected]), which can be copied to adults. This empowers the youth by making them the point of contact for the lodge, but also allows adults to monitor and deal

Order of the Arrow Page 7 of 14 Boy Scouts of America 2012 National Order of the Arrow Conference Session #: Website Communication Strategy with any inappropriate contact. It also provides consistent addresses even when youth officers or adult advisers change.

Utilize web forms, rather than email to collect information for items such as unit election requests, or camping promotion visits. Form results can be copied to numerous recipients ensuring that information doesn’t get lost in a personal mailbox.

Beware of “comment” features that allow outside parties to post remarks. Comments may not always be appropriate, and this can be difficult, and time-consuming to monitor.

The power of the Internet is in its ability to quickly connect information between different sites. We must be careful when linking to third-party sites though as those links, which we have no control over, may lead users to content that is not appropriate to Scouting. We don’t want to inadvertently associate the Scouting brand with something that isn’t in keeping with the Values of Scouting. We also don’t want to imply any kid of commercial endorsement.

Use the talent release on the BSA medical form, or a similar release to get permission before posting photos of individuals on the Internet.

Answer Question 3.4: Who will monitor the site for quality control and youth protection?

QUESTION #4: IS YOUR WEBSITE PART OF THE BIG PICTURE? 5 MINUTES

The website is only one means of communication.

What are some other means of communication that your lodge uses?

[Allow time for a few answers]

Others may include newsletters, social media, traditional mailings, or email. Your lodge may have one person responsible for all communication, or you may have multiple people, or a committee, responsible for different aspects of your lodge communication. Whoever is responsible, it is important that the message, across all of these media, is consistent. If you have multiple people involved, they will need to work closely together to ensure that the same, accurate information is distributed to all of your communication channels.

Your communication should share a common brand. A consistent, unified look and feel, achieved through common graphics, fonts and styles, will let your recipients and users know that this is an official communication from your lodge.

Utilize other outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and email to drive users to your website with postings that include “for more information see our website…” followed by the appropriate link.

Answer Question 4.1: What other methods of communication does your lodge employ?

Your lodge communication should also fit into, and interact with your council’s communication efforts. Is your lodge website linked to the council website? Is lodge news cross-posted to council outlets? Work with your council’s marketing/communication committee.

Answer Question 4.2: Does your council have a communication/marketing committee?

CONCLUSION: 5 MINUTES

Advance PPT Slide “CONNECT THE DOTS”

An effective website can be an invaluable tool for communicating with your members, unit leaders, parents, and others with an interest in your lodge. Like any major project, a bulk of the effort belongs in the planning stages.

Start by defining your target audience. Who is likely to be using your site, and what are they going to be looking for?

The organization, design, and layout are all focused on addressing those needs and provides the user with a positive experience.

Once you’ve defined the needs and organized your information, you’re ready to build your site. This is a big project. Recruit people (youth and adults) with technical skills to help. Determine a process for routine updates to keep your site fresh. Also figure what you’re going to do about quality control and youth protection considerations.

Document everything. Youth and adults move on, change jobs, and sometimes leave the program. Clear documentation and a record of logins and passwords makes it easier for new leaders to step into that role without interrupting service to your users.

Finally, make your website part of your lodge’s overall communication strategy. Work with the leaders responsible for things like newsletters, emails, and event mailings. Develop a consistent brand identity for your lodge. Don’t forget about your council communication and marketing committees as well. Work with them, they have resources that may be helpful to you. Share information; support each other’s efforts.

Taking the time to put a plan together will help you create a more effective website that better addresses the needs of your users.

QUESTIONS: 10 MINUTES

[Allow time to answer questions]

APPENDIX A: UNIT WEBSITE GUIDELINES

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Marketing/Resources/UnitWeb.aspx

We've long recognized that unit sites created by individuals at the unit level of Scouting are essentially personal, and therefore beyond the National Council’s control or liability. We do offer advisory guidelines to those who publish Scouting-related sites on their own responsibility, and we urge local councils to take the same approach. These guidelines are established to help avoid several common mistakes.

Protection of personal information pertaining to our youth members and volunteers should be our greatest concern. This organization has used COPPA, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, as its standard in this area. You can read the details on compliance at http://www.coppa.org/comply.htm. It would be a good practice to share them with unit-level publishers in your council.

A second concern about individual unit sites is copyright infringement. Sadly, photos, music, and video are commonly reused on the Web without permission. Plagiarism is also common. Such practices violate the ethics of Scouting. They are also violations of law, and could expose the publishers legally.

Our third concern is commercialism. We don't allow ads on council sites. We recognize that "free" Web services often used to create unit-level sites may contain advertising. This practice may reflect poorly on the Scouting brand, and should be avoided. A more serious concern would be sites that engage in any fund-raising activities not previously approved by their local council. Any independent sales, solicitation, OR collection of donations is prohibited by our bylaws and charter agreements.

1. The content of the unit site must be appropriate to the Scouting movement.

2. The unit site cannot link to any sites that contain material that is not appropriate to the Scouting movement.

3. The unit site should not contain any advertisements or commercial endorsements.

4. The unit site cannot engage in the electronic sale of BSA Supply Division merchandise or competing products.

5. The unit site cannot replicate any BSA publication currently for sale through the Supply Division.

6. Unit sites must abide by all laws regarding copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property, and by those pertaining to the Internet.

7. Unit sites must consider the safety and privacy of their members and participants by obtaining the necessary permissions to release information about or images of any individual.

8. Unit sites cannot engage in fund-raising except as directly approved by, and under the supervision of, the local council.

APPENDIX B: COUNCIL WEBSITE GUIDELINES

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Marketing/Resources/CouncilWeb.aspx

As long as they observe the Rules and Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America, local councils are free to develop their own applications of Internet and Web technology. Over time, many local councils will decide to publish under the National Council umbrella for hosting, content, and technical support. For those that continue to publish independently, we have set up guidelines to help councils build the Scouting brand and protect employees, volunteers, and members.

While local councils may establish their own policies concerning their use of the Internet, the National Council will only recognize as “official” those sites that have followed the numbered guidelines below. The National Council will not acknowledge or provide links to any council site that does not meet these guidelines. The guidelines may be altered or amended to provide updated information, and councils will be notified when that happens.

1. Council Web sites must be hosted off-site at a hosting facility and may not be connected in any way to the local council’s internal network.

2. The council must have direct control over the content of its official Web site.

3. The content of the council site must be appropriate to the Scouting movement.

4. The council site cannot contain links to any sites that contain material that is not appropriate to the Scouting movement.

5. The council site cannot contain any advertisements or commercial endorsements.

6. The council site cannot engage in the electronic sale of BSA Supply Division merchandise or competing products.

7. The council site cannot replicate any BSA publication currently for sale through the Supply Division.

8. Council sites must abide by all laws regarding copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property, and by those pertaining to the Internet.

Council sites must consider the safety and privacy of their members and participants by obtaining the necessary permissions to release information about or images of any individual.

APPENDIX C: LODGE WEBSITE GUIDELINES

http://www.oa-bsa.org/resources/wsguide.htm

As the proliferation of chapter, lodge, section, and region Order of the Arrow Internet web sites continues, the National OA Committee felt it was appropriate to set forth some policy guidelines for OA web sites. There are many people who are unsure of what is or is not appropriate, and what guidance is available to them.

These guidelines were adapted from the guidelines that the BSA electronic publishing division has established for council web sites, as laid out in a October 23, 1998 memo from the Electronic Publishing Division Director.

The following guidelines were approved at the May 1999 National OA Committee meeting, and take effect immediately. They are being publicized starting at the 1999 National Leadership Summit.

An official Order of the Arrow web site should follow these guidelines:

1. The appropriate OA leadership must have direct control over the content of its official web site (i.e. the Key 3 at each level of the organization).

2. The content of the OA site must be appropriate to the Scouting movement and the Order of the Arrow. Safeguarded information such as ceremony details must be properly protected.

3. The OA site shall not contain any advertisements or commercial endorsements, except those for the organization providing the site service if it is provided for free or at a discount.

4. The OA site shall not engage in the electronic sale of BSA Supply Division merchandise, merchandise commissioned by the National Order of the Arrow Committee, or competing products.

5. The OA site shall not contain any links directly to any sites that contain material that is not appropriate to the Scouting movement.

6. The OA site shall not replicate any BSA publication currently for sale through the Supply Division.

7. The OA site must abide by all laws regarding copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property.

8. The OA site must consider the safety and privacy of their participants by obtaining necessary permissions to release information about or identifying images of any specific individual.

9. The OA site should include an email contact address for reaching the person managing the site, so visitors can report any problems or concerns.

APPENDIX D: WEBSITE PLANNING TOOL

1: Who is the target audience for your website?

2: What are the major organizational units for your site?

3: How are you going to maintain the content, and who is responsible?

3.1 Where will the site be hosted? Are you using a CMS?

3.2 How will you ensure continuity of service?

3.3 Who will be responsible for content? How Often will it be updated?

3.4 Who will be responsible for quality control / youth protection?

4: How will you make your website part of your lodge’s communication strategy?

4.1 What other methods of communication does your lodge employ?

4.2 Does your council have a communication/marketing committee?

APPENDIX E: RESOURCES

Marketing & Brand Control:

http://www.oa-bsa.org/resources/pubs/#branding

http://scouting.org/marketing