SUMMARY The Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead is a regional federation of 1,800 member firms, spanning two communities, two counties and two states. At the heart of our Chamber s mission is the drive to unify and advance business and community interests in our region. Through the redesign of the Chamber Web site, members have easy access to Chamber news and events and are able to stay connected and market themselves to other member firms. The Chamber Web site allows us to spread the word about our Chamber and our members. THE SYNOPSIS Needs Identification Identification. The Web site is an important business resource. In our 2009 survey of Chamber members, 79 percent of respondents rated the Web site as a valuable tool for their business. Yet, as technology has developed, we found our Web site was not keeping up. Some of the major problems we encountered included: Software/data displayed online was not very attractive Couldn t access the server to make dynamic changes Limited data space and flexibility Navigation around the site was not easy for online visitors Drop down menus were inconvenient for most users In order to better serve our members and promote the Fargo Moorhead community, we decided it was necessary to redesign our Web site. The new Web site would enable us to (a) be more open and flexible, allowing us to make enhancements to meet on-going Chamber needs, and (b) be more user friendly, so visitors would be able to find what they were looking for. In sum, we wanted a Web site that would allow people to connect, to learn more and to keep coming back. Explanation. The redesign of the Chamber Web site was a necessary step in the continual fulfillment of the Chamber s goals and mission. The mission of our Chamber is unifying and advancing business and community interests in our region. We accomplish this mission through five long range goals. We believe the Web site plays a role in each of these. Establish the Chamber as primary advocate for member businesses on local and regional issues. The Web site gives several opportunities to inform our members about how the Chamber is advocating for their business on a variety of issues. An entire page is devoted to the Chamber s work on regional issues, including links to the Chamber s legislative agenda and ways that members can get involved. Further, regular articles on local and regional priorities appear in our Chamber blog and media room, informing members what is affecting our community and how the Chamber is advocating for local business.
Explanation. (continued) Focus the Chamber s networking and educational efforts on innovative and self-sustaining programming. The Chamber offers several networking and educational opportunities to its members and the general public. The Web site houses an Events hub which allows members to view a calendar of events and programs. Individuals can find descriptions of events and register online. Our new Web site also includes sponsorship information and registration, so member firms can choose to sponsor a Chamber program directly from our site. Further, speakers are able to submit their presentations and visual aids online, so visitors can download business tools after the event occurs. Become recognized as member businesses first call when seeking access to regional resources. One of the single greatest benefits of our redesigned Web site is its use as a one stop location for members and visitors alike. The site offers various resources, including a searchable business directory of our members, information on the Fargo Moorhead community, business start up information and business tools. By visiting FMChamber.com, individuals and organizations can learn about the community, network with other members and find beneficial business resources and training. Provide programming to effectively serve member businesses across Cass and Clay counties. As the largest Chamber in a two-county region, our Chamber constantly offers a variety of events and educational opportunities to serve member firms around the area. From the Events hub to the business resource articles, the Web site enables business members to register for programs and training and stay up-to-date on new business resources. The Community hub houses information on our region including outlying communities, illustrating our Chamber s reach beyond the borders of Fargo Moorhead. Ensure that all Chamber programming synergistically supports our cornerstone values of advocacy, education, connectivity and regional collaboration. The Web site is designed as a place for people to connect and learn more. Through the Chamber and Business hubs, members and visitors can learn what the Chamber has to offer and how we advocate for business needs and interests. The business directory and links to additional resources around the community connect buyers to sellers and foster a collaborative spirit. The Events hub allows individuals to find educational programs and networking events that will serve their various business needs. The Community hub works to connect individuals to the Fargo Moorhead community and beyond while promoting our area as a great place to work, play, live and do business.
Discussion. There were several steps in the Web site design process. Once our Chamber decided to redesign the Web site, we put out a call to members to submit proposals for the Web site redesign. To keep business in our community, we only considered local proposals. We chose Ignus, Inc., a member since 2003, as the member to help us design our new Web site. Staff feedback was key to determining the need for the communication piece. We ran into several roadblocks whenever we attempted to update or change information on our old site. This constant struggle led us to propose a new FMChamber.com. We then solicited member feedback about our site. Members were asked why they visited our site, what they liked about the site and what they wanted to see improved 1. Further, the staff presented various Web sites as potential models for our new site. Working with Ignus, Inc., our Chamber took these suggestions and worked to craft a site that would better serve the needs of our members and potential site visitors. Objectives The following objectives were outlined for the Web site redesign: Create a dynamic, changeable Web site. Encourage members to do business with member firms on our Web site. Create an easy online event registration process. Incorporate the Web site into the Chamber s emergency preparedness plan. Make business resources available to a wider audience. Our Chamber identified four target audiences: Chamber members, prospective members, consumers and community. Our Web site had to be relevant and necessary for our Chamber members and easily navigable for future prospects. In furthering our mission of unifying and advancing business and community interests in our region, we wanted to promote doing business with Chamber member firms. The new Web site allows us to track referrals for members and continually encourage members to do business with other member firms through the online directory and Member Specials. Finally, we wanted a site where information was easily accessible and continually updated so that people would look to FMChamber.com as a resource. Methodology Objectives. Create a dynamic, changeable Web site. One of the biggest problems with our previous Web site was our inability to make large changes. It was necessary, therefore, to make our new Web site dynamic and changeable. Our goal was to create a Web site that people would continually revisit for information and resources. We accomplished this objective in a number of ways: Ignus, Inc. helped us design a site which houses a rotating banner. This banner changes every few minutes to keep visitors up-to-date with the newest information. 1 For a copy of member responses to our preliminary survey, see Appendix A.
Objectives. (continued) Information is continually updated on the site. At least once a week, information and articles are updated so businesses can access a vast array of timely and relevant resources. Our Web site is also connected to our membership database, WebLink, allowing us to update member information and events with ease. We have a number of new technologies which were previously not possible with our old site. The Web site houses a Chamber blog, RSS feeds and links to Google maps. Presenters are able to upload podcasts and Power Points for easy access to business resources at any time. We also incorporated social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on our Web site, allowing us to stay constantly connected to our various audiences 2. Encourage members to do business with member firms on our Web site. Our Chamber always encourages members to do business with other member firms. The Web site redesign was no exception. We developed a complete business directory of members where anyone is able to search and view a member firm. Visitors can search by business name or by category and have access to a number of member firms with the click of a mouse. We have seen steady growth in the number of visitors who have accessed the business directory online*: Our new Web site offers advertising space that was previously not available. We also partnered with Spider and Company, Inc., a member since 2003, to create a virtual marketplace for our members. Fargo Moorhead s Virtual Marketplace allows businesses to upload information, images and video to a virtual booth and visit other members booths as well. The booths are linked to FMChamber.com, allowing businesses to benefit from Chamber Web site traffic. Further, we developed a Member Specials feature which allows member firms to access special offers and deals from other member firms. Since the site was launched, we have offered 37 member specials from 32 members. * Note: September 1 st marks the beginning of our Chamber program year 2 For a copy of Chamber social networking usage, see Appendix D.
Objectives. (continued) Create an easy online event registration process. When it came time to redesign, event registration was at the top of our list. Members are now able to search both community and Chamber events and register for a variety of Chamber networking and resource opportunities. The events page has garnered a great deal of traffic 3, making it one of the top viewed pages on our site. We have also seen a steady increase in people visiting the event registration page*: Our members have noticed the increased accessibility of the events page, as seen in a recent survey 4 : The Chamber website has all the information I have ever needed. The comprehensive registration process makes signing up very easy. Upcoming events [are] easy to find. Incorporate the Web site into the Chamber s emergency preparedness plan. The Chamber Web site was designed to allow staff to access it from anywhere. The site incorporates a number of new technologies, including a Web-based database and Wordpress, which can be accessed from any computer, enabling staff to update information even when they are not at the Chamber office. There is no greater example of this then the Web site s launch on May 1, 2009. In the spring of 2009, Fargo Moorhead and the surrounding areas experienced a flood of massive proportions. As the Red River overflowed its banks, breaking a 112-year-old record of 40.33 feet, the Chamber staff was displaced from their offices. In a makeshift office set up at member-firm IdeaOne Telecom Group, our Chamber s newly designed site was launched in the midst of a historic flood. Everything was updated without Chamber staff ever stepping foot in their offices. * Note: September 1 st marks the beginning of our Chamber program year 3 For a copy of Web site graphs, see Appendix D. 4 For more results from the post-evaluation Web site survey, see Appendix C.
Objectives (continued). Make business resources available to a wider audience. Prior to the Web site redesign, very little information was available on our Chamber Web site. With the redesign, however, staff is now able to change content consistently, putting the most up-to-date information on FMChamber.com. We strive to make our Web site a place where people can find the information they re seeking. Not only are articles accessible on our site, but we also have links to Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook on our homepage 5. This allows us to extend information into other networks, connecting the Chamber to its members and the community. On the site, speakers are also able to upload their presentations and resources after an event so that members can access the information at any time. While all of these additions have contributed to a more accessible array of business resources, the thoughts of our members have shown us that we re reaching our objectives 6 : [The Web site] is a great resource, and I always am able to find what I need in just a few quick clicks! Excellent business resource. Communication Piece Our Chamber s redesigned Web site is constructed around four central hubs: Chamber, Business, Community and Events. All information flows from these foundational themes. The four were chosen because they directly addressed both the members concerns about our previous Web site and the target audiences we wanted to reach. The Chamber hub details information for prospective Chamber members as well as resources and benefits for current members. The Business hub links to a business directory and various business resources and information. Articles are updated regularly to provide timely, accurate information that affects businesses in our area. The Community hub details a variety of information about the Fargo Moorhead community and surrounding areas. Finally, the Events hub offers a detailed list of upcoming Chamber and community events. Members are also able to register for Chamber events from this section. The Web site was designed in purple and gold, the colors of our Chamber. This provides a consistent theme throughout the site. Further, the redesigned Web site answers several of our members concerns and suggestions about the old Web site by applying new media technologies to FMChamber.com. The site now houses a regularly updated Chamber blog, RSS feeds, Google maps and links to social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook. The front page of the Web site is consistently updated with new information, directly addressing our desire to create a dynamic, changeable site. The Web site houses several calls to action for members, including Join the Chamber links for perspective members and member benefit links for current members. Further, the new Web site enables members to register online for events, something that was incredibly cumbersome on our previous Web site. 5 For a copy of Chamber social networking usage, see Appendix D. 6 For more results from the post-evaluation Web site survey, see Appendix C.
Evaluation We have had great success with our Web site redesign. Since the launch of the site on May 1, 2009, we have seen an immense improvement in the number of visitors that frequent our site 7. More specifically, the new Web site is successful because several of our objectives are being met: Create a dynamic, changeable Web site. Our Web site homepage, which is updated regularly, is the most viewed content on our site. Further, we have had more returning visitors to the site. Prior to the launch of the new Web site, FMChamber.com saw approximately 4,900 returning guests (January 1-April 30, 2009). As of December 31, 2009, we had approximately 18,800 returning visitors to our new Web site. On average, about half of our visitors are return visitors. Encourage members to do business with member firms on our Web site. Create an easy online event registration process. Make business resources available to a wider audience. Our business directory, Events hub and news article pages are among the most viewed content on our new Web site. As more people view the site, more people tend to search the business directory, register for events online and view articles posted by our Chamber. Audience need evaluation is a large part of the Web site redesign project. From before the site was launched to months after, we are continually evaluating how our target audiences utilize FMChamber.com. Below are different evaluation techniques we have used: Preliminary survey. As discussed in the needs identification section, a preliminary survey 8 was distributed to members. This survey helped ascertain what our members would most want out of the newly redesigned site. This enabled us to develop a Web site that catered to the needs a major target audience, even before the Web site launched. Web site tests. A week before the Web site went live, 15 member firms ran a Beta test of the site 9. Testers were asked to complete a variety of tasks on the preview site and then rank the site s navigational difficulty. They also provided comments on various aspects of the site, enabling us to make changes before the site officially launched on May 1. Post-evaluation. Several months after the site launched, we put out a call to our members, asking their opinions on our redesigned Web site 10. This post-evaluation enables us to assess how we can better our Web site to match the needs of our audience. 7 For a copy of Web site graphs, see Appendix D. 8 For a copy of member responses to our preliminary survey, see Appendix A. 9 For a copy of the Web site tester critique form, see Appendix B. 10 For a copy of member responses to our Web site call, see Appendix C.
Budget and Timeline PROGRAM TIMELINE RESOURCE ALLOCATION July-Aug. 2007 Chamber call for Web site design Jim & Julie 1 proposals Nov. 27, 2007 Ignus, Inc. chosen for site design Chamber Staff 1 Dec. 2007 Brainstorming (target audiences, central Chamber Staff 1 hubs/web site foundation, subcategories, Web site designs) Jan. June 2008 Development & inclusion of information for Web site: Chamber Staff 1 & Member Volunteers 2 Committees Business Information Public Affairs Press Room Leadership Programs Young Professionals Network June July 2008 Edits of all Web site pages staging site Adrienne 1 June 9 (Chamber upload of files) June 19 (Chamber upload of files) June 29 (Chamber upload of files) July 2008 Chamber WebLink integration into newly designed site Adrienne & Julie 1 Wes Henry & D. Scott Babcock, Ignus 2 Brianna Lencke & John Paul Justice, WebLink 2 Aug. Oct. 2008 Project manager s maternity leave ---------------- Sept. 2008 Edits/revisions of all Web site pages Adrienne 1 Feb. 2009 March 2009 Final development/revisions of existing Ignus 2 information on staging site April 6-13, 2009 Beta Testing of Chamber Web site Member Volunteers 2 Chamber Staff 1 April 24, 2009 FM Chamber site uploaded to live servers Ignus 2 May 1, 2009 Newly designed Chamber site launched Julie & Adrienne 1 1 = Internal Resources: Primary team for the Web site redesign included Adrienne Olson, Communications Coordinator/Managing Editor and Julie Doggett, Information Systems Coordinator. In total, 180 hours was allotted for the Web site redesign. 2 = External Resources: The Web site was designed by Ignus, Inc., a Fargo-based company that provides technology sales and service for computers, copiers, fax machines, phone systems, security systems and internet-related products and services, including Web site design. The Web site was also integrated into our membership software: Chamber WebLink. Member volunteers were from assorted Chamber member businesses around the FM area. Many of them serve on Chamber committees. Budgeted Cost Actual Cost $25,000.00 $33,871.00 (Ignus rate - $95/hour)
APPENDIX A: PRELIMINARY MEMBER WEB SITE SURVEY Members were asked a variety of questions in order to ascertain what would be most beneficial during the Web site redesign. Below are a few sample excerpts from our preliminary member survey: Why do you visit? Find information on upcoming events, to look up contact information for area businesses and to register for events. To get information on upcoming events, see what s going on in the community and as someone who works for a non-profit to see what other businesses and people are doing within the community. Also, I find it to be a good resource when looking for businesses to approach within the community as potential sponsors for our events. I feel that chamber members are best to start with because they are usually willing to get involved in the community To check out what kinds of professional development opportunities are available. And to find ways to network with the business community. What specific information would you like to see on the Chamber site? Easier navigation, spotlight on businesses, more information on how to get involved. Stories anything that gives a more personal feeling to Chamber programs, events. Maybe some blogs. Information about the Chamber, community and region that is helpful to members, prospects and people. Information specifically relevant to the F-M business or entire community. Also, information that interacts with both state capitals. National issues only that have a particular impact or emphasis for the F-M area. What would you like to see improved on the current site? Jazz it up a bit, it s a little blah. A cleaner web page. I don t really like the scrolling text. If I were a sponsor, I would prefer to see my full color logo at the bottom of the page. The search for local businesses is kind of cumbersome and appears to be old technology compared to other sites. While the website is attractive and informational, it could be more compelling, better organized and have easier navigation and additional links.
APPENDIX A: PRELIMINARY MEMBER WEB SITE SURVEY (continued) Are there any specific technologies you d like to see included on the site (podcasting, blogging, social networking, etc.)? Podcasts and blogs would be great; maybe promote networking through an already existing network such as LinkedIn. Because podcasting, blogging, and social networking have become popular ways to communicate, these features would be helpful but not essential. Member to member communication could be facilitated by the Chamber in this way as well. Social networking for members would be nice, RSS feeds, integration with Google Maps/Earth.
APPENDIX B: WEB SITE SURVEY FOR TESTERS Fargo Moorhead Chamber of Commerce Web Site Survey The Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead is preparing to launch its revamped Web site, but first we want to hear from you about its ease of use. Please complete the following tasks, let us know how easy or hard they were to accomplish, and provide any comments regarding things we should consider. Thank you SO MUCH for your assistance! Your organization will receive a month of free online advertising on the new site as a token of our appreciation. 1. Find a map to your office. 2. Find the Chamber s mission. 3. Find a list of media outlets in our community. 4. Find information and an application for Fargo Moorhead Leadership. 5. Find information and an application to join the Chamber. 6. Find a list of this year s ChamberChoice Award winners.
APPENDIX B: WEB SITE SURVEY FOR TESTERS (continued) 7. Find the latest issue of The Bridge. 8. Sign up to receive the ebridge. 9. Find the Chamber s 2009 Legislative Agenda. 10. Find a list of Chamber Board members. 11. Find a list of resources for job hunters. 12. Find information about joining a Chamber committee. 13. Find links to resources for starting a new business. 14. Register for the Beta Test Event in June. Easy to Do Somewhat difficult to do Very hard to do
APPENDIX B: WEB SITE SURVEY FOR TESTERS (continued) A couple more What are your general thoughts about the Web site? What information would you like to see that wasn t there? What would make it easier to use?
APPENDIX C: POST-EVALUATION WEB SITE SURVEY How often do you visit the Chamber s Web site? o 23% visit the site once a month o 23% visit the site once every few weeks o 23 % visit the site once a week o 8% visit the site more than once a day What is the top reason for most of your visits to the Chamber s Web site? o 85% use the site for Chamber events How satisfied are you with the Chamber s new Web site? o 38% are somewhat satisfied o 54% are very satisfied How user-friendly is the Chamber s new Web site? o 42% say somewhat user friendly o 50% say very user friendly How helpful is the Chamber s new Web site? o 23% say somewhat helpful o 69% say very helpful What do you find most helpful about the Chamber s new Web site? Able to navigate, get where you need to... also linked up well It is well organized! The fact that things are broken down into nice little sections, makes it easy to search for something specific when I am looking for it. User friendly and organized layout!
APPENDIX D: GRAPHS/CHARTS FMChamber.com Visitor by Month (May 2009-Jan.2010)* Chamber Social Networking Usage
APPENDIX D: GRAPHS/CHARTS (continued) Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead New and Returning Visitors to FMChamber.com* * Note: It took approximately two weeks after the site launched for people to switch over to the new FMChamber.com.
APPENDIX D: GRAPHS/CHARTS (continued) Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead Most Viewed Pages on FMChamber.com (May 1-Dec. 31, 2009)