Putting Objectives Before Technology

I used to rattle off a bunch of websites without listening what result people were trying to accomplish and what that did was send them into a tailspin of researching and reviewing something that wasn’t a top priority.  Shame on me.

Now I focus on the result people are trying to achieve, ask more questions to frame the problem to a specific need, and then prescribing a solution that they can implement with the available resources.

Below are some objectives you might be working on and instead are using wrong tool or process.  This will give you back on track if only slightly skewed from the path.  Also, I’ve created some visuals that will help you understand how the specific tactics are related with one another.

Objectives

• Increase adoption rate of member services

• Increase membership satisfaction

• Increase online conversion rates

• Decrease decision making time

• Decrease labor costs

• Increase effectiveness of online communication channels

• Increase non dues revenue opportunities

• Shorten customer service response time

• Improve usability of the website

• Improve the image of the association

• Decrease membership attrition

• Improve membership morale

• Increase the value of membership

• Increase participation in leadership roles

Watch the FREE webinar at http://bit.ly/aemagic.

Increase adoption rate of member services

1. Determine current adoption rate of services.

2. Calculate the ROI/member savings of each value proposition (see increase value of membership objective).

3. Check the deliverability and effectiveness of communication channels. See this objective below.

4. Sell the value using copywriting skills.  Find copywriters at http://odesk.com

5. Enabling cross sells and upsells within online shopping cart/payment gateway system. 

Increase membership satisfaction

1. Create a trust survey at http://surveymonkey.com

2. Survey members according to ROI, not just how they feel using http://google.com/docs

3. Create a customer support help desk at http://zendesk.com

4. Enable social media share buttons using http://www.addthis.com/social-plugins#.UVCT26XUbrc. 

Increase online conversion rates

1. Conduct A/B testing of offer pages using http://optimize.ly

2. Use eye tracking analytics to determine successful online offers with http://clicktale.com

3. Produce heatmaps to determine effectiveness of website design http://crazyegg.com 

Decrease decision making time

1. Determine objectives, alternatives, and risks associated with each alternative.

2. Determine benefits and features of alternative.

3. Obtain consensus using the following

   1. Business Model Generator http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/business-model-toolbox/id431605371 (iPad only, online version coming soon) $30 USD

   2. Produce a mind map using mindmeister http://www.mindmeister.com  FREE

   3. Use process visuals to expedite decisions.

   4. Hone framing, problem solving and storytelling skills.

Watch the FREE webinar at http://bit.ly/aemagic.

 Decrease labor costs

1. Use dedicated one project management system to create projects:

   1. http://basecamp.com fee varies

   2. http://wrike.com fee varies

   3. SG Project Pro iPad app $99 https://itunes.apple.com/kw/app/sg-project-pro/id491153304?mt=12

2. Use process visuals, complete job descriptions for projects and training to use systems.

   1. Mind mapping software http://mindmeister.com

   2. iPad app http://www.tentouchapps.com/grafio

   3. http://diagram.ly

3. Outsource quick tasks using http://fiverr.com

4. Outsource small to large projects using http://odesk.com

5. Find existing job descriptions on http://odesk.com and http://elance.com

6. Create job descriptions using http://evernote.com

 Increase effectiveness of online communication channels

1. Produce a comprehensive website report at http://marketinggrader.com

2. Track and improve performance of email deliverability, opens, clicks, buys, and shares.

3. Analyze all of your online metrics with http://chartbeat.com/demo/

4. Improve metrics on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/yt/playbook/yt-analytics.html

5. Track your social media performance using upgrade http://hootsuite.com 

Increase revenue opportunities

1. Read https://dougdevitre.com/2012/07/get-serious-about-non-dues-revenue/

2. Create budget, revenue opportunities, and cost with Business Model Generator http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/business-model-toolbox/id431605371  (iPad only now, online version coming soon) $30 USD.

3. Enable online shopping cart with up-sells, cross-sells, and expiring offers.

4. Improve effectiveness of online communication channels (see above).

5. Incorporate membership sites to deliver content

   1. WordPress template http://optimizepress.com

   2. Membership plugin http://member.wishlistproducts.com

6. Create an Amazon ebook https://kdp.amazon.com/mn/signin?ie=UTF8&ld=AZEbooksMakeM

7. Enable mobile shopping cart.

Shorten customer service response time

1. Create an account at http://join.me  and download iPad app

2. Create video FAQs with camtasia http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html  $99 – $299

3. Create a sitemap using

   1. http://code.google.com/p/googlesitemapgenerator/

   2. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/

4. Use URL shortening with http://hootsuite.com, http://bit.ly, or http://goo.gl

5. Enable online chat with http://olark.com

6. Create a customer support helpdesk at http://zendesk.com

7. Connect with members using social plugins

   1. Outlook users versions 2007 and earlier http://xobni

   2. Gmail users http://rapportive

Improve usability of the website

1. Easiest test by 3rd party http://www.usertesting.com

2. Website tools to choose from http://mashable.com/2011/09/30/website-usability-tools/

3. Tools for blind to read website http://www.screenreader.net/index.php?pageid=11

Watch the FREE webinar at http://bit.ly/aemagic.

Improve the image of the organization

1. Create a new website design.

   1. http://99designs.com

   2. http://woothemes.com

   3. Ask Doug

2. Create new brochures, flyers, and literature.

   1. http://99designs.com

   2. http://odesk.com

3. Create a video for each call to action or important web page.

4. Create a studio for recording videos http://wistia.com/learning/diy-office-video-studio

5. Send video emails, video text messages, and video through social media.

Decrease membership attrition

1. Improve the image of the association (see above)

2. Increase the value of membership (see above)

3. Improve membership morale (see below)

Improve membership morale

1. Create an infographic demonstrating value

   1. http://piktochart.com

   2. http://visual.ly

2. Create videos showing member successes by taking action on association offers.

3. Follow members on Twitter, use @replies instead of just names, and build Twitter lists.

4. Post photos to social media accounts using http://instagram.com

5. Send postcards from device

   1. Snapshot Postcard http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snapshot-postcard/id293657764?mt=8

   2. Postagram http://postagramapp.com

Increase the value of membership

1. Calculate the cost to acquire each value proposition

2. Calculate the monetary value of each value proposition.  In other words, what is the calculated return from each value proposition?

3. Calculate the revenue/membership savings of each value proposition.

4. Total the return from each value proposition(revenue/member savings minus the cost to acquire)

5. Total the return from each value proposition.

6. Divide the total value by the cost of membership.

Increase participation in leadership roles

1. Create the job descriptions in http://evernote.com

2. Create and publish meeting minutes using http://evernote.com

3. Upload and share important digital files using http://dropbox.com

4. Demonstrate in interactions by creating process visuals using

   1. http://mindmeister.com

   2. http://grafio.com

   3. http://diagram.ly

5. Set up meeting times at http://doodle.com

6. Create surveys using

   1. http://google.com/docs

   2. http://surveymonkey.com

   3. Enable absent board and committee members to join the meeting using http://join.me, http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts, or http://freeconferencecall.com

Volunteer for REALTOR Association
by: dougdevitre