Sue Fidler says instant messaging services can be a good helpdesk alternative.
Many charities manage telephone helpdesks, and many more probably wish they could. The issue for the voluntary sector is normally a lack of resources.
Email is a good alternative because responses can be condensed by answering many emails in one 'offline' session. But email doesn't feel very personal, and the user always suspects they are receiving canned answers. A once-a-day response, though practicable, also means the user does not get rapid feedback.
A newer alternative is to use a built-in instant message service through your website, known as 'live chat'. Some versions are available for as little as £10 a month, or can be installed on your web server.
Users can open the messenger without making any downloads or installing special software. They can then write instant messages to the support desk. The communication is more rapid than email, frequently more informal and feels like real person-to-person communication. It also has the benefit of anonymity, beyond even that of a phone call.
In the office, you can have a frequently-asked-questions crib sheet from which to copy and paste answers. You can also store and audit the chat and record how many people log on per session.
More importantly, one person can handle multiple users at the same time as people take time to read and respond. Live chat software condenses all the users on to one screen and flashes an alert when there is a new message, allowing staff to continue with other work when nobody logs on.
If all your staff are busy, the system will display a message to that effect.
So for a free, personal, anonymous, secure and instant helpdesk, consider adding live chat software to your website.
30 May, 2007
16 May, 2007
Web presence
Sue Fidler urges charities to keep some control over their web presence.
Many organisations have branches, affiliates, groups or offices in UK regions or overseas. As each small organisation realises the benefits the internet brings, head office needs to consider the group's web presence.
Put simply, do you want regional membership branches or local fundraising groups to start their own websites and email newsletters?
Local groups and branches want their autonomy. They know their local audiences and frequently have the time and volunteer resources to create a website and local content.
But once subgroups start their own sites, there is a risk that the organisation's brand-management strategy can get lost. Your regional volunteers and supporters have no bad intentions, but their amateur sites will not conform to brand guidelines. Bringing them back into line once they have started is a nightmare and may not be possible. If they taste the freedom, buy their own URLs and set up their own email addresses, you will struggle to get them to stop, and an unpleasant political battle could ensue.
Remember that if they do any data capture you are probably responsible for the data protection and record keeping - something worth considering in the context of your formal articles of association. Do your volunteer fundraisers and supporters have any idea about data security or data-protection rules?
One option is to offer them space on your own website, allowing a level of personalisation and local content. It might seem an expensive or complex solution, but the alternative might be multiple charityX.org.uk sites, off-brand and off-message.
The answer is complex, but the most important part is thinking it through and making a positive decision. Not taking a strategic line will cause lots of pain in future.
Many organisations have branches, affiliates, groups or offices in UK regions or overseas. As each small organisation realises the benefits the internet brings, head office needs to consider the group's web presence.
Put simply, do you want regional membership branches or local fundraising groups to start their own websites and email newsletters?
Local groups and branches want their autonomy. They know their local audiences and frequently have the time and volunteer resources to create a website and local content.
But once subgroups start their own sites, there is a risk that the organisation's brand-management strategy can get lost. Your regional volunteers and supporters have no bad intentions, but their amateur sites will not conform to brand guidelines. Bringing them back into line once they have started is a nightmare and may not be possible. If they taste the freedom, buy their own URLs and set up their own email addresses, you will struggle to get them to stop, and an unpleasant political battle could ensue.
Remember that if they do any data capture you are probably responsible for the data protection and record keeping - something worth considering in the context of your formal articles of association. Do your volunteer fundraisers and supporters have any idea about data security or data-protection rules?
One option is to offer them space on your own website, allowing a level of personalisation and local content. It might seem an expensive or complex solution, but the alternative might be multiple charityX.org.uk sites, off-brand and off-message.
The answer is complex, but the most important part is thinking it through and making a positive decision. Not taking a strategic line will cause lots of pain in future.
02 May, 2007
Web page design
Sue Fidler outlines her seven pillars of wisdom for web page design.
Designing and developing a great web page is not a mystery, and there are some simple and basic steps you can follow - or make sure your web developers follow.
Purpose. Too many pages are created without purpose, which isn't a problem in terms of server space, but does take time and effort when it comes to creating and managing pages. It also creates more routes for visitors and muddies up sites. So be sure there is a real reason for pages to exist.
Navigation. A great web page will have easy and simple navigation. Make sure you link to it from your site map page. Many sites put all the main menu at the top and bottom of all their pages. Keep your visitors' comfort levels in mind at all times.
Audience. Who is it for? What are they looking for? Will they find it in your navigation? Placement and tone are critical to making a page useful.
Design. Keep your page simple and direct. Keep it professional. Make sure it is readable and clear to all your visitors. Do a spell check and a grammar check. You may also want to check how the page looks in all types of browsers (www.anybrowser.com is a useful tool).
Content. Keep your sentences short and the number of words on a page to 200 or 300. As an alternative to long articles, add a precis and a PDF download. Think about the management of the content, how often it needs updating and who is responsible. If you want visitors to return to the page, it needs refreshing regularly. Don't forget to use the major keywords in the content to help with search engine placement.
Images. Always double-check to see if all images on your page display properly. Nothing is worse than images that don't load.
Links. Double-check to make sure all the links work. Search engines and visitors don't like broken links.
Designing and developing a great web page is not a mystery, and there are some simple and basic steps you can follow - or make sure your web developers follow.
Purpose. Too many pages are created without purpose, which isn't a problem in terms of server space, but does take time and effort when it comes to creating and managing pages. It also creates more routes for visitors and muddies up sites. So be sure there is a real reason for pages to exist.
Navigation. A great web page will have easy and simple navigation. Make sure you link to it from your site map page. Many sites put all the main menu at the top and bottom of all their pages. Keep your visitors' comfort levels in mind at all times.
Audience. Who is it for? What are they looking for? Will they find it in your navigation? Placement and tone are critical to making a page useful.
Design. Keep your page simple and direct. Keep it professional. Make sure it is readable and clear to all your visitors. Do a spell check and a grammar check. You may also want to check how the page looks in all types of browsers (www.anybrowser.com is a useful tool).
Content. Keep your sentences short and the number of words on a page to 200 or 300. As an alternative to long articles, add a precis and a PDF download. Think about the management of the content, how often it needs updating and who is responsible. If you want visitors to return to the page, it needs refreshing regularly. Don't forget to use the major keywords in the content to help with search engine placement.
Images. Always double-check to see if all images on your page display properly. Nothing is worse than images that don't load.
Links. Double-check to make sure all the links work. Search engines and visitors don't like broken links.
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