People share bad experiences more often then they do good ones. I’m going to share a really good, yet simple one…
I just got done with the 2009 Bike Freedom Valley on Sunday, which is an organized bike ride fundraiser in the Philly/Valley Forge areas for the Bicycle Collation of Greater Philadelphia. I really have no bad feedback, yet let me explain what went right:
1. They have an improved website, posting organizational information, events, and syndicated (RSS) news. I also get their email news letter. Translation, I’m well informed.
2. My needs as a cyclist are met by this organization, both website and the organization itself. My need would be maps, event information, advocacy, representation, and cycling community organization. Their web communication has been an extension of all of that.
3. For the “Bike Freedom Valley” biking event, I was easily able to get information at the website, view maps of routes, view route cue sheets, register online (more later), pay securely online, receive online confirmation, and even provided a form of post-event feedback (more on that later).
4. With online registration, it was clean, clear, to the point, and I could pay online. Online confirmation is important too, though I don’t need a receipt other than for checking in for the event.
5. Post event feedback was literally the next morning, with a link provided via email. It covered pretty much everything and gave space for open feedback. If I wanted to remain anonymous, I could. This allows me to express my experience, which happened to be a good one. (The bad parts where my own laughable fault). I feel like they care about making next year’s BFV even better, which it was much better than my first time in 2005, which even then was a good one.
6. I got something from the even, which has nothing to do with the website, yet just a t-shirt to show others I participate. For them, it promotes their event, pointing to their website on the shirt. As is good for their sponcers, since they have logos on the back of the shirt. Of course I rather have a water bottle, but that’s me! LOL!
7. Along with the feedback email and feedback form, they pointed to the next event, TD Bank Bike Philly 2009, with all information ready to go! Btw, this event was almost canceled due to some police support issues, which due to effort they were a part of, the event was saved. Good communication, I’d say!
Final thoughts for Royal Rangers and other ministries
1. I’ve been researching and developing for years now building web systems like this on the cheap, even before I was a communication coordinator. Of course resigned from that role a year ago, yet still actively research, since there are always new things coming out that do things more streamline, even on the cheap too! So for $100-250 a year, you can have a website that does all of that, though the financial transaction piece might cost more.
2. Websites and email communications that are well designed, to the point, and that point to more information will get you results. Less is more. Picture are 1000+/- words. Formatting/style sheet is key.
3. If you are a ministry organization, whether a parent or child one, building a scalable and effective community is key. Build in social dynamics. What are social dynamics? Well that is a whole series of posts.
4. If you have 1 or more code monkeys, make sure they excel in being code monkeys and have your organizations administrator handle the content side of things. Also, have separate creative people, so they can provide that rich media for you to insert into your publications, where the code monkey’s will have a system in place to copy, paste, and publish.
5. A social dynamics point that need to be made separately is listen to your target audience. Know their needs, don’t tell them what their need should be. In ministry, this goes a step further, where staff members need to listen to both the leaders under them, while mainly focusing on the people they are ministering to. Your ministry is there for those people, not the leaders. Your leaders should be working with you in connecting with the people you are working with, yet provide a transparent system where your people don’t always have to filter through. Sometimes that filter only provides the feedback that leader wants to pass on, robbing your ministry of being able to effectively meet the needs of the people.  (Ministry start at the needs of people, Jesus being prime example).
6. Always have your development environment in the works, yet make sure your development environment is producing something live and in production. Translation, have things always in the works and translate that into something practical that does useful and effective things for your minstry. Don’t waste your time on flashy things that don’t do anything for everyone, like an empty flash website. Flash widget of event photo albums on the other hand help show people what your event is all about, which is very useful.
7. Organizations need to be organized, planning ahead, and fluid. In Royal Rangers I’ve witness way too much break-fix, last minute stuff, poor HR, etc, etc. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
Enough for now, I have much more. Just wanted to share from a very good experience! I’ll be renewing my dues come January!
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