Friday, January 11, 2008

Small Release

We had a small release tonight that included a number of minor changes.

One of the more noticeable changes was a redesign of the tour page. Previously the tour page was just a long list of features with a short description for each one with some of the key features (i.e. Community News) including a short video. It wasn’t horrible but there were a number of things we didn’t like about this page and wanted to remedy.

  • For one, it contained so much stuff it was a bit intimidating. There was way to much information competing for the users attention.
  • Also, since we crammed all of the features on to one page we didn’t have much room to elaborate. This resulted in many of the feature descriptions not really being all that descriptive.
  • Some of our newest features, like the Groups & Committees and Document Library, were absent from the list.
  • Frankly, it was a tad boring. Don’t get me wrong, it accomplished what it needed to but just barely.

So we decided to completely redesign it and I am really please with the way it turned out.

The tour page now presents each feature one at a time. This allows the potential customer to focus and really absorb the information instead of all of the features screaming for attention. This new design also provided us with a bit more room to describe the features in better detail and the page loads faster since we don’t have to present all the information at the same time. Plus the animation of the descriptions sliding in as you click on each feature is just plain sexy.

We have also been getting a LOT of feedback from our neighbors on how much they love the site. We didn’t want to keep all the kind words to ourselves so we rolled out a new Buzz page for some of the testimonials. We are always humbled to receive these compliments and it is really rewarding to hear how useful people are finding the site. Keep ‘em coming and we will continue too add them to our Buzz page.

Thanks and we will see you ‘round the neighborhood!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Why Does My HOA Need A Website?

When talking to prospective communities during the sales cycle we sometimes get the question “Why does my HOA need a website?”.

The first couple times I fielded this question I was taken aback a bit because, to me, it just seemed so glaringly self evident that a community website was the solution to so many problems associations often encounter.

In my attempt to answer, I stumbled around a bit talking about all the great features in HOAInTouch.com and all of the specific issues it is meant to resolve. While all true and somewhat helpful to the conversation, after fielding this question a few times I came to the realization that speaking to specific features and issues really just clouds the discussion.

The reality is the essence of nearly any issue your HOA faces boils down to communication. The truth is your HOA doesn’t need a website. It needs a better way to communicate - a better way to bring people and information together.

Today's communities really need a better way to connect with neighbors and disseminate information. We think HOAInTouch.com is simply the best means to that end. Try us out and we think you will agree.

Thanks and we will see you ‘round the neighborhood!