Case Study: Keeping Political Websites Current
In an age when the lifecycle of news items is measured in hours rather than days, political candidates and political organizations cannot survive without up-to-date websites. Consider, for example, the Wheatland Township Democrat Party, an organization that works to develop and foster a two-party political system in Aurora, Bolingbrook, Naperville and Plainfield, to give local residents a real choice when voting. Critical to this mission is educating residents about local issues and getting them active in the electoral process. But the party struggled with a website that wasn’t helping them accomplish this goal.
Difficulty uploading new information
Wheatland Township Democrat Party Chair Nick Palmer is the first to admit the organization’s website didn’t work very well.
“Our site was VERY static,” he says. “We posted basic information, but it was difficult to upload this information and thus the website was not very current. This was largely due to the difficulty in getting anything posted quickly or easily. You had to be an expert to do this process.”
With no easy way to update their website, the content was always old, and the site was simply not dynamic enough to make an impact.
Finding a web solution
Nick wanted a website that would serve as a powerful tool for the party’s mission. The organization considered several options, many of which were costly and impractical.
Luckily, Jim Nagy (of J&S Tech Designs) was an election judge and knew the party through his involvement in the community. Jim offered to sit down and work with Nick in designing a new site that was easier to use and allowed for more interaction with the community.
Nick was already familiar with Jim’s easy-going manner. But what Nick really appreciated was how Jim took the time to listen to what they wanted for their website and then make it happen.
“Jim had lots of creative ideas that helped us develop a top-notch site. He also presented options, such as starting smaller and adding to our site as we grew,” Nick says. “Jim was able to boil complex computer (techie) talk down to layman terms that we all could understand. He made the process easy.”
Great results with new website features
The Wheatland Township Democrats now have an attractive website that is easy to use and has become a resource for local residents.
The group now updates content daily. They have utilized an e-newsletter function, an online donation module, a number of multimedia items and many other helpful functions. The new website has become one of the proudest pieces of the organization, in that it puts forward the party’s mission and message to the community in a very professional manner.
Local residents can now keep current with local politics, thanks to the site. The group has grown a large email list that allows them to communicate with supporters easily and at a reasonable cost. Ultimately, the website has made the organization more successful.
Nick adds, “I would strongly recommend J&S to anyone who wants an affordable communication tool that can grow with your organization. Jim is great to work with and will take the pain out of figuring out how to have a website to promote your group. Today this medium is critical, and Jim's expertise makes it very simple.”
To see Wheatland Township Democrat’s website, click here.
To see how we’ve helped others just like you, click here.
Case Study: Keeping Political Websites Current
In an age when the lifecycle of news items is measured in hours rather than days, political candidates and political organizations cannot survive without up-to-date websites. Consider, for example, the Wheatland Township Democrat Party, an organization that works to develop and foster a two-party political system in Aurora, Bolingbrook, Naperville and Plainfield, to give local residents a real choice when voting. Critical to this mission is educating residents about local issues and getting them active in the electoral process. But the party struggled with a website that wasn’t helping them accomplish this goal.
Difficulty uploading new information
Wheatland Township Democrat Party Chair Nick Palmer is the first to admit the organization’s website didn’t work very well.
“Our site was VERY static,” he says. “We posted basic information, but it was difficult to upload this information and thus the website was not very current. This was largely due to the difficulty in getting anything posted quickly or easily. You had to be an expert to do this process.”
With no easy way to update their website, the content was always old, and the site was simply not dynamic enough to make an impact.
Finding a web solution
Nick wanted a website that would serve as a powerful tool for the party’s mission. The organization considered several options, many of which were costly and impractical.
Luckily, Jim Nagy (of J&S Tech Designs) was an election judge and knew the party through his involvement in the community. Jim offered to sit down and work with Nick in designing a new site that was easier to use and allowed for more interaction with the community.
Nick was already familiar with Jim’s easy-going manner. But what Nick really appreciated was how Jim took the time to listen to what they wanted for their website and then make it happen.
“Jim had lots of creative ideas that helped us develop a top-notch site. He also presented options, such as starting smaller and adding to our site as we grew,” Nick says. “Jim was able to boil complex computer (techie) talk down to layman terms that we all could understand. He made the process easy.”
Great results with new website features
The Wheatland Township Democrats now have an attractive website that is easy to use and has become a resource for local residents.
The group now updates content daily. They have utilized an e-newsletter function, an online donation module, a number of multimedia items and many other helpful functions. The new website has become one of the proudest pieces of the organization, in that it puts forward the party’s mission and message to the community in a very professional manner.
Local residents can now keep current with local politics, thanks to the site. The group has grown a large email list that allows them to communicate with supporters easily and at a reasonable cost. Ultimately, the website has made the organization more successful.
Nick adds, “I would strongly recommend J&S to anyone who wants an affordable communication tool that can grow with your organization. Jim is great to work with and will take the pain out of figuring out how to have a website to promote your group. Today this medium is critical, and Jim's expertise makes it very simple.”
To see Wheatland Township Democrat’s website, click here.
To see how we’ve helped others just like you, click here.