Community websites - getting to grips with engagement

Community has been all the range for a while now - Facebook, Bebo and the like have all changed the way in which we engage with each other and make new friends.

On the website design and development side of the business we have been extending DNN (Dot Net Nuke) to allow us to build community or web 2 sites for a range of clients. Some building brand new businesses some enabling the community they already have. It's been an interesting experience as we see ourselves as sofware developers getting to grips with the needs of an ever changing community.

Website design - CMS is thinking in the box

Website design can be a difficult process. We use a content management system (Dot Net Nuke) and that can force you to think well inside the box....literally.

However, with the right type of effort you can get out the box when it comes to design - CMS or not. We've found that challenging ourselves from time to time is the best way to strethc the CMS meets designer issue. Better we stretch ourselves than over promise to a client.

Facebook - the influencer of the internet

I've never really gotten Facebook - but I do use it. I have to admit to be being a bit slow with the Facebook thing - so it sort of passed me by. However, now we find that many of our clients are lookin for similar features as Facebook exhibits to ensure that they can stay connected to their clients in an effective way.

We've built a decent selection of community based websites which encourage communication between members and the swapping of best practice. Difficult to imagine how quickly the internet has changed thanks to the Facebook site - hugely influential in the direction of website design and development.

Effective website design

As software consultants and website developers we are often asked how best to present a website. The key thing when designing any website is the call to action in our opinion. It can e the prettiest most technically advanced website on the internet - but if it doesn't have a strong message explaining what to do next then it won't deliver results.

A call to action can be perfectly simple - such as "Call our X experts now to find out how you can improve y". Hardly a difficult thing to do. Or perhaps the call to action is no more than the request for an email address to provide an (interesting) newsletter.

We develop a range of different style websites for our clients but it is always key to understand what would work for them when it comec to a call to action.