BACKGROUND
The Cooperative Communicators Association is a non-profit trade organization representing over 350 professionals who communicate for cooperatives. CCA helps members excel by promoting personal and professional growth, providing education and information to improve skills in all aspects of communications, and offering networking opportunities with fellow communicators who share common needs and interests.
THE CHALLENGE
After CCA surveyed its members extensively and formed a website steering committee, the group compiled an impressive list of needs and requirements for the new site:
- A polished new look and responsive design
- Members-only area with exclusive features
- Enhanced member profiles
- Resource libraries, both for public and members-only consumption
- Web content management system (CMS) that would allow for continued growth and adapt to the organization’s changing needs
OUR APPROACH/SOLUTION
We began by choosing WordPress as the platform on which to develop the CCA site. Besides being one of the most recognized and relied-upon resources available, WordPress offers a bevy of plug-ins for functionality, easy-to-use tools, and clean, fresh designs that are friendly to nearly all devices, including tablets and phones. It was also key that the new design more closely aligns with CCA’s branding and other existing materials.
The organization of CCA’s vast library of content was key to the site’s success. We meticulously created sections and subsections, compressed downloads, and chronological archives that, despite the underlying complexity involved in planning and execution, ultimately appear simple and seamless to the end-user.
A top CCA priority was to allow members to customize their own profiles, usernames and passwords, and the personal data available to other members, a feature not offered in the organization’s previous web incarnation. Achieving this goal now allows members to use the site for one of its most valuable features: networking.
Finally, we were able to create an elaborate showcase in which to feature current and previous winners of CCA’s annual Communications Contest. This graphics-intensive members’ area now contains archival materials as well as recent winners and provides a platform upon which the group can build as future contests occur.
RESULTS
In addition to the core foundations listed above, other components that were added or improved upon include:
- Events calendar
- Job listings
- Searchable member directory
- Payment gateway & support
- Online forms
The new site is also extendable with future add-ons as per the client’s wishes, such as:
- Private messaging
- Social login
- Member file sharing
- And many more as WordPress continues to innovate
The new CCA website is leaps and bounds better than its predecessor. You did a fantastic job bringing it forward.”
– Marian McLemore, APR, CCC
VP, Cooperative Communications, Flint Energies
Launch Website