Today’s associations, member organizations and other customer-focused companies are working hard to extend their reach and effectiveness, while looking to take advantage of the knowledge in their networks in service to their missions. Even with limited resources, they are actively competing for the attentions of their current and prospective “customers” – be they members, donors, and sponsors, or board members, committee chairs, and chapter officers.

Progressive Development – sounds like a building strategy to breathe life into a stagnant community, doesn't it? Only the neighborhood – the Web – differs from what you might have first imagined. Progressive Development is the deliberate and ongoing process of breathing new life into web sites to better serve the changing needs of site visitors. Buildings actually provide a good metaphor for understanding the concept of Progressive Development. 

Once upon a time, just having a Web site put a not-for-profit (NFP) at the forefront of technology. Back then pages were static, functionality was limited, and the user was an afterthought. But to quote Bob Dylan – "The times, they are a-changin'." Users have matured; technology has evolved; and functionality is required. Instead of being satisfied with just finding out a little bit about who you are and where you are located, users now expect the Web site of a NFP to be a "one-stop-shop" – they want to be able to update their contact information, buy a book, sign up for an event, make a donation, and participate in an online community.

So you’ve invested in a corporate web site, now what? Well, many companies treat their web sites like the OSHA posters that they are required to display…everyone has one so there’s ours. But that is a bad move. Web sites at the corporate level can be significant investments and should be treated as such. To get in the right mindset, organizations should think of their web sites in the same manner as physical expansions – web sites are essentially virtual expansions. And therefore, their performance should be evaluated to determine effectiveness, impact, and return on investment. “How?”…You ask. “Server Log Analysis.”…I reply.

With the economy not as strong as it has been, the not-for-profit (NFP) sector is facing an ever changing business landscape that includes: a volatile economy, changing demographics, shifts in governmental and private funding priorities, swings in the political climate, and influential world events. As a result, NFPs are being called upon more and more to adapt to change. Although other sectors have been relatively quick to incorporate tools that enable them to adapt to the shifting landscapes, the NFP sector’s response has not been quite as successful. Clearly, one of the most important tools in this adaptation has been technology.

Management guru, Tom Peters, nailed it when he said…“Do what you do best and outsource the rest.” Outsourcing is being used by executives around the world to lower costs and improve quality. But the benefits do not stop there, outsourcing is also allowing organizations to transform their business operations, generate better customer solutions, and create greater shareholder returns. And let’s not discount the boost to corporate momentum it provides by raising the bar of operational reliability, improving an organization’s ability to plan, and more rapidly implementing new strategies and initiatives. The bottom-line - in today’s business environment, it’s difficult to imagine how any company could be successful relying solely on its own resources.

Once upon a time, a man of mystery and magic fired the imaginations of the masses (young adults and jaded financiers alike). His playful but energetic take on his chosen profession fueled great speculation and controversy. No, I'm not talking about Louis Rosetto, the founder and erstwhile editor of Wiredmagazine. I'm talking about Willy Wonka, fictional candy man.

In business, cash is king – and the ability to generate it while you sleep is golden. As professionals, we should always be open to innovation and on the lookout for new (and of course, appropriate) revenue streams. Thinking along those lines, my company, hesketh.com, has been investigating the merits of the Google AdSense program.

According to Ernst & Young, a corporate intranet can achieve such great savings that it can result in a return on investment of 1000% or more — and payback periods can often be measured in weeks, rather than years! But before you read any further, please repeat the following: “An intranet is a project in its own right.” It deserves more than organic growth, more than being an information dumping ground, and more than a disjointed attempt to fit into the overall corporate communication strategy. 

Where does spam come from? We've all asked ourselves this question. A cadre of systems administrators, who are actively trying to preserve this incredibly important communications channel, have invested a great deal of time into understanding the problem. Learning how to read email "headers" in order to trace spam to its senders, blocking abusive mail servers and other sources, and so on - has given us some interesting insights over the years. Lately, however, the spammers have begun to escalate their attempts to ensure delivery of their unsolicited ads for illegal (and dubious) pharmaceuticals, porn, and virtually everything else. The United Nations estimates over 70% of all mail sent on the Internet is spam, and it's getting worse.

As the holiday season approaches and we don the holiday bedazzled attire that we wouldn't normally be caught dead in but wear happily to see those thoughtful gift givers smile, I find myself thinking of the impact of a positive User Experience. “User Experience?," you ask bewildered. Yes, User Experience and Christmas carols (it's a holiday thing). But let me explain using my holiday sweater — you can stop laughing you know you've got one too. 

Just as Dorothy and friends followed the yellow brick road to enlightenment, a portal can offer similar benefits to its users. A portal is a gateway or a robust single sign-on access point that leads to a variety of content and core services. It is designed to give users a managed online experience, and is particularly useful to Web users as a start and return point for venturing online — especially for a niche topic or area of interest.