Just Do It!
The key to making the move to a more interactive (and active) web site is to identify an area and start with that. Don't open your entire site for editing, just yet!
Start by making a list of all the content you and your staff post on a regular basis and discussing how the people might act if you were to tell them in person. Would they ask questions? Would they be able voice their own point of view? Could they cast a vote or choose an option?
Next pick an action you want to add to your site and determine how you will implement it, monitor it and measure it. You may start by adding simple polls on a regular basis. Make them relevant and simple - a single question with 3 or 4 options is a good start. Leave it up for a few weeks and then replace it with another. Be sure to promote your new feature in your other publications, or by sending a email invitation to small groups of people (but don't blanket everyone in your address book), or with an announcement at one of your gatherings. And let people know what the results are! Give them feedback about their feedback. Write an article about the poll and how you used the feedback to guide you in a decision or action. Now that you have written the article, allow comments by readers.
Using a CMS allows you to have a lot of control over what content is visible and who can publish it for viewing, so there is little worry over inappropriate content being published. Just look for the 'moderation' option for user posts and start with a select group of people to work with to flesh out your processes. I think you'll find your results will be very encouraging and you will be expanding the number of areas you allow and even encourage your online visitors to contribute content to your web site.
Start by making a list of all the content you and your staff post on a regular basis and discussing how the people might act if you were to tell them in person. Would they ask questions? Would they be able voice their own point of view? Could they cast a vote or choose an option?
Next pick an action you want to add to your site and determine how you will implement it, monitor it and measure it. You may start by adding simple polls on a regular basis. Make them relevant and simple - a single question with 3 or 4 options is a good start. Leave it up for a few weeks and then replace it with another. Be sure to promote your new feature in your other publications, or by sending a email invitation to small groups of people (but don't blanket everyone in your address book), or with an announcement at one of your gatherings. And let people know what the results are! Give them feedback about their feedback. Write an article about the poll and how you used the feedback to guide you in a decision or action. Now that you have written the article, allow comments by readers.
Using a CMS allows you to have a lot of control over what content is visible and who can publish it for viewing, so there is little worry over inappropriate content being published. Just look for the 'moderation' option for user posts and start with a select group of people to work with to flesh out your processes. I think you'll find your results will be very encouraging and you will be expanding the number of areas you allow and even encourage your online visitors to contribute content to your web site.
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