From "Brochureware" to "Communityware"

Companies, churches, clubs want their websites to be effective advertisement. The website has to look great. It has to be distinctive, so that the organization is seen as clever, creative, and interesting. We want visitors to be hooked.

That's “brochureware.” You can get a free brochureware website that looks OK. And for a few dollars a month, you can get a website that looks pretty good. What the free and cheap website providers don’t tell you is that successful brochureware depends on marketing savvy: great graphics and captivating writing.

Brochureware is valuable, but it's only one-way communication. Like beauty, it's only skin deep. Today, your website can be a lot more than just a pretty face.

Today’s interactive websites can really serve your organization or clientele by providing “communityware.” If it’s easy to use and really helps the community communicate and achieve its mission, it’s a good communityware website.

A veterinarian, a counselor, or a mechanic can provide a forum for clients to post questions and get answers.

A church can provide a prayer request area, and give small groups space for posting lessons and discussion areas.

How about an event registration system, with a calendar showing your events (seminars, guest speakers, trips)? Website members and guests can sign up for those events online. They'll receive automatic email reminders a few days ahead of time. The event organizer will have a complete list of registrants, and can broadcast emails to them both ahead of time and afterwards.

How about an online reservation system? Users check availability and request particular facilities, equipment (projectors, coffee pots), and services (food service, childcare). The facilities manager receives an automatic email to take care of the request.

How about a password-protected pictorial member directory? And members can control how much of their information is listed.

How about a private search function where you can search for your community’s documents, users, and archived discussions?

There are so many other things you can post on a website to build community. Here are a few:

• company news
• member news
• polls and surveys
• documents for download (policies, insurance forms, cafe menu)
• photo gallery
• online videos

Good communityware allows all your members to participate without having to become web experts.

Good communityware permits users to subscribe to postings by email or by texting, so they don’t have to check the website to be up-to-date.

Good communityware can be administered by secretaries who don’t have to become web experts to keep the website up to date.

Good communityware is backed by knowledgeable system administrators who don’t charge you an arm and a leg to keep your online community functioning well.

At qanguru.com, we are experts at building communityware websites at a reasonable price. Check out our portfolio. Ask any of our customers. At qanguru.com, we build websites that work.

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