By Christopher Massicotte
Whether you are running for President of the United States or for auditor of your municipality, the short answer to the question, Do I really need a web site?
The real questions are: What should I expect to get out of my web site if I launch one? How much should I spend? And finally, can I really expect to raise money off of my web site? Here are five things to consider when answering those questions:
Manage Expectations
Assuming you're not running for President, understand that your web site is not going to be some magical vehicle from which you carry your campaign to victory. Web sites have become a necessity in modern campaigning. If you do not have a web site your campaign will not have the credibility necessary to win.
Yet if you place too much emphasis on your online campaign you risk diverting too many resources away from traditional forms of campaigning. It is interesting to note that those who will be voting for the first time in 2006 will not remember a time when there wasn't such a thing as the “Internet”.
However, while online campaigns are quickly moving from novelty to necessity, traditional forms of campaigning, door-to-door canvassing, direct mail, etc. are still proven vote getters in down-ballot races.
Bottom line: You are not Howard Dean, and he didn't win anyway.
Find the Right Vendor
Options for building, maintaining and marketing your web site are almost limitless. Determine your budget and stick to it. For typical down-ballot races expect to spend between $1,000 and $5,000 for your online campaign.
Some vendors charge a percentage of what you raise online, while others charge a flat fee. If you know that you won't be raising a lot of money online, a percentage-based option may be the most cost effective.
You also want to find a vendor that offers a robust Content Management System (CMS). The ability to easily update your web site on a regular basis is crucial. You cannot expect to attract a regular readership of your site if the content is stale. Ask friendly campaigns in your region what they used and what their experiences were.
Know Your Target Audience
Many campaigns falsely think that their web site should be designed to persuade potential voters. The vast majority of visitors to your site will already be supporters. You should target those supporters and provide them with tools to help your campaign.
Online organizing has become one of the most effective ways to energize and put supporters into action. At the very least you should have a place on your site for supporters to sign up to volunteer, to sign up for an e-mail newsletter, and to contribute.
Your site may also include a blog, an event calendar with sign ups, voter registration information and “tell a friend” capability . The press will also get background information on your candidate from the web site. Ensure that candidate information is clearly written and matches the central themes of your offline campaign.
Make Your Web Site an Integral Part of the Campaign
Many campaigns build very attractive web sites, but then just leave it hanging out there. It doesn't seem to have a purpose or a role in the campaign. Ensure that your site looks like your offline campaign material. The message should also be consistent. Additionally use the tools to gather information online as part of the offline campaign.
Put your web site address on all your campaign materials. When you have an event, allow people to sign up online. When somebody signs up to volunteer online, immediately call that supporter and get them involved as quickly as possible. People tend to change their minds very quickly. Making quick contact will increase your chances of retaining that volunteer. Those volunteers and the assistance your website gives you in organizing those volunteers is like gold in down-ballot races.
It used to be, and this was even true for smaller races, that the campaign that raised the most money, got on TV the most, and sent the most mailings generally won. This is no longer the case.
Organizing volunteers to canvass your neighborhoods, and enabling people to contact their friends quickly and effectively has allowed the campaign with a shoe-string budget to compete with better funded campaigns.
Keeping your web site up-to-date is also important. I have seen so many campaign web sites with a headline like, “Join us for a Rally March 15!” When it was June.
Put Your Best Foot Forward
A web site is an easy indicator of how a campaign's progress. If your content is stale, new events aren't being posted, links are broken, and the web site looks in general disrepair, it sends a clear signal that your campaign is not doing well. It looks like your campaign doesn't have enough resources, and could diminish your campaign's credibility.
If you decide to go forward with a web site do it with as much passion as you would any other campaign activity. Often your web site will be the first impression a potential supporter will get about your candidate. Make sure that first impression is a good one and you will be on your way to a successful campaign!
The power of the Internet is undeniable. We are using the Internet in ways that no one believed we would be doing just 10 years ago. It is also permeating all levels of society. I would never have thought that my grandmother would have to use the Internet to sign up for her Medicare prescription-drug benefit…but that is exactly what she has to do.
The Internet as a medium is in its adolescent stage. Thus far however, it has proven to be an affordable and effective way for political campaigns to not only get their message out, but to take in information to use in more traditional ways.
When developing your campaign's web site, keep in mind that this is not going to be the reason your campaign wins or loses. It is merely an important component in a well rounded campaign strategy.
Christopher Massicotte is Director of Sales and Marketing
for NGP Software, Inc., a Washington-based
software and technology consulting firm.
You can reach Chris at Click here to contact this Author
