At the time of writing this article, the first website appeared 34 years ago. That first website was more of a scientific demonstration than anything we’d recognise as a “modern” website.
The first website with the URL http://info.cern.ch
But here we are, 34 years later, in the world of oversized phone screens and ever-shortening attention spans, still talking about websites as the primary tool for engaging with our members. Shouldn’t we be solely focused on apps by now? Is the concept of a website outdated?
I don’t think so.
In fact, I believe your website still remains one of the most powerful tools for growing and engaging your association membership. Why? Because of the very low “entry” requirements. Build a website and people can access it immediately. Build a good website and they are immediately engaged.
But that engagement is core and doesn’t happen by accident. There are certain things, depending on your association’s services, that your visitors and members will expect to be able to do.
Here are my suggestions for the 9 essential features that will help turn your visitors into engaged, lifelong members.
First impressions count.
Whether we like it or not, your website will be judged the moment it loads, often based on appearance alone. That means it needs to look good across all screen sizes, from desktop monitors to phones and tablets, without forcing users to rotate their device.
Then it’s a case of balancing the key things the visitor wants to do on your site with the messages and calls to action you want them to respond to.
You also need to balance the needs of the non-member visitor with the established member. Make sure that “selling” your association to potential new members doesn’t impede your existing membership’s ability to access the services their membership has paid for.
One final practical suggestion I’d offer in this area is to keep an eye on what other people are doing. And I’m not just talking about other associations in your area. Or even just other associations. Whenever you visit a website either professionally or during your leisure time, think whether there’s an idea on that website that you could apply to your organisation.
Related article from the iMIS Blog: 6 Web Design Tips for Associations
When I log onto a website, I expect it to personalise content based on what I’m interested in. That’s why I created an account, that’s why I pay a membership fee: so that I receive a personalised service.
A membership management system like iMIS makes this easy. Use your members’ activity to shape what they see.
Don’t waste screen space—make every interaction feel relevant.
iMIS’s built-in alert engine lets you take this even further. It allows you to display dynamic links and content tailored to each user’s behaviour, directing them to the areas of the site they’re most likely to find useful at that moment.
This kind of personalisation doesn’t just improve the user experience. It clearly demonstrates the value of membership!
In another blog post, I’ve discussed how a poorly-designed join/renewal process can become a barrier to membership. So, it stands to reason that a well-designed, seamless process can do the opposite: boost conversions and improve retention.
What makes a great process is subjective, but for me, brevity is one key point. A join or renewal that needs a “health warning” that it’ll take 20 minutes makes me instantly hesitant, unless I’m extremely motivated.
And when I see a reassuring “save and come back later” option, if often has the opposite effect. It warns me that this process is going to be a commitment and makes me think twice before continuing. So my top tips would be:
A frictionless join/renewal process is one of the most effective ways to support your organisation’s growth and member satisfaction.
Does having a lot of resources in your library mean you’ve got quality content? I think the answer is not necessarily.
In my opinion, quality content means relevant and current content. It’s content that’s constantly re-freshed. Outdated items are retired (and archived in your resource section), while new content takes its place.
Related article from the education experts at TopClass: How to Prevent & Eliminate Content Clutter in Your Online Learning Catalog
But that kind of content lifecycle doesn’t happen on its own; it requires ongoing investment. It needs people who are responsible for creating and updating the content. It needs someone to make sure that the new content is promoted and tagged correctly (which will deliver the content needed for personalisation – see above!)
A well-maintained resource library can become a powerful membership driver. If your content is searchable and well-indexed, both within your site and via external search engines, you can attract new visitors. Then, by gating full access behind a login or membership, you turn that interest into action.
In short: focus less on how much content you have, and more on how useful, up-to-date, and discoverable it is.
I’d hope these days that no one is left with a website that says “ring us to book your place” or gives a link to download a booking form that you need to email back to the office.
However, it surprises me the number of organisations that still send me to a platform outside of their website to complete my booking and then ask me to re-enter all my information.
Event registration should be a seamless part of the website. From viewing the event details to registration through to checkout. The system should always know who I am and enough about my membership to offer me the event options that apply to me.
With iMIS, the event booking process is a seamless part of your website and connected to your membership data. This allows you to promote your event and take the user, whether member or non-member, through a personalised, hassle-free registration process. All without leaving your site.
A seamless booking journey not only increases event attendance but also reinforces the value of membership through convenience and professionalism.
Related article from the education experts at TopClass: 4 Ways Event and Learning Data Can Help Your Association Achieve Its Goals
The phrase “join the community” is often used when promoting the benefits of membership. But your website needs to deliver that community experience if you want it to mean something.
Community can mean many different things but key features that members expect are:
Many systems such as iMIS have community functionality built in. However you might also want to consider integrating with a dedicated communities platform, access to which is of course another member benefit to assist with your new member recruitment. The key is to make sure your digital community isn’t just a promise—it’s a living, visible part of the member experience.
Related article from the iMIS Blog: How Community Engagement Boosts Association Member Retention
Trust and social proof are powerful and nothing builds trust like real stories from real people. Social proof: testimonials, success stories, and peer recommendations, can powerfully reinforce the value of membership by showing the tangible impact your association has had on others.
How to make it work:
Well-placed testimonials don’t just validate your message, they show prospective members that people like them have already taken the leap and benefited from it!
Related article from the education experts at TopClass: Repurpose Member Success Stories for Educational Content
Because I spend all my time working with iMIS, I find it very hard to understand why anyone would choose to have an association website that’s not part of their core AMS or CRM. If you do, then you can tick this tip off your list.
But if not, then integration is critical. Your website and AMS must work together seamlessly and in real time. It’s no use synchronising data overnight. When you make a change to a member’s record in the AMS, it needs to be reflected on the website immediately, just as a change the member makes on website needs to be visible to your staff in the AMS as soon as it’s made.
Go from data silos to a Single Source of Truth
Proper integration isn't just a technical preference, it's essential to delivering a consistent, reliable and professional member experience.
Complimentary Resource: The Ultimate Guide to Association Software. Our comprehensive guide on selecting and implementing the right tech stack for your organisation.
My final point is one your visitors and members shouldn’t notice, but it’s one of the most important. You need to monitor and analyse how people actually use your website.
At a minimum, you should be using a tool like Google Analytics, which integrates easily with iMIS and provides valuable high-level stats: traffic sources, popular pages, bounce rates, and more.
But to go deeper, consider using behavior-tracking tools like Hotjar. Even on the free tier, you can replay user sessions and see exactly where users click, how they navigate, and where they might get stuck or frustrated. These insights are invaluable. They help you:
All of this feeds back into the points we’ve discussed, from design and content to integration and community, and ultimately helps create a smoother, more engaging experience for your members.
An engaging, strategically designed association website doesn’t just support your membership goals, it accelerates them. When your site is seamless, personalised, and well-integrated, it becomes a powerful tool for attracting new members and keeping existing ones engaged.
By implementing the features outlined above, you can transform your website into a truly member-centric experience.
So ask yourself: Is your website helping or hindering your membership growth?
If it's the latter, now’s the time to explore how iMIS can power a smarter, more connected online experience for your association.