Web Evaluations Reveal Common Web Site Blunders

Have you taken a look at your Web site lately?   Well, we have. At the recent NRC Congress in Pittsburgh CVP sat down with recycling professionals from more than 20 communities to review their program Web sites and provide feedback on ways to kick it up a notch. It was eye opening.   The Web sites we reviewed were all over the board from relatively sophisticated to, for lack of a better word, awful. (Don’t worry; we won’t disclose your names!) And we realize there are reasons why sites vary so much, from lack of know-how to lack of funding. But overall we noticed some common blunders that we thought we’d share with you in the hope that you can apply our learnings into making your own site more user-friendly, welcoming and professional looking.     Here’s what we saw: A Web site address (or URL) that is too long and too complicated. Keep it simple and short if you can.   Not using your home page effectively. The home page of your recycling program’s Web site is prime real estate, put the most important information there and make it clear.   Boring “Government-looking” design. We realize many of you are required to use a certain template for your Web site, but there are ways to spice up your site through the content and photos you post.   No two-way communication. It’s not enough just to post contact information on your site. Many of the sites we evaluated did not have a “user-feedback” form or any forms of two-way communication for that matter.   Not enough contact information. The Web is quickly becoming the first place people look for information, so make sure an email address and/or phone number for your program is easy to find. No way for residents to request a bin/cart - At the very least your Web site should have a clear point of contact for requesting a new recycling bin or cart. Many Web sites are now offering an online request form, which saves you AND the resident time and frustration. Here are some additional tips to upgrade your Web site: 1.     Make sure there is a link directly from your community’s main government page to your recycling Web site. 2.     Sign up for Google Analytics to gauge who is visiting your Web site and how often. 3.     Promote the local impact of recycling in your community by creating interested local factoids. Check out our Recy-culator to help you do this. 4.     Tap a local design student to help re-design or make upgrades to your site. For a full listing of our Web site tips, click here.  Now I want to hear from you. What have you done to get your Web site noticed? How have you used your Web site to communicate to your residents? Kristen Biance is public relations counsel for CVP. She can be reached via e-mail at kristen.biance@hillandknowlton.com