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Community Associations are going online. How do I get members to use the new technology?
by Drew Regitz
| Your homeowner's association now has a professional Web site... |
So, how do you get people to use it?
Consider how the technological advances of the past decade have altered the way we interact with one another on a daily basis.
Facebook, for example, was launched a mere six years ago and yet it now boasts more than 500 million active users. In fact, If Facebook was a country it would be the 3rd largest behind China and India! Twitter was launched just four years ago and enjoys over 176 million users. Amazing how technology has become part of the fabric of our lives.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that more and more homeowner associations are implementing technology solutions to help them better serve their communities and maximize their time, money and energy. It’s not just a desire to better interact with the community but a necessity to communicate and manage effectively and efficiently while maximizing all available resources. And yet, introducing new technology solutions is a challenge and, when implemented with little forethought and planning, can have less-than-desired results.
What follows are some suggested guidelines to consider when implementing new technology solutions for your community. Applying these principles can help ensure a smooth transition from the old to the new, and help increase adoption so all may benefit as desired and planned.
Web sites are designed to improve the Community’s experience and service
One of the biggest challenges staff face when introducing new technology is dealing with the frustration the community feels by having to adjust to new policies and procedures. Normal resistance to changes kicks in and must be overcome initially to gain trial and acceptance. An effective and proven way to minimize the impact of change is to:
| Involve those impacted before introducting the new technology |
It is often helpful to send out a survey or questionnaire or to hold a meeting to get resident feedback on how they might be better served by the homeowner association. And discuss the types of technology solutions that are now available to better serve their needs. Listen, and take this feedback into account, and, when introducing the new Web site, explain how it directly addresses the specific needs and desires requested by the community. This type of approach includes them in the process and will help acceptance and adoption going forward. Keep in mind that residents want information
quickly and easily while staff wants to save time, money and headaches managing and providing this information.
Some common points of interest (and helpful discussion) for successfully implementing a professional Web site, for example, might include:
* Everybody will now have the ability to play and learn, a basic need for most
* Understanding that kids are typically technology proficient and we need to keep pace
* We all need to refrain from resisting change as it is necessary in today’s world
* You can make mistakes with minimal to no harm done with this new technology…just do it
* The knowledge that nothing stays the same, so we must change or go backwards
Another key point is that technology which is user friendly and allows residents easy access and seamless interaction will always be a success and will minimize frustration. Your Web site must be intuitive, easy to use and relevant to ensure maximum adoption. Also, it is critical to consider the technology from the perspective of the community users:
* Does the Web site minimize the steps required to get the information desired?
* Is the Web site interface intuitive and familiar to the user?
* Are there processes or procedures that may seem confusing to the residents?
The old communication adage “KISS…Keep It Short & Simple” goes a long way to increase adoption and utilization of new technology solutions.
So, be sure to involve a small number of community members in a test run to help address these issues and to gain insight on how best to introduce the new technology to the community as a whole. Meeting a basic need for people to be included in change initiatives will help to improve your chances for success.
| A test with a small number of community members provides valuable information and helps ensure the successful implementation of your new Web site |
These types of test runs also produce some “success stories” that can be shared with the entire community when introducing the new Web site. It will also help you identify those functions which the community will use most often, and provide the greatest benefit to the residents. These functions should be as simple and “user friendly” as possible.
Rarely do users utilize all of the functionality available in a technology solution. Knowing which functions the community is likely to use most often allows you to customize training by introducing these high-use functions first. By making these functions as easy to use as possible, you increase the sense of success and the level of excitement experienced by community members during the launch and training process. This type of approach also allows you to roll out functionality in stages to ensure greater adoption and utilization as the user gains incremental confidence in the technology and its benefits.
Then, within this atmosphere of success and excitement, you can introduce those lesser-used functions. Since these functions are used less often, but have great benefit, they may take a few extra steps to get to – which means that for some community members, those functions will feel more difficult to access. By introducing them last, after some familiarity and success has been experienced, it will help to make community members more open to experimenting and learning.
Timing is everything… Choose the optimal time for introducing your new Web site
Taking the time to carefully consider the best time to introduce new technology to your community can also have a dramatic impact on its success. For example, the holidays are generally not the best time to introduce change of any kind. It’s a hectic, busy time of year for everyone and that makes it difficult for people to focus on the new technology and how it functions.
There are a number of periods during the year where people can be pre-occupied and will focus less on change. Consider early April through tax day April 15 or end of May when kids get out of school and Memorial Day vacation plans kick in. Or mid to late August as school starts up again and Labor Day plans are in full swing. You get the picture, with a little planning you can determine the best time to introduce your new Web site…and ensure the best opportunity for success.
In order to help community members avoid a negative experience, consider the best month, day and time to introduce your new Web site. For example:
* When will your community members be least occupied with holidays, children, travel, etc?
* When will you be least occupied with other projects or duties?
* When is your community the least active with events and activities?
| Carefully select the best time to introduce your new Web site in order to ensure a smooth transition |
Thinking through these questions will help you target the best month for introducing the new technology. In addition, it will help you devise a schedule of days and times when the training offered to the community on how to use the Web site will be most likely to lead to a successful outcome.
It is also important to consider what processes and procedures are going to remain the same. Change often causes people to feel uncertain and anxious; remember to point out those things which will remain the same. This will give your community members a sense of solid ground on which to stand while the other processes and procedures around them are changing. And always maintain focus on the new additional benefits the technology will provide you and them.
Making the transition timely and as comfortable and easy as possible for the community is important when striving for maximum adoption and utilization of your new technology. This involves providing members with the tools and resources they need to understand and easily use the Web site.
Provide available staff members to answer questions during the implementation period
Although offering community members training and support during the optimal implementation time, oftentimes it is just not enough. What seems easy during training sessions when staff is on hand to answer questions can be exceedingly difficult once members are home struggling to use the new technology. The loss of a readily available “lifeline” can inhibit adoption so be sure to make resources available at all times during the implementation period.
| Change is difficult and stressful for most people. Providing staff to answer questions timely and accurately will help relieve anxiety and frustration...and increase adoption of your Web site. |
It will take time, and a bit of practice, before some members feel a sense of confidence when using the new Web site. It is, therefore, important to provide extra support staff for a time so that questions can be answered quickly and concerns can be addressed immediately. Expecting members to always search for the answers in a document or online may increase the length of time it takes before the implementation of the new technology can be considered a success.
In addition to extra support staff, another way to improve adoption and utilization is by identifying those community members who are using the technology with confidence. Ask those members if they would be willing to help others who are struggling. This is a great way to connect the community to one another and to increase the likelihood of a successful implementation.
Although the members of your homeowner association may experience a few bumps and some anxiety adopting your new Web site, careful and thoughtful planning can significantly reduce the level of frustration involved when change is introduced. Your new Web site is a great tool to improve the communication and management of your community so the more people who adopt the technology, the greater the benefit to all. A smooth implementation that maximizes adoption and utilization relies on the following key points:
Involving homeowner association members before introducing the technology:
* Have a trail group test the technology and provide valuable feedback from the member perspective.
* Carefully plan and chose the right time for implementation
* Be sure to explain how the new Web site will benefit the members directly
* Remember that technology is a tool that should be easy to use
* Keep in mind that change is difficult. Give members some solid ground to stand by telling them what will stay the same and be familiar to them.
* Test out the Web site with a small number of members in order to gain insight and understanding into how the technology is actually used and how the positive change will impact the community.
* Design the training to reflect what was learned through the testing of the software with the limited number of members.
* Highlight the “success stories” experienced in the initial test training
* Begin training by introducing those functions which will be used most often and which are user friendly
* Provide extra support staff during the implementation period and for some time after to answer questions as they arise.
* Encourage community members who are confidently and successfully using the technology to help those that may be struggling.
* Encourage and address feedback directly and positively with an eye on moving forward
Finally, once the new Web site has been successfully launched and is working as designed and desired, communicate to the community about the success by highlighting how the technology is well on its way to improving communications, saving time, money and headaches while making the homeowner association more efficient and effective.
© Copyright 2011 AssociationVoice, Inc.
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