Cohousing-L Mailing List: web site as fantastic marketing tool

[DCS (cdm]

We at Eno Commons maintained a web site during most of the marketing. I
know during the last year or so of the marketing effort, the web site
was very important. At least two of our out-of-state households found us
originally through the web; there's no telling how many of our prospects
came via teh web. Many other of our current households used the web site
for further information after initial visits to the project and to
meetings. I think it was an invaluable marketing tool, with very little
cost for a mighty big bang. 

I'd add, though, that when my family was looking at cohousing, there was
one group's web site we visited. It hadn't been updated in over a year,
there were no site plans or pictures, not very much info, and it really
turned me off to the group - we didn't even go see them because the
other coho's web site was so *together*.  I wanted to be part of a group
that was not only friendly during our visit but so organized in regards
to information. I think the lesson there is that no web site is better
than a shoddily-produced one.


> 
> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 16:22:37 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Eris Weaver <eris [at] ncal.verio.com>
> To: brucefrishkoff [at] usa.net
> Subject: Re: value of web sites
> Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.05.9906101617150.6214-100000@shell1>
> 
> Sonoma County Cohousing has a Website, which I maintain.  Since I already
> have an Internet account and html experience, our site costs the group
> nothing.
> 
> At this point, the site has mainly been used as a repository for minutes
> of meetings, etc.  So that members who have missed a meeting can get
> caught up.  It also serves as a sort of virtual brochure -- when someone
> is interested in the group, we suggest that they read the information on
> our site before they come to a meeting so that we don't keep having to
> explain old business.  We do get email from folks who stumble across our
> site -- I'm not sure whether they're coming from one of the directory
> sites or what.  Some of them have indeed come to meetings...and several
> members of our core group  (self included) originally FOUND the group bia
> the 'Net.  We are very early in our process, and I imagine that things
> will change as we get closer to an actual site.
> 
> Eris Weaver
> http://www.wco.com/~eris/socoho.html
> 
> On Thu, 10 Jun 1999 brucefrishkoff [at] usa.net wrote:
> 
> >      On a very limited budget but needing more residents, we are wondering
> > about the value of having our own web site.  We figure a good one will cost 
> > us
> > about $600 a year for hosting.  What are your experiences about results 
> > coming
> > from web sites, costs, and possible sources for assistance? We ARE growing,
> > but more slowly than we would like.
> >      Many thanks for any help forthcoming.
> >
> > Bruce Frishkoff
> > Cedar Cohousing, Columbia County (Hudson Valley), New York
> >
> > ____________________________________________________________________
> > Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1
> >
> 
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> End of COHOUSING-L Digest 53
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