Plugging Into a Community That Clicks

The days of exchanging neighborhood news solely over the back fence or at the local post office are long gone. And often, by the time community newsletters are written, printed and distributed, the information is stale.

Instead, many homeowner and civic associations are turning to Web sites as their key communication tool. Some draw you in by touting a community's setting, architecture or neighborliness. Others bark, "We have rules and we're sticking to them!" Many are helpful; many others are out of date.

So how do you pull together a Web site that serves your community? Whether your association is starting from scratch or wants to upgrade an existing site, there's a lot to learn from effective sites. There's also a lot to learn from sites that miss the mark.

"Part of the challenge is how do you want to present yourself?" said Paul Heller of Heller Information Services in Rockville.

At the top of its main page, one Springfield townhouse community recently heralded, "Latest Headline News: Pet waste has now become a problem . . . " That is probably not the first mental image you want readers to have.

Yes, it may be a neighborhood concern, but remember that your audience includes more than current residents. Prospective residents, real estate agents and nosy reporters are also reading.

Whether they read further depends upon first impressions. The key is to strike a balance between the broad picture and the minutiae. Define your priorities and consider your audience.

Narrowing It Down

Obviously, an association of mega-single-family homes will have different needs than a cozy townhouse community. The Web sites of associations with fundraisers, swim teams and frequent holiday celebrations will probably look different from those where the main interest is beautifying the entrance. A neighborhood with a lot of children will have different links on its site than one made up of older adults.

Kathy Chamberlain said there were only about five community Web sites in the District when she started one eight years ago for the Hillcrest civic association in Southeast.

"Hillcrest has always been an involved community," she said, so pulling residents together wasn't her goal. "The idea was to put a positive face on a neighborhood in Southeast," because that quadrant of the city often receives negative attention.

Farm It Out?

That depends. What kind of time and expertise do residents have? A site that could take volunteers weeks to pull together can often be completed in a few days by professional Web designers.

"Starting from scratch is the real killer," said Doug Boulter, webmaster for Virginia Hills in Fairfax County.