The Redding Neighbors & Newcomers is announcing their new web site this week, www.reddingneighborsandnewcomers.org!
Last year the club was discussing putting together a web site, but was not sure exactly how to do so. Jennifer Carello, a member of the board of directors, runs her own web site design and computer consulting company. She understood that this was not an easy task. After putting together some sample designs, the board chose a design and color scheme and Jennifer built the site from there. “From the beginning, I didn’t want to have just a mediocre site…if we were going to do this, we were going to do this right and have it look fabulous, be easy to use, and have great information and pictures. I knew that it was going to be a lot of work and take a long time, but I knew that if we all worked together, we could accomplish it,” says Jennifer. And that is what happened. All board members were assigned a task of gathering information. The web site was written by virtually all immediate past board members and current board members. Carello continues, “But the site could not have been completed without the work of Cathy Kane, the president of the club. She really did a lot of leg work in getting information and doing the bulk of the writing.
The club is marketing their site to four audiences. The first of the four audiences is potential members. “We have a membership brochure that we hand out to people who move into town, but there is limited information there and there are no color pictures,” says Lisa Pompeo, V.P. Membership. Now the club can let potential members know about the programs they run all year long, who is on the board, who can join, how the club was started, and potential members can see pictures of past events. “It really gives people a feel for the club and hopefully they will want to join!” Also exciting news is the ability to join entirely on-line. In the past, potential members would fill out a brochure, mail it in with a check, and hope that people could read their writing. “We have created a form on-line for new members to fill out. This helps streamline the process of joining since people can do it quickly while they are at their desk. They don’t have to find the brochure, fill it out, find a stamp, and make their way to the post office. It’s all done over the computer,” says Carello. “And the really exciting part is that we have a partnership with paypal so people can actually pay their annual dues with a credit card or their paypal account.”
The second audience is current members. The club currently sends out a monthly newsletter to all its members chock full of the club’s events and relevant information. Now, most of this information is available the web site. “The newsletter is a great thing to have because you can pick it up and reference it when you need it, but the web site gives you much of the same information when you can not find the actually newsletter, or your are already on-line,” says Lee Reeves, V.P. Communications. Current members are also able to register for most events on the website.
As the board was planning the web site, they decided to include potential residents in their target audience list. As Carello puts it, “We, the board members, all love this town deeply. We love the beauty, the peacefulness, the sense of community, the establishments, such as the library, the community center, New Pond Farm, and all the other awesome things Redding has to offer. We wanted to share this with people who are considering where to live, and let them know that this is not just a place to find a house, but a community where you can create a home.” The website is full of information on the town, with links to important organizations in the community such as schools and political parties.
“The fourth target audience is a very exciting one,” says June Cucchi, V.P. Fundraising. “Residents are now able to purchase all of our items entirely on-line. This includes our annual pewter ornament, which is available now on the website.” Until this point, Redding Neighbors & Newcomers members have sold their T-Shirts, hats, note cards and ornaments at events such as the upcoming Congregational Church fair in October, or left items such as ornaments at locales around town for purchase. Cucchi explains, “The ability to purchase items on line will be so much better for everyone. Residents don’t have to run around town looking for items, and we can keep better track of inventory and funds.” All items purchased on line can be paid for by credit card or paypal, and will be shipped out through the U.S. Postal Service.
A final benefit from having the web site and domain name is that all the board members now have an “official” email. All board members can receive email at their position@reddingneighborsandnewcomers.org. For a full listing, please see the Contact Us page on the site.
The Redding Neighbors & Newcomers invites you all to take a minute and look them up on the Internet. Comments or suggestions can be sent to the webmaster, Jennifer Carello, at webmaster@reddingneighborsandnewcomers.org.
The newcomers club would like to remind members of the community that there are no time restrictions on joining. Residents can join the club even if they have lived here for many years. Please see the web site, www.redddingneighborsandnewcomers.org for more information.
Photo above: Jennifer Carello, Webmaster
