CLIENT

MSFDA

Maryland State Funeral Directors Association

Website

The Challenge

The website was dated; literally the design had not been updated in over five years. And, while a dated sited may be less impactful to an association compared with a business, still, that association is looking to be a leader in the industry, is asking for monetary membership, and wants to be respected; the website should reflect all of that.

The Solution

Well, for one, we modernized the look and feel of the site, to something more contemporary.

We gave it a “look,” emphasizing the State of Maryland, so that the website looked less lackluster, stodgy, and boring, and had more appeal.

The aesthetic aside, while still important to grab attention and encourage the visitor to keep exploring, we re-arranged the main navigation into a logical order so that the variety of website visitors — FOR MEMBERS, FOR STUDENTS, FOR CONSUMERS — can easily find the information that brought them to the site in the first place.

Special Functionality

Member Login

Members-only information is available to members via the same website that serves consumers, but is locked-down via login and password, thus allowing the Association to maintain a single website, that provides information to its many different target audiences.

Funeral Home Finder

Utilizing WP Google Maps Pro, we configured the plugin to show funeral homes that are members of the association, making it easier for consumers to find funeral home near them to do business.

Legislator-at-a-Click

This really was an ingenious idea, which absolutely had to be implemented with custom programming. The Executive Director, as guided by the Board, can craft a custom letter to the Maryland legislation stating an opinion on a current issue or vote. Members of the Association are encouraged to go to the Legislator-at-a-Click page, choose their Legislator from the dropdown menu, complete their own name and email and off goes the email to the Legislator, thus flooding his inbox with the support (or objection) to a piece of legislation and making the voice of the Association heard.

Online Continuing Education Courses

Prior to implementing online quizzes, members pursuing continuing education credits had to travel and sit through a 3-hour class on a Saturday. Now, they can easily access the course material, and then take the exam online.Further, the quiz automatically corrects, so the participant knows immediately whether he passed or failed. Functionality is implemented via a quiz plugin, customized to meet their specific needs.This has been a huge success for MSFDA, increasing revenue for them and making it so much easier for members to keep up their CE credits.

PayPal Buttons

PayPal buttons have been used on again and off again, as needed, such as selling tickets to functions. Buy Now buttons are convenient for both members and for the association. Members can make purchases immediately, using a credit card, rather than have to print and order form, complete it, and mail it in. For the Association, orders come in immediately, are processed, and funds are readily available, rather than having to take the time to process payments. It’s a win-win, all around.
PayPal links are also utilized in automated emails, to collect payment for CE courses. Again, convenient for members and a source of easy revenue for the Association.