Recreation Authority in Brighton, MI Wins Website Design Award after Redesigning Site for Image and Efficiency

Background

SELCRA (Southeastern Livingston County Recreation Authority) oversees several municipalities in and around Brighton, Michigan. With over 15,000 activity registrations per year, SELCRA needed to update its website to improve design and functionality, and usability for visitors on the front end and admins behind the scenes.

Derek Smith became Director of SELCRA in June of 2010 after years as a recreation professional around Michigan. As the 2012 winner of the Michigan Recreation and Park Association’s Recreation Leadership Award, Derek has guided SELCRA to success with fewer resources. His first objective when coming on board was to bring the website into the modern world.

Keys to Success from Derek Smith, Director, SELCRA

1. What was SELCRA’s website like before the redesign and implementation of Active’s online content management software, Active Content Manager?

Your website is a direct reflection of your organization. If it looks outdated and sloppy, that’s how people will view your organization.

Our website looked like it was created when the internet was invented. The layout was messy, we barely had any pictures, and it couldn’t support necessities like videos, surveys, weather pods, and slideshows. On top of that, our old registration system was a mess. People could set up a family account on our website, for example, but it would take up to 48 hours to get the account activated.

2. What were you looking for in a new website and content management system?

First off, we needed to get the visual aspect down so that we could make a good impression with our visitors. We wanted the slide show presentation across the homepage for new photos and program options. We also wanted videos, good navigation, a clean and fresh look, and needed to be able to update it ourselves easily. That’s why we needed an easy-to-use content management system.

3. Why did you choose Active?

Active Network offers the cutting-edge features that we needed. We knew about Active because lots of people use their online community, Active.com, to find programs, events and races. Also, Active is a major part of recreation on a national level. For their online content management software, we liked the ease of use, functionality, and the team’s ability to take our ideas and turn them into realities.

Finally, everyone is strapped for cash these days. Active was flexible with us to help us accomplish our goals within budget.

4. What was the implementation process like?

We gave the basics of what we wanted and Active produced it. After a few tweaks, we were ready to go. The process was easy and working with the sales and development team was great. Also, I know that if I need help, I can get on the phone with someone who will solve it quickly.

5. What are the benefits of Active Content Manager?

It’s easy to go in to the content management system and update the website without technical skills. We have four full-time staff members and each person manages their own sections of the website. It’s fun to update now, so we keep our content fresh.

Active’s content management and online registration systems are cloud-based. We can take our laptops anywhere for registrations and also update the website from any computer over the internet. On top of that, we don’t need to fully rely on our dinosaur server in the basement anymore since Active hosts and manages our data on their servers. That’s helped us save money, not only on hardware, but also thousands of dollars in bank fees associated with our old payment processing system.

6. What results have you seen since launching the new site?

One result that spoke volumes about the collaborative effort between SELCRA and Active is the award we won from MRPA (Michigan Recreation and Park Association) – the Design Award*. We went live with the site in July of 2011 and were notified that we won the award in October.

As for the site results, we’ve noticed a lot less desk traffic. That speaks to the fact that the site is easy to use and people feel more comfortable registering online rather than in person. That has saved us time. Also, from Google Analytics, I’ve seen that people are reading and getting information rather than simply registering. The information and news based pages are seeing more traffic. That didn’t happen with our old site.

(*The MRPA Design Award is given to the organization that demonstrates its website as a critical way to communicate with residents and nonresidents alike. Judging is based on four categories: on-site functionality, ease of use, design, and content.)

7. Would you recommend Active Network’s web design services and CMS to other recreation organizations?

I already have. I’ve spoken to a lot of people in Michigan about what Active has done for us. People have started to call me because of the awards and I always highly recommend Active Network. I’ve even had a department call from Canada.

With Active’s website and recreation software, we got all the newest features we needed without spending more money than we did with our old system. Simply put, Active has better technology and way better customer service without the financial bump.

Conclusion

Derek Smith has been involved in the recreation industry for over 15 years. As the Director of SELCRA, he knew that it was crucial to update the website before doing anything else. After some research, Smith selected Active Network as SELCRA’s technology partner for website design, online content management software, and online registration software. A leadership award and website design award later, Derek and SELCRA are ready to take on the management of even more facilities in neighboring counties.