Transparency and accountability matter in community associations. It’s not surprising that an increasing number of states across the country are now requiring HOAs and COAs to maintain community association websites with public access to association documents and information, under certain conditions. These new requirements create an exciting opportunity for community associations. In addition to improving transparency, great community association websites can boost community engagement, community manager efficiency, and resident satisfaction. Here are five tips to inspire you when looking at HOA website providers:
Using the website has to be easy. This seems obvious! Unfortunately, we’ve all experienced visiting (or worse, working with) a cumbersome website. There’s no reason to waste your time struggling to update a difficult website. Instead, look for an HOA website platform with an easy-to-use content management system. Your website should be painless to maintain and simple for residents to use. Getting help when you need it should be effortless, too. Go with a website provider that offers online training for site admins, a helpful Knowledge Base, and support for admins and residents.
Document management tools are essential. Most community associations have documents that should be available to the public and documents that should only be available to homeowners. Additionally, many HOAs have documents that are for Board Member access only. This means your HOA website must have a document management system with privacy controls. Look for a website that allows for logical setup and organization of HOA documents so residents – or prospective residents – can quickly find the information they need.
Help residents help themselves with self-service features. Association business is not always conducted during office hours. Not surprisingly, homeowners think about their HOA when they are at home on evenings and weekends. They want to make reservations, submit maintenance requests, fill out architectural modification forms, and RSVP for community events when it is convenient for them. Meet this need by offering self-service features on the association website so that residents can help themselves—anytime, anywhere. Go with a website provider that simplifies HOA living with features like an Amenity Reservations System, ARC and Work Order Management tools, and an Events Calendar with RSVP options.
Embrace software integrations. Integrating your HOA website with your accounting software can empower residents to view their payment history, balance, violation notices, and other requests all in one place. You can also offer residents the convenience of paying assessments online if your website is integrated with your payment processing system. There is no need for residents to log in to multiple systems when they can access their personal account information – plus association news and information – through your HOA website.
Your website should have style and substance. Your association website should be a breeze to navigate. The layout and menu structure should be clean and simple. That said, an HOA website doesn’t have to be boring! It’s never been easier to provide your association with an engaging, modern website. Use beautiful photos of your community on the homepage to help residents easily identify with your HOA and build a sense of community pride. A great website looks and functions equally well on desktop and mobile, so be sure your HOA website offers a rich mobile experience.
Feeling inspired? Take a look at Nabr Network! Our community association websites offer these features – and more. Request a demo today and let’s talk about the possibilities.
