Rebranding an association has a significant impact on every corner of its internal and external optics. One of the most essential considerations is the impact of the new brand on your association’s website. The power of a well-developed website not only engages members, but also immediately conveys key value propositions and exudes the personality of your brand.
The Society of Surgical Oncology introduced a new brand identity in 2019, and a key component of the successful rebrand was the overhaul of the SSO website—www.surgonc.org. It had been several years since the site underwent significant design or content revisions, leading to cumbersome navigation, a lack of SEO, and an overall decline in usage.
The development plan spanned approximately five months. Responsibilities and key milestones were clearly defined. Regular communications helped keep members engaged in the process, which made our requests to them to review the site’s design and navigation effective. Running on a parallel track, staff, with input from various SSO committees, provided direction on content that would be transferred from the old site, rewritten to be web-friendly, or created from scratch. Finally, several technology platforms were evaluated on factors like ease of use, maintenance requirements, unique features, plug-ins, and cost.
In addition, several critical documents were developed that paved the way for a smooth workflow that kept the strategic vision top of mind. These included a strategic brand planning document, a content audit and strategic SEO planning document, and a project planning document.
With more than 3,200 members, SSO’s new website needed to reflect not only the new branding but also the value of membership. Cancer surgeons from around the world join the SSO community to advance their knowledge and remain on the leading edge of research and science. To accomplish this, SSO launched a new online community portal to connect members for networking and information exchange.