Website Creation

Setting Up A New Website

Note: This portion of the toolkit only addresses lodge (or chapter) websites, because section websites should be hosted on the Order of the Arrow Section Website Network.

If your lodge does not already have a website, we recommend first working with your council to discuss web presence options. It is preferred for new lodge websites to leverage the council’s website capabilities to integrate with other council programs and benefit from configuration and maintenance at the council level.
 

If your lodge is setting up an independent website, it should be done by knowledgeable individuals with a reputable hosting provider. We recommend using a hosting provider that will support security and maintenance operations for the website, otherwise this onus falls on the individuals maintaining the website, and long-term sustainability should be considered. Many hosting providers bundle their offerings with a WYSIWYG editor or Content Management System (CMS), a domain name, and an SSL certificate. Both are important aspects to consider:

• A WYSIWYG editor allows you to edit the website without writing any “code”. Formatting and layout can be done with your mouse cursor, similar to document publishing software. This is an easier approach for first-time website editors.
• The CMS allows you to manage website content separately from the website theme (design/layout). This allows the theme to be swapped out easily in the future and allows some team members to focus on content while others focus on the theme. The CMS used for section websites is WordPress, the leading free CMS platform across the internet. Many hosting providers offer “managed WordPress” to cover the maintenance aspects. Other popular choices include Squarespace, Google Sites, Wix, and Weebly.
• A domain name can often be added on when setting up your website through a hosting provider. This should cost an additional $12-20 per year. When choosing a domain name you want something relevant to your lodge. This could be your lodge name or your lodge’s number (if it has one). Some real domain names of lodges include muscogeelodge.org, lodge70.org, and madockawanda.org. The NCC recommends picking a domain name with a .org extension as these are associated with nonprofit organizations.
• An SSL certificate is used to secure the connection between your hosting provider and anyone accessing your website through the domain name. Many hosting providers generate SSL certificates for free with a domain name, some charge an extra fee. To obtain an SSL certificate for free, you can utilize a service like Let's Encrypt. Having an SSL certificate is critical to demonstrate trust when collecting any data from website visitors (such as filling out a web form), and is recommended for view-only websites as well. Some search engines prioritize returning results of websites with SSL certificates over websites that do not have one.

Additional tools to consider incorporating into the website include analytics and search engine optimization.

Structuring The Website

Your lodge website should serve the following purposes:

1. Introduce the purpose and goals of the OA as a national organization.
2. Inform parents and new members about what your lodge is and what it does.
3. Provide information for current members on events and registration.
4. Provide current members with information on lodge structure, chapter information, and ways to stay up to date on the lodge.
5. Refer current members to section and national OA websites for more information.

To do this, the website should have a detailed and easy-to-use structure.

It’s important to effectively organize your website to make finding information as easy as possible. The longer it takes for someone to find what they are looking for on a website, the more likely they are to give up. At the top of your website you should have a menu with high level topics. Here are a few examples of navigation menus:

You can structure your website’s menu in a way that is most relevant to your lodge but there are some things that it should probably contain.  However this structure is put together, the website should be visually consistent throughout to make navigating the website easier for visitors. Below is a sample organization tree for your website menus. Each of these links should go to a page with helpful information on that topic.

• Lodge
  • About Us
  • Leadership
  • History
  • Request a Unit Election
• Events
  • Fall Fellowship
  • Spring Fellowship
  • Spring Trade-o-Ree
  • Winter Banquet
• Chapters
  • Chapter A
  • Chapter B
  • Chapter C
• Resources
  • New Member Information
  • Brotherhood Conversion
  • Lodge Newsletter
  • Calendar
  • Membership
  • Paying your Dues
  • Membership Levels
  • Awards and Recognition

A large percentage of people visiting your website for the first time will be parents of Scouts that have been called-out or recently inducted. On your home page include information or links to pages that specifically discuss next steps after a call-out or after the induction process. 

Website Maintenance

As you maintain your website content, it may be best to think of your website as a living document of what has happened in the lodge, what is happening in the lodge, and what will happen in the lodge. As such, it is important to remember to add/edit/delete content on a regular basis. Here are examples of some times you may want to consider making adjustments to the content on your website:

• When an event’s registration opens or closes, or the event happens.
• When the lodge leadership changes.
• At the end of the annual year.
• When something historic happens in your lodge (election of a national officer, NOAC, etc).

It is also generally a good practice to review the content every 3-5 years on your website to make sure the photos and content on the website represents the current membership of the lodge.

If you also manage your website CMS, it is important to stay on top of security updates and related software releases. Ensure you are receiving security notices from your CMS installation, the CMS provider, your website hosting provider, and any other dependencies.

Creating a website is a multifaceted process that requires careful planning, design, development, and ongoing maintenance. By following these essential steps, you can create a website that not only meets your lodge's goals but also provides a positive experience for your members and visitors. Despite this, there are best practices well beyond the scope of this toolkit that are best learned by experience and exploration.
 

To get inspiration and see how other lodges have designed their websites, check out their links in the Lodge Locator on the OA website.