It is Vacation time and I am out of here…
It is the beginning of Summer, and most non-profit and faith-based organizations’ leaders have not been on vacation in at least six months. Can your organization allow you to just jump up and run out of the office without looking at some policies or procedures in place? The short answer is no. Your organization should have some policies and procedures in place anytime someone is out of the office, whether it is for vacation or illness.
What are some areas to be concerned about? Communication or lack of communication with potential leads or donors. Creating a “dead site” feel, if your website is posting a blog on a weekly basis, then this policy should be continued. Email capture and lead generator should continue with the same workflow. Backup, security, updates, and site monitoring needs to be done.
Communication
Emails should have auto-replies. Nothing more frustrating than leaving a couple of emails, only to find out that the person you are trying to reach is out of the office for a few days. Auto-replies do not have to have the reason why you are out of the office, but they do need a return date, and an emergency contact person’s name and email. Emergencies should be outlined in a policy and made clear to your lead or prospect by your emergency contact person.
Blog Post
They should be scheduled prior to your vacation time, and as a rule of thumb…schedule any post for the next couple of days after your return. It is very hard to post a blog, as soon as you return from vacation. Look for others in your organization, who might want to become guest bloggers during your time away from the office. Just make sure that your weekly or daily bost continues.
This will eliminate the feeling that your website is a dead site. Many websites have a blog section, and the latest blog is a couple of years ago. This is a classic reason to think that the site is not an active website.
Social Sharing
Social sharing should be automatic. Make sure your blog posts are shared on your social media platforms. Your posts should have a sharing button and this should be automatic with all new and existing posts.
Software Concerns
Your organization’s website themes and plugins should automatically update. Make sure your organization has backup, security, and monitoring. Back up your organization’s website on a third-party platform, do not just rely on your hosting plan. Have some security on your website to protect it against any vulnerabilities. Have a premium monitoring service on your organization’s website to check for uptime and downtime. Your organization wants to know if your organization’s site is up or down and has a policy in place for any downtimes.
Email capture. If your organization has an email capture, then make sure it continues to work during your vacation time. Nothing is more frustrating than a potential lead providing your organization with their email, and selecting a time to receive a call. Only to find out that you are on vacation. Lost opportunity for your organization. Make sure your run a few tests prior to leaving to make sure no downtime exists for any potential leads.
Conclusion
Have fun on your vacation, and just hire a professional when you are out of the office. We are available and can be reached at info@jdswebdesign.biz or 678-718-5489. Image courtesy of Chen Mizrach.
JDS WebDesign is a Web Design and Brand Marketing Agency located in Marietta, Georgia. We create AWESOME on line presence for Start-ups and Influential People/Organizations. To learn more about us or how we can help you and your organization, you can contact us or schedule a meeting.
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