Building a LEW Web Site

As you get ready to begin, we would suggest that you first check out some great examples of actual Web sites built by Leagues around the country:

• Writing for the public, organization, categories - from Cincinnati, OH
• Integration with Social Media - from Oberlin Area, OH
• Online VOTER - from North County San Diego, CA
• Stands on Issues (Positions) - from Indianapolis, IN
• Action - from Wichita Metro, KS
• Getting Involved (volunteering) - from Los Angeles, CA
• Frequently Asked Questions - our own HELP pages. Use for Q&As about voting?

See Basics for Writing on the Web (from LWVUS), an excellent set of ideas for making your web site a valuable and trusted means of communicating with the public.

The following steps are necessary whether (i) you just want to try out the LEW system to see how it works or (ii) your League has made the decision to fully implement the LEW system and you want to actually start building your Web site. If you are just trying out the system, in steps 3, 4 and 5 you can do as much or as little as you like.

1. Send an email to support@lwvnet.org indicating that you would like to build a LEW Web site. In response you will receive an email with instructions and your password.

2. Go to the LEW Log In Page and register yourself (first time or if your contact information changes).

3. Enter the data about your League described in "Your League's Information" below.

4. From the list of LEW Web pages, look at (preview) those pages you want on your Web site. Make changes, if desired. It is easiest to start with the Home page then proceed in the order you wish the pages to appear.

In each case, when you have completed your preview and made any desired changes, you should approve each page (turn the dot green).

5. Add other pages you want on "blank" pages. If you are converting from an existing site, copy the content you want to keep into new LEW pages. When approved by you, they will be added to your Web site in the sequence you specify.

6. You may invite your Board to view your approved pages online or print them out for a Board meeting. See approved pages by clicking on "Open Released Pages in a New Window".

7. When you are ready to make your released pages accessible to the public, go to Making Your LEW Web Site Public.

8. Before your site grows too much, you will find it useful to plan the organization of the main topics and pages of your site.

When you login with your password, you will be asked to fill out a simple form. You should be prepared to enter certain information about your League. For this purpose, it is easiest to download, print out and complete a Registration Worksheet (PDF file).

Every League can use the default Website address http://yourleague.yourstate.lwvnet.org where "yourleague" is the name of your League (or an abbreviation of this name) and "yourstate" is the two character abbreviation of your state. "yourleague" is predefined for you, but you may ask to have it changed if you wish. You should ask for this change of name before you first publish your Web site ("go live").

Alternatively, you may contract with a company like VeriSign to obtain your own domain name. We strongly suggest that you choose a name like "lwvxxxxx.org" where xxxxx represents the name of your League. Make it as short as possible or as pronounceable as possible. (One good test: think of a wonderful ad for your League on radio. How does your League's web site address sound? If it takes a long time to say it clearly, perhaps you should choose another.) If you wish to follow this alternative, it is your responsibility to obtain your own domain name and to continue paying the fee for the use of this name.

We recommend that you purchase your own domain name. It is a much "cleaner" name and more professional. But if you start with our default website address, you can change to use a domain name that you have purchased at any time. The transition will be very smooth as your website and email forwarding addresses will be usable with both the original default name and your own domain name.

For detailed information, see Your Web Site Address.

Each LEW Web site may have an unlimited number of email forwarding addresses using your domain name. (If you have a private domain name (e.g. www.yourleaguename.org), substitute that name for the domain name below occurring after the @.) For example, the Webmaster will always have the address:

wm@yourleague.statecode.lwvnet.org (or)
wm@yourleaguename.org

You can define other specific email addresses. For example, we would recommend that at a minimum you define these addresses:

president@yourleague.statecode.lwvnet.org
membership@yourleague.statecode.lwvnet.org

Additionally, you must define a general or "default" email address for your League ("league@").

Then for each of these addresses you will tell us the real email address(es) of the person(s) who should receive such email.

For more detailed information, see Email Address Forwarding.

Here are some more resources to give you some ideas for getting started:

• Get tips on how to Create a Great League Website; Carol's Top Ten List. .

• See also Tips for Local League Websites (from LWVUS).

Here are two presentations that can give you some good ideas even if you have had your web site for a while:

• Web Site Makeover: What, Why, and How to Make your Site 'Hot'!! from Carol Watts and Jenny Waggoner, LWV California

• Making the Most of Websites and Social Media from Mary Picket, LWV Michigan