It is essential for an Association to be in control of the content generated on the web about them.
But besides having a properly designed and optimized community website there is a lot more a site can do when it comes to damage control.
The following incident can can happen anywhere and does all the time:

At a gorgeous Town Home and Single family development a terrible disaster occurred.
- This association has it all, community pool, tot lot, clubhouse, walking trail, you name it.
- Tragedy struck swat teams were called in and a home was riddled with bullets.
- Inside the homeowner lay dead.
- The residence was listed by the heirs for pennies of it’s true value.
- You can control your homeowner’s landscapers but not your homeowners.
Before the Neighborhood Notices Association website, if you google the HOA name guess what came up? BAD NEWS was the #1 search result.
In came the neighborhood Notices web design team to the rescue.
- We SEO’d our fingers off. And within a few weeks a magical thing happened.
- The INCIDENT disappeared from the 1st page.
- So before you say “it can never happen here” think again.
- Do the words Trayvon Martin ring a bell? (see Acri Community Realty on HOA security)
That is exactly why you need a community website.
We can go on repetitively about social media. You need to be in charge of your online brand. Maybe someone is saying some seriously damaging things about your community. What is the best way to control bad press?
So yes, having an association website does help engage the homeowners as well as protecting their property values.
- Remember – “Good news travels slow, bad news is viral.”
- I think you know the answer; you better get a website for your community today.
Resources:
Association Website Content Strategies by Amy Eddins
5 things your membership site is doing wrong by Christina Smith