Day Fifteen: Website Wonders

Having had a look at the other websites I can't help but feel that this effort is a bit low-tech by comparison. Almost everyone has commissioned a professional site - except for one person who looked at mine and decided to get a matching one!

Some include fancy graphics, background music and today - for the first time - I saw the campaign videos! However, I'm guessing in the long run it won't matter, people with a clear idea of what they want to do should be ok.

I have been working on the Conservative Future website for the past 20 months now. At first I wrote articles, but recently we have had a mini-relaunch, with daily updates and I took over a managing role for half of our team of twenty writers. If you have a branch or even a personal website get the RSS Feed. It'll keep your site looking busy and professional whilst still retaining the feel that the content is written by real CF members.

I am now mad-keen to take the site and e-campaigning to another level. Some candidates want a magazine - but I feel that in the 21st century, when our target audience is under 30, we shouldn't waste the money, effort and huge amounts of time into paper, when we can have a daily magazine getting to every member and interested person at the click of a mouse.

The next step is providing website templates, followed by e-resources to branch and area chairmen such as campaign literature and 'How to..?' manuals on campaigning and organising events. This could deliver a minimum level of professionalism even to small or inexperienced branches.

Also, shouldn't we use the internet as a powerful tool for campaigning and mobilising our members? The americans have shown what can be achieved, we already have a slight advantage here in the UK, let's take it one step further.