Targets and Opinions

Currently, Lauderdale House is in the process of developing a new website. In order to push forward with the content, I was summoned to sit down with those in the office and watch them go through the rough content while "thinking out loud". Since the Society has a very broad target market, providing workshops, activities, and events from kids to adults, the diversity in age at the office proved to be a beneficial factor. A few hours and notebook pages later, it was fascinating to witness what thoughts go through the mind of a potential consumer and how important website content and layout really is. While it was obvious that you cannot please everyone, there were similarities on what can be added or changed. This process really emphasized how marketers need to think like their target market, or at least strongly about their target market, when considering even simple things like logo placement or wording. Since Lauderdale House had to capture not only people in various demographics but with various psychographics, a very general concept had to be achieved, providing clear information while being visually stimulating and interactive. According to Moustakas (2009) a website cannot have an overload of information, nor can it be confusing to get to the desired content. Therefore, it was stressed to the general manager that although the House does a variety of activities, they cannot all be fit on the homepage. Poor content, incorrect landing pages, and the lack of "attractiveness" on a site leads to problems. However, enhancing the user experience to keep one coming back leads to a successful web-page (Moustakas, 2010). As mentioned to the general manager, these were all factors that were to be considered for the development of the Houses's web-page to enhance the user's experience, build a positive image of the Lauderdale House, and increase the number of visitors as well as visits they make to the site.

Moustakas, E.,2009. E-Marketing I. [Lecture](Personal Communication, 25 October, 2009).

New Beginnings

Upon starting the search for a non-profit organization, global and international came to mind. A student of International and Cross Cultural Marketing and a volunteer throughout the years in Israel and Rwanda, my mind was narrowly set on reaching beyond borders. However, through my research, came the realization that unless I could take the time to visit a specific place, the personal touch in the volunteering experience desired would be hard to come by. Through changing a few keywords, my search stumbled upon a local venue called the Lauderdale House Society. Curious by the need for publicity support, I was soon sitting across from the manager, learning that this beautiful and captivating house has been around since 1582 and is now a hub for workshops, music, performances, and outreach programs, just to name a few. Their need: to kick-start a new website, look at new marketing strategies while analyzing the current implementations, gain community awareness and support, and, most importantly, do this on a charity run budget. The challenger: a masters marketing student, eager to contribute to development that results in the organization's goals being met and, hopefully, exceeded. This arts and culture based society does not only provide an excellent hands on marketing opportunity, but the chance to witness growth and personally experience the outcome of the Lauderdale House Society's impact in the local community. I'm eager to be part of this organization and the many programs it offers.