What makes a good website? About a hundred different things. But what’s a good start? Good organization, good design, good content.
Brick Factory is based in D.C., where you can’t go a block without passing half-a-dozen trade associations, so we were curious: which ones have the best websites?
What did we find? Very good examples of organization, design, and content.
We started with 50 of the largest trade associations, but narrowed it down to 10.
Who rose to the top? Take a look.
The Endocrine Society has a good website overall, but they made this list because of how user-friendly the site is. We like that you can browse content by “who you are.” This option is right at the top, right in the middle: you can’t miss it.
It’s organized, it’s attractive, it’s easy to navigate. Overall – a job well done. Notice how all the content on the homepage is spaced perfectly and fits into a grid; the standardized height and width for each block makes this website design clean and effective.
Great calls-to-action! “Become a Member” stands out clearly without being over-the-top. AAAS uses red to draw your eye to the most important things on the page. But why does this really work? Because it’s the same red they use in their logo.
ACS has an attractive and well organized website, but what sets them apart is their content. It’s original, it’s engaging, it’s fun. Cool Science? Molecule of the Week? Chemistry Quiz? We’re in!
The NRA is another trade association that is making a large investment in the production of original content, particularly video. Their website features video series targeted at diverse audiences, like women and urban youth, that will keep visitors coming back.
OSA does a great job with subtlety – the header provides just the right amount of depth. Also, the scrolling updates could have come across as cheesy, but it actually works! It’s small enough and the animation is slow enough that doesn’t take over the page. Oh – and check out the image gallery, great content.
This website is just beautiful. Every time you refresh you get a new, huge image of a plane or helicopter. A very unique approach for a trade association.
NSBA has done everything right. A smooth, larger-than-average slider makes the visual content the focus of the page. A clear headline tells you who they are right away. And using icons for their primary initiatives was a good, attention-getting touch.
What do we really love about InfoComm International? Look how much is on their homepage… not that much, right? InfoComm has a great content strategy – keeping it simple.
This is one of the only websites on our list that doesn’t have a slider. The American Diabetes Association has an attractive, modern website that uses visuals and icons very well. Also, their original content is outstanding: relevant, entertaining, and tailored to their audience. We love the featured recipes!
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