Lee County Bar Association uses Drupal and CiviCRM as a Web Solution for Marketing and Member Management

Online, May 19, 2010 (Newswire.com) - SoFla Web Studio, a privately held web development and internet marketing agency, specializing in Drupal and CiviCRM development, launched a new website for the Lee County Bar Association. (http://www.soflaweb.com/portfolio/lee-county-bar-association)

The Lee County Bar Association was formed in 1949 to further the education of its members, create meaningful interaction among its members, and inform the community on important legal matters. Their existing static website was being maintained through the use of an outdated version of Microsoft Frontpage. The Association knew that it was imperative for them to embrace new web technologies to assist in their overall marketing efforts.

SoFla Web Studio partnered with BARD Marketing to develop a solution that would assist the Lee County Bar Association with marketing their organization online as well as provide added value for their existing members with expanded online resources. SoFla Web Studio proposed using Drupal as a Content Management System. Drupal would allow the Association staff to easily update the content on their website themselves. This would provide more frequently updated content as well as overall cost savings for the Association.

Shortly after beginning the Discovery process, the team noticed that the administrative processes handled by the Association staff were run through the use of a Microsoft Access database and were not scalable to allow for future growth. At this point, SoFla Web Studio recommended utilizing CiviCRM to manage membership, registration and events. The proposal replaced the single local copy of an Access database with a robust online MySQL database that could be accessed from any internet connected computer and by multiple employees at the same time.

The project was completed over the first five months of 2010 and was launched in May. Members are now able to sign-up and renew membership online. Payments are accepted online for membership, events and other functions. There is exclusive content for paid members only, such as the online directory, job bank and classifieds. The administrative tools offer a wealth of features and reporting that was not possible with their legacy system. The time-saving features make it easier for the Association staff to complete their daily tasks. More information about the new leebar.org website can be found in the SoFla Web Studio portfolio.

"Drupal & CiviCRM are a natural fit for a not-for-profit bar association" says Steven Alig, President and Owner of SoFla Web Studio. "The features available are perfect for marketing a not-for-profit organization to increase membership. In addition, the administrative tools make it efficient to manage your members and keep them engaged in your activities."

"We are really excited about our new, gorgeous website." says Nanci DuBois, Executive Director of the Lee County Bar Association. "We received our first new online membership registration the day after we launched the new site."

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