Merging two websites into one unified presence can be a difficult task!
It can be especially difficult when the two websites, while unified in purpose, have two very distinct identities.
That’s what has happened recently with the websites supported by the Foundations for Laity Renewal, TheHighCalling.org and HighCallingBlogs.com.
Here’s what we did. Hopefully you can learn something about our challenge, our strategy, and eventually how we executed!
Take a look:
The ‘Problem’
Originally the TheHighCalling.org website was developed as an online extension of The High Calling of Our Daily Work radio spots and the great leadership programs at the Foundation’s Laity Lodge.
Gradually, it grew to include devotional studies by Pastor Mark D. Roberts, and other articles and interviews on leadership and attitude. And as the content source behind ChristianityToday.com’s Faith in the Workplace channel since 2005, the TheHighCalling.org had built an impressive following. However, it was missing the element of hospitality that’s so important in other programs of Laity Renewal.
The HighCallingBlogs.com blogger’s network was developed to experiment with the concept of online hospitality. The blogging community was viewed as being a critical part of accomplishing the vision of the foundation on the web.
Over time, it became a vibrant community where bloggers (the laity of the church) were able to connect with others who shared the same passion and vision for the high calling of their daily work, whether in the church, in the workplace, or in the home. Today the network has over 1,100 active member blogs who help to drive the content and discussions on the website.
The two websites had developed their own voices and (separate) followings. But they were also supported by two different technologies.TheHighCalling.org was a custom platform that was ten years old. HighCallingBlogs.com was on the WordPress Multi-User platform. The new website would need to be a robust open-source CMS platform that could handle the continued growth and innovation.
Developing a Strategy
Engaging the community had become an important part of the equation, and it was apparent that it needed to be a central part of this site merge. Senior Editor Marcus Goodyear realizes the danger of the traditional approach to communication:
The Internet is a multi-channel medium. Most Christian sites are still applying traditional communication models to this medium. Voices of authority speak to largely passive readers. Some of these sites empower their readers to share links and leave comments, but very few are listening to their readers directly. A traditional Christian site, for instance, feels a bit like a traditional church. An authority figure preaches to people in the pews who listen.
Recognizing the importance of the blogging community (the laity), the core development team knew that it would have to engage readers if it was going to be successful. So they built a team of core bloggers and off-site editors that would advise the development direction of the new website.
The first step of the team would be to submit and evaluate best practices from other websites. Places like FastCompany.com were evaluated for their content management and BlogHer.com for their community.
The core development team also went through the process of determining which features of the merging websites were most important. Answering the question of how regular content from two websites would blend together into one new website would be a key factor in keeping readers from both sites.
It would also be important to make sure that feedback wasn’t a one-time opportunity either. Regular webinars with the core bloggers and off-site editors became a critical part of ensuring that the direction that the development team was taking things actually matched what the community was hoping to see.
Executing the Strategy
The diversity of experience on the blogger/editor team turned out to be a big factor in the end result of the new website. With such a broad base of knowledge, even things like the psychology of color came into play when deciding on the background for the page.
Even after the launch, the editorial team continues to talk to the community about what’s working and what isn’t. Whether it’s through regular conversations on people’s blogs, private emails, or Twitter parties (using tweetchat.com), the development team is gathering feedback in order to continue to improve the website.
It’s All About the People
This approach is closely aligned with the overall strategy of the website. Goodyear states:
Our site is about casting a vision that is clear enough and inspiring enough that our readers can run with it on their own sites. We then spend the majority of our editorial time listening to them on their sites and helping them shine as writers. We believe in the power of the laity so much that we are relying on them and their audiences to help spread the vision that has been given to us.
It’s about people. It’s about empowering the laity of the church to live their high calling throughout the other six days of the week. The editorial team is constantly engaging in conversation with the community, commenting on their sites and commenting on articles at TheHighCalling.org. The group also actively pursues conversation on the Twitter and Facebook channels.
Editors visit member’s blogs regularly to engage and encourage the community. The editors track their level of engagement with the community by highlighting their comments to a shared Diigo group. This creates a record by which they can measure success, but it also generates buzz among the editorial staff.
And they’re not just leaving comments to hear themselves talk. When they find great content on people’s blogs, they’ll even work with those members to feature their work in the HCB Community and in their newsletter. If an article is especially on vision, they may pay the author for non-exclusive rights to republish it on TheHighCalling.org or on Christianity Today‘s FaithInTheWorkplace.com. In fact, the entire editorial team consists of bloggers who began as members of the network.
This strategy of focusing on the people in the community not only works for developing a growing online community, but also in successfully completing a complicated website merger.
L.L. Barkat says
It’s been quite a ride. You’ve managed to very nicely outline the multitude of challenges. To me, one of the most exciting aspects of the site is its inclusion of varied voices. We don’t sanitize our writers’ work to create a uniform voice. This in itself makes it feel like a real place, vibrant and surprising.
(L.L., Managing Editor, happily so 🙂
Dan King says
I agree that this is one of the strengths of the community, and probably one of the biggest challenges in making sure that we maintain through the site merger. We certainly ‘moved the cheese’ for lots of loyal fans of both sites, but it was (is) important to not loose our ability to let the community speak like it does so well.
Dena Dyer says
Whew. I’m impressed with the scope of your article, and the scope of what the behind-the-scenes team at THC and HCB has executed. I feel so honored to be a part of it…and can’t wait to see what’s next!
Dan King says
Yeah… it’s been a pretty major overhaul, and I’m excited to see how it continues to evolve. I look forward to even better use of the technology to continue to empower the community. Should be really cool!
PaulSteinbrueck says
Dan, you wrote about how you developed the strategy but the strategy itself is still unclear to me…
>>The core development team also went through the process of determining which features of the merging websites were most important.
What features did you determine were most important?
>>Answering the question of how regular content from two websites would blend together into one new website would be a key factor in keeping readers from both sites.
How did you answer that question?
What platform did you move forward with for the combined site?
Dan King says
Great questions Paul! And I’ll try to answer thoroughly without writing a whole new post. Let me know if you still have questions…
>>What features did you determine were most important?
From the old TheHighCalling.org site it was some of the things that I mentioned early in the post, namely the audio from the radio spots, the Mark Roberts daily devotional, and leadership and attitude articles. From the HighCallingBlogs.com site it was the community-contributed content in the areas of faith, culture, work, and family. But the most important thing was to make sure that we ‘transferred’ the ‘HCB Community’ itself. The content is one thing, but the people and blogs would be REALLY important.
>>How did you answer that question?
Part of it was statistical analysis, but the biggest driving factor was in our ability to listen to the community. We tracked conversations on people’s blogs in a Diigo group, and used Basecamp to have ongoing conversations about what the community was saying about us. The stats were important, but the voices told us much more that the stats couldn’t. And the key to that was simply going out and talking to folks.
>>What platform did you move forward with for the combined site?
Doh! I must’ve lost that in the last edit! We moved to a Drupal platform. It seemed like some of the best practices that we identified were on sites powered by Drupal.
Great questions dude! Let me know if you still have more…
Marcus Goodyear says
Paul, I can address the first question, too. Throughout this process, we learned that features are part of a website’s aesthetic. What you can do in a space is just as important as what a space looks like.
This means, online, the purpose of the space determines functionality.
Our primary purpose on the site is to listen to others. We do that by actively promoting the people who are talking about the integration of faith and work. Sometimes we listen by republishing their articles. Sometimes we listen by interviewing people. Sometimes we link out to their articles. Sometimes we email them, call them, or comment on their sites.
Once we understood our primary value and purpose–to listen–we could make decisions about what content accomplished this and what content did not.
Of course, we still generate some of our own content to keep our vision clear. We believe God cares about our regular work, and that all honest work can glorify him. But more and more, we hope to listen to others who are share that vision.
Dan King says
This a great perspective to share here Marcus, so thanks for stopping by and adding to the response to Paul’s questions! I love that listening and empowering the community were driving factors in determining what stayed and what went. I think it’s important that the new website oozes these qualities…
Dan Roloff says
Paul, another way of saying what we were trying to combine is an e-zine format of information by informed people, centered on the idea of what it means to take God seriously in all arenas of life, and to include a community of like-minded people in conversation online. These are very different perspectives and two different audiences. We are still working on making sure we can effectively communicate our vision to both audiences for their purposes. We are not there yet but we are working daily to get it closer to what each audience wants.
Dan King says
Thanks for sharing this insight Dan! And I’m wondering if there’s another post that could be done about finding that balance that you mention. It’s tricky sometimes trying to make each side feel like they’re not getting lost in the other side taking over the joint…
Dan Roloff says
That’s a great idea, Dan. I’d like to wait on that to collect more data and insights as to how well we’re managing it. Right now we feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure if we’re serving anyone as well as we could or should. It’s somewhat scary.
Jessica says
I am captivated by High Calling’s development, the thoughts behind the scenes and this transition into the new. As a member of the bigger “church” but a wandering member of the local faith community, High Calling has been a great place to listen, share and engage other believers (even those of different faith backgrounds re: the Muslim professor). I have been encouraged in my own endeavors whether writing or photography and have found deep souls willing to share their own stories. Many would mock the idea of authentic “community” on the web, but I’m finding through the High Calling that the genuine is out there. It gives me hope for the church at large
Dan King says
Thanks for the encouraging feedback about the level of community that you’ve found in the network… and that’s exactly the point that I wanted to make sure that we emphasized in this post. Without that sense of community, we’re not being ‘the church’ that we were called to be. It’s all about people like you (and even the Muslim professor) being able to be that conversation. It’s more about that than it is finding ‘important’ people to talk at you because they’re really smart…
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and perspectives!
Sam Van Eman says
I’ve appreciated your active involvement in this community, Jessica! You bring thoughtfulness and outstanding photography.
Gordon Atkinson says
Nice job Dan! Well done. Really captures the spirit of the High Calling.
Dan King says
Thanks Gordon! I appreciate the feedback!
Sam Van Eman says
Well told here, Dan, and I’ll second your content. Marcus and the team have shown great vision, allowing us to act like a real and interactive community. Your own social media skills have played a significant part in that development and I’m glad to be a part of this whole project with you.
Dan Roloff says
That’s why he is Dan King of all social media! 🙂
Dan King says
Thanks Sam (and Dan)! I believe the approach of empowering the community is as Biblical as it comes. It’s what Paul instructs the early church to do. Sure, there are leaders, but their role is to prepare/support the body for doing the work. A Christian community is really all that Christian if it’s not empowering (and listening to) the people that make it up.
A Simple Country Girl says
The High Calling is an amazing community of folks who have welcomed even this oftentimes very simple girl into their midst with gracious hearts. It is true that sometimes my brain hurts when I try to interpret THC technical lingo, follow deep literary discussions, find the fancy settings on my camera, and/or understand poetical nuances. But once I set aside any feelings of mental inadequacy, my heart is always righted and filled to the tip-top because of the encouragement, inspiration, laughter (I think that is what I hear), and desire to lift one another up in prayer. You all have big hearts. And that is a big deal to this simple country girl! Yeehaw!
Blessings.
Sam Van Eman says
Laughter is definitely what you hear, SCG.
Dan King says
I love that you pointed out several different elements of the community’s conversations… it shows how diverse it is… everything from technical lingo to poetry. There are many different voices in The High Calling community, and all together it’s an amazing experience!
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment on this post!
laura boggess says
You really capture the essence of the transition, Dan. What has impressed me most throughout the process is how responsive everyone has been to what works and what doesn’t. The move really illustrated for me what true community does: listen and support each other. It’s been an adventure!
Dan King says
I think that the community was will to respond because they felt comfortable responding, and that’s something that comes because of the relationship that’s developed over time. It also probably indicates that they felt some sort of ownership over what was happening as well… it’s THEIR community.
The experience has really shown me what Christian community is all about!