Building your website
Do it yourself
If you are familiar with HTML you can build your own website but be prepared to spend a lot of time doing so!
HTML looks like this:
<h1>Heading text</h1>
<p>A paragraph</p>
Scary!
Some systems that provide
Lion WAP - free
www.lionwap.org/eclub/index.php
Is free, according to Lions 105sw LionWap is a free service from MD118 (Turkey).
- follows a template based system with standard pages with feeds from Lions International. It is an all-volunteer organisation. Problems are dealt with by email and they aim to reply within a week. They are not Lions Clubs International.
You will need to download a HTML editing tool e.g. Homesite, Hot Dog and Web Wizard or use such programmes as Microsoft FrontPage.
You can use their prototype club page, they have a few of their own graphics produced for you to use.
Example sites:
http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/GillinghamMereShaftesbury/
http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/exmouth/
NB. These URL's changed recently from lionwap.org/eclub/sites/... Don't let that happen to you - get your own club domain name!
LionNet is a voluntary cooperation network of internet services bringing crosslinking, structure and hierarchy to the Lions net.
It cromprises nodes beginning at the national level and branching out to the state or provincial area. The national nodes list and link to the state/provincial nodes for that country. The state/provincial link to local and district Lions web pages. Nodes are managed by NodeMasters who are encouraged to add their own creativity and local flavour to their pages. They also maintain active contact with local Lions district officers and promote the use of the international tool for Lionism by giving lectures, writing articles in Lions magazines.
Seems that it mostly links up LionWap websites.
Club-Sites - £60.00 PA
Ready built Lions websites with several pages already in place and adhering to the latest 'corporate' image and W3C and CSS standards. Includes event calendar and can be edited by several members so that the burden doesn't fall on one webmaster. Group email is included so that email addressed to allmembers@... will be forwarded to each member's private email address as will tom.sayers@...
Example sites:
www.croftonlions.org.uk
www.fleetlions.org.uk
Sites Plus - £15.59 PCM
Build your own website and update it whenever you want. All without a web designer. Our support is second to none. We're with you every step of the way, even during your free trial.
Example sites:
www.weymouthlionsclub.co.uk
Word Press - Free
Open source, so it's free to use. US originated and presentation style. Very comprehensive but you need to allow plenty of time for reading.
And it's free!
WC3 compliant. There is no specific Lions Club theme.
Blog based system but with useful additional applications such as a calendar.
Example sites:
www.paddockwoodlions.co.uk
www.southamlions.org.uk
Microsoft - free
Free email address based on: yourname.Web.officelive.com
Joomla - free
Again no specific template for Lions Clubs but you can adapt a free template.
Example sites:
www.tavistocklions.org.uk uses a design agency
www.bathlions.org.uk a web design company have helped
The list goes on and on
You need only search on Google for 'free websites' to return 300,000 results! Take your pick.
Who is going to maintain your website, now and in the future?
This is an important consideration, because keeping a website up-to-date takes time. But don't let this be a discouragement - plan to share the workload around your members. Most clubs have projects that are driven by an individual member working with a team. Giving that member ownership will help your club build a comprehensive website.
Think about the future; be careful not to opt for a system that is entirely dependant on one individual's knowledge. Health or wealth may intervene and leave you with a system no one else can operate.
