Communication Dashboard Project Washington Trails Association Website Nicholas Gosling CMN 6910.71483 October 2015

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Washington Trails Association (WTA) serves as “the nation’s largest state-based nonprofit organization” (About Us, n.d., para 1). The Seattle-based 501(c)(3) maintains a mission to “preserve, enhance, and promote hiking opportunities in Washington state through collaboration, education, advocacy and volunteer trail maintenance” (para 2). According to the WTA website, the organization believes that:

• Hiking trails serve as links to nature and the wilderness. • People will protect the places they love hiking in. • Everyone should have access to the outdoors.

The WTA’s history stems from the grassroots hiking and trail magazine Signpost, first published in 1966 (About Us, n.d.). WTA became an official organization in 1982. In 1995, the nonprofit launched its first website; this early website provided a place for people to share information on and photographs from their hiking and backpacking trips. Accomplishments. The WTA’s offline initiatives span outdoor education and youth programming, trail maintenance and repair projects, Washington State trail news and information (through print and digital media), and hiking and outdoor area conservation advocacy. According to the WTA’s most recent annual report (Washington Trails Association, 2015), some major milestones achieved in 2014 included:

• Improving 205 trails throughout Washington • Working with 3,700 volunteers (23 percent of which were youths and teens) • Providing 120,000 volunteer hours of trail work statewide • Donating $3.1 million in labor to public lands • Receiving 6.9 million visits to Wta.org

Wta.org serves as the main web portal and primary communication tool for the WTA. Other communication vehicles maintained by the organization include several e-newsletters, among them Trail News (general) and Families Go Hiking (family targeted); the Signpost blog; the print and e-zine Washington Trails Magazine; and multiple branded social media pages. Wta.org provides access to these communication vehicles and others. The website’s principle engagement areas include the following:

Organizational Overview

Communication Vehicle: Wta.org

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Homepage. The Wta.org homepage allows visitors to access nearly all other sections of the website and other WTA communication vehicles from one location.

© 2015, Washington Trails Association (www.wta.org) Figure 1: Wta.org Homepage

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A. Header and main navigation. The top banner (logo and mountain image), top navigation bar, links to “Events” and “About Us” (secondary navigation), and user profile area (My Backpack) appear on every Wta.org webpage. The My Backpack tool allows visitors to create personal profiles, submit photos to website, write Trip Reports, and save Hiking Guides (see Trail guides and trip reports).

B. Main content. Other homepage elements include a section of rotating images and

links to Signpost articles and photo galleries and contests, a section of static images and links to Signpost articles, a “Featured Photo” and “Hike of the Week”, and a bottom banner promoting the WTA’s Trailblazer mobile app.

C. Sidebar. Wta.org displays a right sidebar on all pages. On the homepage, this sidebar

displays links to WTA social media pages, a donation link, a list of upcoming trail work parties and recently filed Trip Reports, and links to and subscription options for Trail News and Washington Trails Magazine. The sidebar content varies depending on the webpage, however each page displays the social media (Follow us) and donation (Support us) links.

D. Footer. A footer at the bottom of all Wta.org webpages displays WTA contact

information and provides links to various About Us and Support webpages. It also includes links to a press area, e-newsletters, and RSS feeds.

Trail guides and trip reports. (See page 31 for visual) Wta.org features one of the most

extensive online guides to Washington hiking trails. The Find a Hike section allows visitors to search Trail Guides and Trip Reports by name, location, keywords, or other qualifiers, while the Hike Finder Map provides a visual overlay of reported hikes located statewide. Wta.org distinguishes Trail Guides (created by staff from official guidebooks) from Trip Reports (created by users and more experience oriented). Trail Guides allow users to rate the trails and view a map and specific hike details, whereas Trip Reports let users upload personal photos and comment on the individual reports.

Hiking news and resources. Wta.org’s Hiking Resources section includes staff-created

guides on various outdoor sports, including hiking, backpacking, and camping. Some articles cover more detailed topics, such as hiking with dogs and contacting search and rescue. The Signpost blog serves as Wta.org’s primary news delivery vehicle. While Signpost does operate as a separate communication vehicle from Wta.org, it also maintains a prominent and highly visible role on the website – even receiving its own link in the main navigation bar.

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© 2015, Washington Trails Association (www.wta.org) Figure 2: Hiking Resources and Blog pages

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Advocacy pages. Wta.org’s advocacy section (identified as Take Action in the main navigation) provides information on WTA-backed trail support and funding initiatives, among them the Trail Action Network, and links to advocacy partners and related projects. This section also suggests ways for advocates to become involved.

WTA volunteer and support areas. Wta.org’s Volunteer and Membership areas (as identified in the main navigation) inform website visitors how they can become involved in WTA specifically.

Volunteer. This section lets visitors browse and sign up for trail work parties throughout

Washington and explore more extensive volunteer programs (i.e. Volunteer Vacations). Additionally, it features a Youth Opportunities webpage with information specifically targeted towards minors wanting to volunteer with the organization. Clicking on the Volunteer page brings users directly to a subpage titled Find a Trail Work Party. Here, the WTA lists its statewide trail work parties (organized by date). Links located next to each work party listing bring users to a sign-up form or indicate that the work party is full. Users may also search work parties by region. The work party sign-up form is relatively simple and straightforward, requiring an email and mailing address, phone number, indication of the number of people in the party, and whether the individual would like to receive details on carpooling to the work site. Other webpages in this section of the website provide information on the types of

© 2015, Washington Trails Association (www.wta.org) Figure 3: Take Action page

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volunteer events WTA organizes (such as Volunteer Vacations and Backcountry Response Teams) and distinguish some of the organization’s most active volunteers.

Donations and membership. The Membership area of the website presents all the ways

that people can join and donate to the WTA. The Membership section also lists some of the perks of becoming a WTA member, answers common questions regarding joining and donating to the organization, and links to the organization’s financial information. Joining the WTA or donating to the organization seems like a simple process. Clicking on the Membership navigation button brings users to a page with multiple membership or donation options. Users can just donate to the organization by bringing up the Donate form and providing contact and payment information. Or they can become members (or renew their membership) by paying at least $40 per year. These forms also require some basic details and can be filled out and submitted entirely online. The Membership page links to subpages with additional information on supporting the organization. Other pages within this section cover setting up a monthly donation plan; donating to the WTA in memoriam; incorporating a donation into a gift or estate plan; and establishing a corporate giving, membership, or sponsorship program. Under a subheading of More Information located near the bottom of the page, users will also find links to the WTA e-commerce store; an article titled the Benefits of Membership; or a sign-up form for the WTA’s premier fundraising event, the Hike-a-Thon. Of note: the WTA online store lists all the items the organization sells (or sells on consignment for the state, i.e. state park passes). Available items mostly include services, such as hiking and camping workshops and Volunteer and Youth Vacation packages. However, the e-commerce page also claims to sell WTA-branded clothing and apparel (I could find none).

Events. One additional support-focused part of the website includes the Events webpage

(reachable via a secondary navigation link titled EVENTS and located in the header). Here, users can explore WTA fundraising and social events, organized by date. Some events are only open to members or other types of WTA supporters, such as volunteers, while many events are open to non-members as well. One example includes the WTA’s Trails and Ales social event. In general, these events seem to focus on connecting the hiking community and, in some cases, supporting the WTA in the process.

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© 2015, Washington Trails Association (www.wta.org) Figure 4: Volunteer and Membership pages

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Social media pages. Wta.org links to four social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. WTA tweets via its Twitter page at least once per day and posts to its Facebook page almost every day to every other day. Engagement seems highest on the Facebook page, where fans comment on, share, and like every post. The Google+ page appears abandoned since May 2015. However, the page does link to the WTA YouTube channel, which receives a new video every four to five months. Finally, the WTA Pinterest page features some 21 different boards and more than 17,000 followers. Boards cover such topics as Trails to Hike, Outdoor Photography, Camping, and Hiking Tips.

An examination of any communication vehicle must begin by analyzing the vehicle’s goals and objectives. According to Paine (2011), “In order to be measurable, the goals or objectives of your strategy or campaign must include not just the desired outcome but also a date by which it should happen, and ideally, a budget and the audience it is designed to influence”. (Other sections of this dashboard project will examine audience profiles.) The vehicle’s goals should also support the organizational mission, which, for WTA, emphasizes the protection and promotion of Washington’s trails and hiking areas via “collaboration, education, and advocacy” (About Us, n.d., para 1). Identified objectives, and their rationale and supportive evidence, include:

Share news and information on hiking in Washington. Wta.org tackles this dual

objective in multiple ways, most noticeably by providing well-researched Trail Guides; by presenting extensive “How To” articles on hiking and other outdoor sports; and by reporting on the latest local, state, and national news regarding the preservation and maintenance of hiking and outdoor areas. The various website features that support this objective include the Hiking Guide and Hike Finder Map, the Seasonal Hikes reports, and the Signpost blog and other news publications.

Encourage hikers to share experiences on- and off-line. Another dual objective, this

one emphasizes the ways that Wta.org allows users to communicate and share experiences. Online features that promote “sharing” include user-submitted Trip Reports (and their comment sections), Wta.org’s Photo Gallery and user profile (My Backpack) pages (see Figure 6), and the

Communication Objectives

© 2015, Washington Trails Association (www.wta.org) Figure 5: Wta.org social media links

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WTA’s social media pages. Offline opportunities include outdoor education programs and social gatherings.

Generate support for and awareness of hiking trail conservation and conservation

groups (including the WTA). On the surface the WTA may seem more like an information provider. However, at its core the organization maintains a focus on protecting and maintaining the hiking areas its members love and value. Given the extensive Trail Guides and Trip Reports section of Wta.org, this objective can be overlooked: It is no less important though. Website features that support this objective include calendar information and sign up areas for volunteer and fundraising events. Other functional and supportive elements include the advocacy (Take Action) section on Wta.org, and the Membership sign up webpage and donation features.

Recreational hiking became popular in the United States more than a century ago. According to The Forest History Society (n.d.), hiking for pleasure was a relatively new concept by the start of the 20th century. As America became increasingly industrialized during the 19th century, people discovered the value of escaping city life and going for a walk in the woods. Following the Civil War, U.S. cities experienced rapid growth. The creation of large public parks was one response to the growing “social and health problems” (para 5) within these metropolises. Hiking clubs were founded in New England as early as the 1860s, while the Appalachian Mountain Club published one of the earliest hiking guides in 1907. By 1933, the U.S. Forest Service began reporting on hiking statistics in its annual report.

Market Profile

© 2015, Washington Trails Association (www.wta.org) Figure 6: My Backpack (personal profile) view

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Today, hiking – and outdoor sports in general – are experiencing renewed resurgence, partly due to the media and partly due to greater focus on healthy lifestyles. Hollywood movies like 2014’s Wild and 2015’s A Walk in the Woods have specifically helped popularize hiking on the Pacific Crest and Appalachian trails, as well as on other long-distance trails (Durkin, 2015). Economic numbers support the increased interest in outdoor sports. For example, outdoor sporting equipment chain REI reported that in 2014 its sales grew 10 percent, reaching a record $2.2 billion and growing faster than Wal-Mart and Target (Mapp, 2015). Industry surveys shed light on who participates in outdoor activities. According to the Outdoor Foundation’s 2014 Outdoor Participation Report (2015), nearly 143 million Americans, or roughly 49.2 percent of the national population, partook in an outdoor activity at least once in 2013 (the survey defines a “participant” as a person who took part in the identified activity at least once in the measured year). The 2013 numbers show a slight dip in outdoor activity participants from 2012 (when accounting for population growth). Of those activities measured, running – including trail running – was the most popular. Hiking ranked fifth, with 12 percent of Americans ages six and older (34.4 million people) participating in hiking at least once per year. The Outdoor Foundation survey (Outdoor Foundation, 2015) also offers demographic and region-specific data. For example, Caucasians made up 70 percent of the outdoor activity participants, followed by African Americans (11 percent) and Hispanics (8 percent). The most represented participants by age were those older than 45 years (33 percent) and those aged 25 to 44 (32 percent). Finally, regional data shows that outdoor activity participants in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, and California) accounted for 52 percent of the region’s population.

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Figure 7: Outdoor participation survey results overview

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Regional market profile. The study “Economic Analysis of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State” (Briceno & Schundler, 2015) sheds greater light on hiking in Washington especially. According to the study’s authors, Washingtonians spend an average of 56 days a year participating in outdoor recreation. The top five activities among Washington residents include: walking/hiking, running and jogging, wildlife viewing and photography, bicycling riding, and playground use. This love of the outdoors in Washington results in $21.6 billion spent on outdoor trips and equipment annually (by both residents and visitors).

Figure 8: Outdoor participation survey results demographic information

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Engage with residents of and visitors to Washington State by: • Offering them access to free trail guides and resources• Providing them a forum to share their outdoor experiences and user-created

content• Giving them tips and information on exploring the Pacific Northwest and on

outdoor “sporting” in general

Target audiences. Anyone who hikes, camps, or backpacks in Washington state and some surrounding areas (Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia); youth and families interested in outdoor sports; outdoorspeople with a range of abilities (e.g. newbie to hardcore hiker); individuals interested in supporting hiking trails and public access to them; individuals seeking volunteer opportunities with outdoor groups

Educate hikers and other outdoorspeople by: • Offering them access to free trail guides and resources• Supplying news and information on hiking trails and outdoor areas statewide• Providing them a forum to share their experiences• Organizing groups and events for hikers and outdoorspeople to meet off-line• Giving them access to outdoor education and training and to hiking-oriented

volunteer activities

Target audiences. Hikers, other outdoorspeople, and outdoor and community groups throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest; land conservationists focused on or based in Washington; outdoorspeople planning to visit Washington

Encourage activism and volunteerism by: • Listing upcoming trail work parties and other events• Reaching out to youth, especially with sections like Youth Opportunities and

youth-specific programs (e.g. Youth Vacations)• Providing outdoorspeople and conservationists with information on public land

support and tools/resources for taking action• Showcasing the work of volunteers and donors and of specific volunteers and

donors who go above and beyond

Target audiences. Outdoorspeople and land conservationists – both inside and outside Washington State; youth and families seeking advocacy and/or volunteer opportunities; organizations and community groups seeking advocacy and/or volunteer opportunities

Stimulate WTA support and gift giving by: • Offering value in the form of free trail guides and resources, thus showing overall

importance of organization • Demonstrating WTA’s commitment to hiking area conservation through trail

work and similar projects and funding initiatives

Marketing Strategy and Target Audiences

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• Identifying various advantages to membership, including subscriptions toWashington Trails magazine, access to exclusive events, and discounts onproducts and gear

Target audiences. Outdoorspeople and land conservationists – both inside and outside Washington State; donors (individuals and organizations) interested in supporting hiking trails and public access to them; donors (individuals and organizations) interested in supporting hiking organizations (i.e. WTA) that provide important value

Website audience profile. WTA seeks to target several audiences (and subset audiences) beyond the archetypal hiker or outdoorsperson living in or visiting Washington. For example, with its extensive youth sections and program information, Wta.org focuses on engaging youth. Articles under the Hiking Resources section indicate the organization also wants to target families hiking with dogs and/or children. Furthermore, several articles indicate WTA seeks to appeal to multiple types of outdoorsperson subsets, including backpackers, long-distance hikers, campers, and trail runners.

Wta.org also focuses on land conservationists (or people with leanings towards land conservation) with its Take Action section, and to outdoor educators and leaders with information on its Outdoor Leadership Training program. Additionally, the website appeals to volunteers of all kinds, from youths and families seeking one-day activities to more invested volunteers looking for weeklong or backpacker trail work events. Lastly, Wta.org reaches out to donors – both individuals and corporations – to generate funds and fundraising support.

Website Audience Profile and Audience Comparison

Figure 9: Wta.org audience profile overview

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Audience demographic information from Alexa.com shows that the predominant visitors to Wta.org are female (well above Internet average), possess a college degree (well above Internet average), and are Caucasian (well above Internet average). WTA seems to effectively reach out to good potential donor audiences, both in that the Wta.org attracts a well-above average number of college graduates and an above average number of people making $100,000 or more.

The ethnicity-related audience demographic data for Wta.org correlates with the Outdoor Foundation’s Outdoor Participation Report (2015) findings for the average ethnicity of outdoor activity participants. The predominant ethnicity of Wta.org users appears to be Caucasian (well above Internet average), followed by African (slightly above average) and Hispanic (slightly below average) users. The Alexa.com data estimates that users of African American ethnicity do not visit Wta.org. According to Outdoor Foundation’s survey results, Caucasians (ages 6 and up) make up 70 percent of the participants in outdoor activities (as defined by the Foundation). African Americans make up the second largest ethnic group at 11 percent, followed by Hispanics (8 percent), and Asians/Pacific Islanders (7 percent).

The Alexa.com data presents some discrepancies and issues. For one, do users of African ethnicity (as identified by Alexa) include African Americans? If not, why would Africans visit Wta.org unless on vacation in Washington? Or does this Alexa.com-recognized user population

Figure 10: Wta.org audience demographics

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represent either African Americans who identify strictly as Africans or, more likely, represent spammers and hackers operating in Africa? However, since Wta.org attracts nearly an Internet average number of Hispanic users and given that The Outdoor Foundation survey reported that Hispanics made up a small percentage (8 percent) of the number of outdoor activity participants in the U.S., I estimate that the WTA’s website does attract a higher-than-average number of non-Caucasian users.

According to information in the Wta.org’s About Us (n.d.) section, the WTA maintains a commitment to improving “diversity and equitable access” to the outdoors. The website’s Commitment to Diversity and Equitable Access (n.d.) webpage states that, “As the demographic makeup of Washington changes, WTA recognizes that we also need to change our programs and diversify our staff and board of directors to engage an audience that better reflects the state’s population” (para 1). The WTA encourages this commitment through its communications and outreach channels and its youth-oriented programming, including initiatives to provide mini-grants to outdoor education and to organize a free gear-lending library for youth. This commitment to promoting outdoor activities among a diverse population may account for the website’s approximated above-average user base of non-Caucasians (when compared with national outdoor participation statistics from the Outdoor Foundation).

Alexa.com does not display demographic information on site visitors under the age of 18 so we do not know if Wta.org effectively engages youth and teenagers. However, user information indicates that 18-to-24 year olds visit the website at a below-average frequency, whereas visitors 25-to-34 years old visit at a slightly above average frequency. Age groups above these two ranges generally fall into the average visitation frequency range. Finally, the Alexa profile indicates that visitors to Wta.org more commonly do not have children than website users who do. Wta.org users with children fall in the below Internet average range, whereas visitors without children visit above the Internet average. Given the youth and family focus of Wta.org, this statistic shows it is not effectively reaching these target audiences.

Audience comparison. A comparison of visitors to Wta.org, AllTrails.com, and Trails.com indicates similarities in their user bases (see figures 11-14). For example, women are the predominant visitors to both Wta.org and AllTrails.com, and all three sites see an above Internet average of Caucasian visitors and a below Internet average for almost all other ethnicity groups. Interestingly, Wta.org serves a slightly younger age group (no visitors over 64 years old) than the other two websites do. Also, data suggests that college-education individuals visit Wta.org more frequently than do the other websites. Lastly, the number of site visitors with and without children remains consistent across the three websites.

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Audience comparison tables

Figure 11: Comparison sites audience demographics (specific)

Figure 12: AllTrails.com audience profile overview

Figure 13: Trails.com audience profile overview

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Figure 14: Comparison sites audience demographics (overview)

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Paine (2011) states that:

A key point to remember about any evaluation program is that measurement is a comparative tool; to decide if you are successful you compare your results to something else. The most effective comparisons are to your competition and peers over time, to just yourself over time, or to an industry average. (p. 37)

Wta.org was benchmarked against several internal and external sources. Internally, the site was compared with publically available data on WTA achievements and goals. Externally, the site was benchmarked against two main competitors (AllTrails.com and Trails.com), a similar type of organization (Florida Trail Association), and against some limited best practice information.

WTA annual reports from the previous two years allow for benchmarking against organizational trends and goals (Washington Trails Association, 2015; Washington Trails Association, 2014). Other benchmarks, including visitation rates to and engagement actions on specific areas of the website, can be benchmarked using a metrics tool like Google Analytics. The following tables identify internal benchmarks based on publically available information and suggested benchmarks based on non-public website analytics and data.

Available Public Data Benchmark 2014 Annual Report 2013 Annual Report Number of annual visits to Wta.org 6.9 million (not identified

as unique visitors) 2.4 million (identified as unique visitors)

Growth in number of web visits over previous year

30 percent (up from 2013) 34 percent (up from 2012)

Number of trip reports filed 9,086 7,611 Number of hikers filing trip reports 3,321 2,868

Category Suggested Benchmark Measurement Tool and/or Database

Traffic and Referrals How do visitors commonly reach Wta.org (direct, search, social media etc.)?

Google Analytics, Alexa.com

If reaching Wta.org through search, what do visitors commonly search for?

Google Analytics

Internal Benchmarks

Table 1: Internal benchmarks with available data

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Which Trail Guides receive the greatest amount of traffic? From which parts of the state?

Google Analytics, Alexa.com

From which parts of Washington does Wta.org receive the greatest amount of traffic? Which other states to website users predominantly visit from?

Google Analytics, Alexa.com

Which news articles and evergreen articles receive the greatest number of hits?

Google Analytics, Alexa.com

Which outside websites direct the most traffic to Wta.org?

Google Analytics, Alexa.com

Engagement Website features (includes news features)

How many website visitors sign up for the My Backpack feature (per month, year)?

Google Analytics

How many website visitors sign up to receive the e-newsletter Trails News online? Subscribe to the Signpost blog? Subscribe to Washington Trails e-zine?

Google Analytics

How many visitors click through to learn more about the WTA Trailblazer mobile app? Download the app?

Google Analytics

How many visitors click through to WTA’s social media pages from website? Follow these social media pages?

Google Analytics

How many visitors post trip photographs (per month, year)? Comment on Trip Reports (per month, year)?

Google Analytics

WTA support and membership features

How many visitors donate through website? How much do they contribute in this way (per month, year)?

Google Analytics

How many visitors sign up or renew membership through website?

Google Analytics

How many visitors become monthly donors through website?

Google Analytics

How many companies sign up for corporate giving through website?

Google Analytics

How many visitors sign up for volunteer and fundraising events through website?

Google Analytics

How many visitors review the Benefits of Membership webpage?

Google Analytics

How many visitors explore and/or purchase from the online WTA store?

Google Analytics

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Advocacy features

How many visitors join the Trail Action Network through Wta.org?

Google Analytics

How many visitors explore or sign up for other advocacy initiatives through the Wta.org Take Action Center

Google Analytics

How many visitors share their trail support stories or suggest advocacy issues in the Action Center?

Google Analytics

Table 1 shows publicly available data that the WTA currently measures and finds important to its organizational strategy. An increase in nearly all these metrics indicates steady growth in Wta.org’s user base and engagement levels.

In Table 2, Traffic and Referrals benchmarks provide the WTA a better idea of where users are coming to Wta.org from (via search, from blogs or other third-party maintained channels, from social media), thus allowing the organization to focus more marketing towards those sources. Of the Engagement-related benchmarks, knowing the website features and content that do not receive much traffic will allow the WTA to revamp its website or content strategy or to completely remove the ineffective feature or content. Other benchmarking data, such as the number of Wta.org visitors who donate through the website or the overall click-throughs to social media pages or the mobile app download page, lets the organization determine where (and for what) it needs stronger calls-to-action (CTAs).

Competitor comparison. Paine (2011) suggests benchmarking against two to three competitors. I selected three: AllTrails.com (current industry leader), Trails.com (past industry leader), and FloridaTrail.org (Florida Trail Association, a similar state organization). Limited website traffic data exists on Alexa.com for FloridaTrail.org.

A search of state-based nonprofit hiking or hiking trail organizations produced few results and no viable competitors. The Florida Trail Association and Idaho Trails Association (idahotrailsassociation.org) were two of the few nonprofit state competitors I found. Neither state organization’s website achieved close to the visitation numbers that Wta.org receives (see Table 3).

External Benchmarks

Table 2: Internal benchmarks with suggested data

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Instead, I found several .com (dotcom) websites with visitation statistics that were similar to that of Wta.org. Nonprofits typically use the .org domain extension because people have come to associate .org with nonprofit usage (Meredith, 2013). However, dotcom websites make up the predominant number of web addresses on the Internet (52 percent as of 2013). People typically consider .com the “‘default’ domain extension” (para 8), meaning not only does a dotcom website indicate a business of some kind, but people may more easily recall web addresses with the .com extension. In that way, .org websites may operate at a slight disadvantage to those addresses with .com extension.

Competitor profiles. AllTrails.com. AllTrails.com started out in 2010 and partnered with National Geographic

in 2012; other partners now include the Sierra Club and Outdoor Industry Association. Today AllTrails.com claims to serve some one million outdoor enthusiasts by providing information on 22 different outdoor activities, including hiking and backpacking (About AllTrails, n.d.). Features include a Trail Finder search section, user-created trail reviews and trip content, and a local events listing with information on regional gatherings for outdoor enthusiasts. AllTrails.com promotes its mobile apps (for iOS and Google) throughout the website.

Table 3: Wta.org and comparison site traffic metrics

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Like Wta.org and Trails.com, AllTrails allows users to create personal profiles and upload reviews, photos, and similar content. The website also provides a Trail Finder map overlay, giving users the option of easily looking up trails in their immediate areas. AllTrails.com features a subscription model ($30 a year for AllTrails Pro). Users must buy a subscription to access more website content, however, the website provides good resources at the free level. Finally, similar to Wta.org, the AllTrails homepage encourages users to download the mobile app.

Unlike Wta.org and Trails.com, AllTrails.com focuses entirely on providing trail guides and maps; I found no articles or similar “How To” resources. Unlike Trails.com, AllTrails focused exclusively on trails in the United States. I also found no advertorial content masquerading as travel resources like I did on Trails.com. See Figure 15 for AllTrails.com homepage screenshot.

Trails.com. Owned by active lifestyle website publisher Demand Media, Trails.com features trail guides and topographic maps, a Trail Finder section, “How To” articles on various outdoor sports, tips on traveling domestically and abroad, and a travel forums area. Partners include both nonprofits, like the American Hiking Society and Appalachian Mountain Club. The

Figure 15: AllTrails.com homepage

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website’s awards include five Forbes’ Best of the Web distinctions and a 2002 mention on PC Magazine’s Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites (About Trails.com, n.d.).

Like Wta.org, Trails.com allows visitors to create personal profiles, display trip photos, and collect and organize trail guides and maps in a My Trails section. Additionally, the website features extensive evergreen “How To” articles.

Unlike Wta.org, Trails.com offers guides and maps for trails nationwide and, in some cases, internationally. It also links extensively to advertorial content for (what I assume are) partner restaurants, lodging, and similar travel businesses. Additionally, Trails.com features a subscription model ($50 a year for Trails.com Unlimited) for advanced content, like detailed trail guides and USGS topographic maps. Unlike AllTrails.com, Trails.com delivers minimal content without a paid subscription. See Figure 16 for Trails.com homepage screenshot.

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Figure 16: Trails.com homepage

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FloridaTrail.org. The 501(c)3 Florida Trail Association (FTA) maintains a similar focus to the WTA. The FTA’s mission includes the development, maintenance, protection, and promotion of a network of trails in Florida, with a particular focus on the 1,300-mile-long Florida National Science Trail. The FTA reaches out to and engages with the public through environmental education and volunteer work opportunities, among other methods. The organization was founded in 1966.

Much like Wta.org, FloridaTrail.org lets website visitors search for statewide trails via an interactive map. The website also organizes its trails by region. Sections of FloridaTrail.org showcase volunteer efforts, describe partners and partner initiatives, and communicate how visitors can donate to and join the FTA. The nonprofit’s website includes an events calendar (though no method of online sign up), an online shop (The FTA Shop), and photos from volunteers in the field. Lastly, visitors may access the FTA blog and e-zine through FloridaTrail.org.

Unlike Wta.org (and AllTrails and Trails.com), FloridaTrail.org does not allow visitors to create personal profiles or upload user-created content. Furthermore, no “How To” articles exist on the website. Overall, FloridaTrail.org operates more like a promotional and communication tool for a medium-sized nonprofit and less like a trail guide and outdoor recreation resource. This focus differentiates from several of the objectives of Wta.org, AllTrails, and Trails.com. See Figure 17 for FloridaTrail.org homepage screenshot.

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Competitor analysis. An examination of website metrics for Wta.org, AllTrails.com, Trails.com, and FloridaTrail.org shows AllTrails with a higher Alexa Traffic Ranking than the

Figure 17: Floridatrail.org homepage

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other three websites based on: global and national website ranking and global reach and pageviews. FloridaTrail.org ranks at the back of the pack. AllTrails achieves, by far, more unique monthly visitors at 1.75 million (versus approximately 750,000 for Wta.org and Trails.com – no data available for FloridaTrail.org).

Figure 18: Wta.org and comparison sites Alexa.com ranking

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Drilling further into the data shows that Wta.org users remain more engaged on the website than do users of the other three sites. Whereas Time on Site is higher on Wta.org (more than a minute longer than AllTrails, the closest competitor), the visitor bounce rate on Wta.org is less than that on AllTrails (and much lower than on Trails.com). Furthermore, Alexa data shows that more visitors to FloridaTrail.org and Wta.org reach the website directly (by typing in the web address or using a bookmark) than they do on the other websites. Also, more visitors share WTA content to Facebook and +1 it on their Google+ profiles than they do on the other websites. Both pieces of data indicate that Wta.org serves a dedicated and engaged user base.

Figure 19: Wta.org and comparison sites traffic sources

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Figure 20: Wta.org and comparison sites reputational metrics

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The following tables offer a succinct view of traffic information and website functions for the four websites: Wta.org AllTrails.com Trails.com FloridaTrail.com Web Traffic (Source: Alexa.com) Global Traffic Rank 34,742 19,131 31,333 1,775,567 US Traffic Rank 8,315 3,985 7,539 231,072 Daily Pageviews per Visitor

3.99 3.46 2 3.6

Daily Time on Site 4:45 min. 3.25 1:57 3:22 Bounce Rate 48.6% 47.9 59.9 50 Estimated Monthly Unique Visitors

695,849 1.53 million 643,281 n/a

Monthly Pageviews 5.2 million 9.36 million 1.95 million n/a Referral Sources

Search 70.3% 77.28 19.12 42.11 Direct 20.98% 84.28 8.14 31.58 Other (Social, Links)

8.72% 3.6 7.59 26.32

Wta.org AllTrails.com Trails.com FloridaTrail.com Website Functionality Clear top navigation bar ✔ ✖ ✔ ✔

Personal profile options ✔ ✔ ✔ ✖

“How To” articles (on outdoor sports and activities)

✔ ✖ ✔ ✖

Site search bar ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Trail Finder maps ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Trail comment or review options ✔ ✔ ✔ ✖

Offers or requires a subscription ✖ ✔ (Optional

to gain access to advanced content)

✔(Required to view complete guides and maps)

✖

Table 4: Wta.org and comparison site traffic information

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News channels (organizational or industry specific)

✔ ✖ ✖ ✔

Events calendar ✔ ✔ ✖ ✔ One or more linked social media channels ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Mobile app available ✔ ✔ ✔ ✖

Only Wta.org provided consistent and varied news coverage of the regional and national hiking and recreational land usage industries. However, given the dotcom websites’ focuses (providing trail maps and trail information), they may have incentive for providing this type of content. FloridaTrail.com did host a new blog (established 2015), to which posts were infrequent and organizational-centered. More evergreen content, like tips on hiking and backpacking, was absent from AllTrails.com and FloridaTrail.com. However, Trails.com featured an extensive “How To” section titled Outdoor 101 that I found informative and visually pleasing.

Best practices. Best practice information can help organizations determine the quality of their communication channels. Many online resources offer tips on designing effective websites for nonprofits. For example, McLain (2014) distinguishes between primary and secondary navigation on a website, with primary navigation identifying “the content that users are most interested in, and usually holds the most prominent real estate” (para 5). Secondary navigation includes content of secondary interest to visitors. Wta.org distinguishes between these navigation buttons (see Figure 21). Additionally, McLain suggests avoiding dropdowns with more than two levels to avoid cluttering the design, which Wta.org does.

According to Harel (2014), nonprofit websites need clear and highly visible donate buttons on each webpage. Making this button a contrasting color to the website, which Wta.org does, will help it stand out. Harel also stresses the importance of a good nonprofit blog where the organization can share news, impact stories, and other related information, and a newsletter subscription box. Finally, a nonprofit website should follow the Problem, Solution, Impact model – meaning as the visitor scrolls down they learn of the problem, read about the solution, and become motivated to contribute to the solution. Finding this information takes

© 2015, Washington Trails Association (www.wta.org)

Figure 21: Header, primary and secondary navigation bars

Table 5: Wta.org and comparison site design and features comparison

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some digging on Wta.org, and nowhere does the website nicely lay out the Problem, Solution, Impact content. The Wta.org Take Action webpage comes the closest doing this though.

Lastly, since Wta.org serves as an online trail guide database as well, we must compare it to best practices for similar resources. Hike Ontario’s 2007 Best Practices For Increasing Trail Usage by Hikers and Walkers provides some benchmarking data. According to the study, important strategies for marketing trails and trail experiences include: branding your trail or experience, providing clear and accurate trail information, and creating a website to easily delivery current trail news. WTA maintains a clear and recognizable brand. In providing trail information, Hike Ontario suggests offering a “general description, length, difficulty, permitted uses, trail use and safety guidelines” (p. 32), all information of which Wta.org provides. Other suggestions by the study include offering an e-newsletter, adding new content to website monthly, and linking users to virtual communities where they can share information.

Figure 22: DONATE button

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Figure 23: Wta.org trail guide example

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Key performance indicators, or KPIs, determine what I will measure (and how) for each of Wta.org’s communication objectives. According to Paine (2011), objectives often require the measurement of three criteria: output, outtake (or attitudinal), and outcome (or behavioral). Output KPIs measure the means of communicating messages to particular audiences. Attitudinal KPIs measure what audience members take away from the message. And behavioral KPIs measure what the messages incite members to do (behavioral response). With the knowledge of what I plan to measure, I can determine the best tools (metrics, assessments, surveys, etc.) to measure with.

The following table identifies the output, attitudinal, and behavioral KPIs for Wta.org. KPIs were determined based off the three objectives I identified earlier and a goal of determining the most frequently used sections of and information on Wta.org. Additionally, identified KPIs help determine what parts of the website or website content encouraged the greatest amount of engagement.

Communication Objective

Output KPIs (Measured by…[see below])

Attitudinal (Outtake) KPIs (Measured by surveys, focus

groups)

Behavioral (Outcome) KPIs (Measured by Google Analytics

or other metrics tools) Share news and information on hiking in Washington (Provide information)

• Clarity of website (ease infinding Trail Guides, blogposts, evergreen “How To”articles, and other content) –Heuristic assessment

• Richness of content (numberof external links, accuracyand depth of information,diversity of topics) – Contentanalysis

• Frequency of new contentposted (regularity at whichuploaded) – Metrics

• Percent of users who viewentire blog posts or articles –Metrics

• Level of satisfaction withTrail Guides and TripReports

• Level of satisfaction withblog posts and evergreenarticles

• Percent of users who believeTrail Guides and TripReports adequately preparethem for hikes

• Percent of users who feelmore informed on state andnational trail news

• Percent of users who shareTrail Guides, Trip Reports, orarticles to social media pages

• Percent of users who rateindividual Hiking Guides

• Percent of users whocomment on Trip Reports orblog articles

• Percent of users who updateTrail Guides

• Percent of users who saveTrail Guides to their MyBackpack profiles

• Percent of users who sign upfor Trail News e-newsletter orWashington Trails e-zine

Encourage hikers to share experiences on- and off-line (Increase interactions/engagement)

• Usability of features (ease innavigating website, findingitems, completing actions) –Heuristic assessment

• Frequency of search forhikes on Wta.org – Metrics

• Percent of users who viewentire Trail Guides and TripReports – Metrics

• Percent of users who viewWta.org’s Featured Photo orHike of the Week – Metrics

• Percent of click throughs toWTA social media from

• Percent of users who feelmore connected toWashington hikingcommunity

• Percent of users who feelmore motivated to takehikes/explore trails inWashington

• Percent of users who feelmore aware of WTA andhiking community activities

• Percent of users who sign upto create a personal MyBackpack profile

• Percent of users who file TripReports

• Percent of users who uploadtrip photos

• Percent of users who entertheir photos in Wta.org photocontests

• Percent of users who sign upfor social events (nonvolunteer or fundraisingoriented) through the website

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website – Metrics • Percent of click throughs to

WTA’s Photo Galleryslideshows – Metrics

• Percent of users who click toread about WTA’sTrailblazer mobile app fromhomepage – Metrics

• Number of users who sign upfor educational programs(outdoor leadership training)

• Percent of users who followWTA blog or social mediapages by way of website

• Percent of users whodownload Trailblazer mobileapp by way of website

Generate support for and awareness of hiking trail conservation and conservation groups – including the WTA (Raise awareness, generate funding)

• Clarity of WTA donate andvolunteer CTAs (placementand visibility of CTAs,frequency of clicks) –Heuristic assessment

• Frequency of clicks on TakeAction, Volunteer, orMembership webpages –Metrics

• Freshness of volunteer,donation, and advocacyinformation (frequency atwhich updated, operability oflinks) – Content analysis

• Frequency of click throughsto trail conservationinitiatives and projects fromAdvocacy Center – Metrics

• Percent of users who viewTrail Work Parties orfundraising events – Metrics

• Frequency of clicks onBenefits of Membershipwebpage – Metrics

• Percent of users who feelmore motivated to helpconserve Washington trailsand hiking areas

• Percent of users who feelmore informed about stateand national trailconservation efforts

• Percent of users whounderstand WTA’s missionand values

• Percent of users who nowknow of similar Washingtonand national trail/hiking areaconservation groups andinitiatives

• Percent of donations madeonline via Donate button

• Percent of total donationsmade online

• Amount of donations(monthly, annually) madeonline

• Percent of member renewalsand new member sign-upsonline

• Percent of monthly donationplans set up online

• Percent of volunteer andfundraising events signed upfor online

• Percent of event attendancefrom online sign ups

• Number of Trail ActionNetwork sign ups online

• Number of advocacy eventssigned up for online

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Table 6: KPIs

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In intranet and website design, heuristics refer to rules of thumb for reducing usability problems and creating more user-friendly online environments (Nielsen, 1995). Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics focus on specific website elements that, when implemented, contribute to more effective user experiences. Nielsen’s Heuristics address such issues as clarity of site navigation, consistency in design, quality of help features, and availability of systems feedback.

According to Zangerl (n.d.), a Heuristic assessment identifies the strengths and weaknesses of a website or other online communication channel. The assessment, which helps rate the effectiveness of a website in achieving its output KPIs, also serves as a simple tool for benchmarking one site against other websites (either industry competitors or best practice examples). Five areas commonly addressed by a Heuristic assessment include: brand identity, site structure and navigation, search, page layout and visual design, and social media.

A Heuristic assessment (see Appendix A: Heuristic Assessment) was used to evaluate Wta.org and three competitors (AllTrails.com, Trails.com, and FloridaTrail.com). To better connect the assessment categories to Wta.org’s KPIs, I evaluated website content instead of page layout and visual design. However, questions from nearly all five categories that I examined addressed some element of layout or design. Assessment questions were ranked on a 0-5 scale, with 0 being the least effective or not available and 5 being the most effective. The highest score achievable was a 65. Assessment categories included: brand identity (three questions), site structure and navigation (two questions), content (three questions), search (three questions), and social media (two questions). The following table shows a detailed breakdown of the scores, followed by a visual representation of scores per each assessment question.

Rating Focus Wta.org AllTrails.com Trails.com FloridaTrail.org Brand identity

(/15) 12 14 10 14

Site structure and navigation

(/10)

9 8 8 7

Content (/15) 15 8 15 9

Search (/15) 15 11 13 8

Social media (/10)

10 7 3 5

Totals (/65): 61 48 49 43

Heuristic Assessment

Table 7: Heuristic assessment overview results

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Data interpretation. In conducting this Heuristic assessment, I attempted to act as much of a non-biased examiner as I could. However, I was much more knowledgeable of the features and content on Wta.org, and my KPIs and assessment questions were crafted with Wta.org – a nonprofit website – in mind. In creating the assessment, I tried to identify what would qualify as best practices for websites with both the .com and .org extension. For example, for the question “The homepage and overall website effectively generates interest in, support for, and/or revenue for the organization”, I stated that for an .org website, this would include: adequate information on volunteering and donating, effective donation CTAs, and content on the advantages of supporting the organization. For a dotcom, I stated that a high rating would recognize a website that effectively promoted paid subscription information, information on the benefits of subscribing, and other channels (like mobile apps) that users could use to access site features. I believe that some of the above factors led to possible skewing in the results and account partly for the significantly higher score for Wta.org.

Upon examining the assessment results, I was impressed at how high FloridaTrail.org scored. Throughout this project, I viewed FloridaTrail.org as a poor benchmark because of its low traffic profile compared with that of Wta.org. However, examining the site’s features showed me that it does provide quality content and contain some effective design elements. FloridaTrail.org’s biggest drawback was that it is not a website oriented towards communicating trail guides and general hiking information – as the other three websites are. It is first and foremost a website

0 1 2 3 4 5

Question13(socialmedia)

Question12(socialmedia)

Question11(search)

Question10(search)

Question9(search)

Question8(content)

Question7(content)

Question6(content)

Question5(sitestructure/navigation)

Question4(sitestructure/navigation)

Question3(brandidentity)

Question2(brandidentity)

Question1(brandidentity)

Wta.org AllTrails.com Trails.com FloridaTrail.org

Figure 24: Heuristic assessment detailed results

Wta.org 41

used to promote a nonprofit. However, especially for a nonprofit website, FloridaTrail.org poorly promotes its social media pages and needs some stronger CTAs.

When scored against Wta.org, AllTrails.com and Trails.com performed well for dotcom websites oriented more towards providing one primary type of content (trail guides and reviews) and less towards building organizational and industry awareness. AllTrails lost points for lacking engaging content in some areas; for example, the website did not provide content beyond its trail guides and reviews (such as “How To” articles). Trails.com, on the other hand, lost points for mediocre, and sometimes confusing, homepage design and site features and for an inadequate social media strategy.

Wta.org stood out in its design consistency and the website’s engagement features, including its strong CTAs. Furthermore, in terms of providing quality and diverse content, Wta.org surpassed all but Trails.com. Where the WTA website lagged was brand identity. For example, Wta.org’s homepage did not clearly promote the organization and its activities; instead, loads of content was displayed (in a slightly overwhelming manner). Conversely, FloridaTrail.org’s homepage presented clear and easily digestible information on the Florida Trail Association’s achievements and efforts.

According to Paine (2011), if your goal is to “increase product or service awareness or preference, or your goal is to educate an audience, you need a tool that measures opinion – essentially the outcome of what you’ve done” (p. 53). Surveys are the most commonly used tools for measuring public opinion. Online surveys provide an inexpensive and easy means for conducting such research.

Survey design. In total, 16 people responded to this survey (see Appendix B: Online Survey). The survey tool used was Google Forms. Respondents were not chosen at random; potential respondents with interests in hiking and outdoor recreation were targeted. Some respondents (3) lived in Washington, though the majority lived outside the state. Question 1 addressed awareness of Wta.org by asking, “Is this your first visit to Wta.org?”. However, I do not consider this survey a measurement of WTA or Wta.org awareness.

The survey primarily measured the usability of Wta.org. The majority of questions asked respondents to evaluate their feelings or conceptions (i.e. satisfaction, preparedness, motivation, easiness) after examining an area or feature on Wta.org. While respondents were not necessarily directed to complete any actions before taking the survey, they were asked to navigate Wta.org and become more familiar with the website. The survey then evaluated their comfortableness using some features (such as signing up to volunteer for or join the WTA) and their feelings on the content available on Wta.org.

The survey primarily consisted of quantitative questions, however, three qualitative questions were included. Of the 16 survey questions, one required a simple yes/no response and 12 used the Likert scale. Likert scale responses were measured on a five-point scale ranging from

Online Survey

Wta.org 42

Extremely (the identified verb or adjective) to Not at all (the identified verb or adjective). The middle response qualifiers included Very, Moderately, and Somewhat.

The majority of questions were linked to the KPIs identified above. Questions 2 and 3 evaluated the navigability of the homepage. Questions 4-5C asked respondents to evaluate the user friendliness and quality of content in the Find a Hike section and within the Hiking Guides. Questions 6A and 6B sought feedback on the “How To” articles in the Hiking Resources section. Questions 7 and 8 measured respondents ease at signing up to join or volunteer with the WTA. Questions 8-10 examined more general sentiment and feedback, such as respondents’ motivation to find local hikes or help conserve hiking areas after exploring Wta.org. Lastly, questions 12 and 13 sought qualitative feedback regarding the overall quality and usefulness of the website.

Data interpretation. A more detailed breakdown of survey responses can be found in Appendix C: Survey Responses. The majority of survey respondents (81.3%) were first-time visitors to Wta.org. This helped reduce biases such as prior knowledge of the website or organization.

Homepage. The majority of respondents (93.8%) considered the homepage navigation extremely or very easy to understand and the vast majority (87.5%) stated they were extremely or very likely to explore the website further based on the homepage.

Trail guides. The majority of respondents (81.3%) considered the Hiking Guide webpage extremely or very easy to navigate. Similarly, the majority of respondents were extremely or very satisfied with the trail details (87.5%) and hiking description (93.8%) information. Some 75 percent of respondents felt they were extremely or very prepared for the hike based on the Trail Guides.

Hiking Basics webpage and “How To” articles. Some 75 percent of respondents were extremely or very satisfied with the articles and information on the Hiking Basics page and other webpages in this section. Several commented that the information was “comprehensive” (three people used this word). Some other suggested topics include hiking with kids (adding this to the front page of the Hiking Basics page), high-altitude hiking, and trail conservation.

Volunteering and joining. For the two questions that asked about the ease of volunteering or joining WTA, respondents generally felt both processes were simple and straightforward. Some 81.3 percent stated signing up to volunteer was either extremely or very easy, while 93.8 percent said joining was extremely or very easy.

Information and motivation. Responses for questions 9 through 11 varied (see Figure ?). Some 62.5 percent of respondents stated they felt extremely or very “informed of state and national hiking trail conservation issues” after viewing Wta.org. Another 25 percent felt moderately informed and 12.5 percent felt only somewhat informed. Only 50 percent of respondents felt extremely or very motivated to “help conserve hiking areas and trails” after viewing the website; the remaining respondents were moderately motivated. Finally, 81.3 percent of respondents were extremely or very motivated to “find hikes and hiking areas in

Wta.org 43

Washington” after viewing the website. The remaining respondents were moderately (12.5%) or somewhat (6.3%) motivated.

Qualitative questions (12 and 13). The majority of respondents provided answers to the last two qualitative questions. Word clouds (see figures 26 and 27) show some commonly used terms by respondents. For question 12, eight respondents mentioned the quality and comprehensiveness of the Hiking Guides. Others mentioned the interesting articles on the homepage, the Hiking Basics section, and the overall organizational quality of the website.

For question 13, when asked for improvements to Wta.org’s design or content, responses were relatively positive as well. Several people mentioned that they felt the website doesn’t need any improvements. One person mentioned incorporating a spelling suggestion feature into the Trail Guide search bar so that if he/she couldn’t quite remember the hike name, he/she would receive some suggestions. Four respondents mentioned putting more information about the organization on the homepage. Some felt that they didn’t even know this website was for a nonprofit because the organizational message was not clear on the homepage. These responses indicate that WTA needs more “About Us” information directly on the homepage so as to better notify users of the website’s primary purpose.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Question9 Question10 Question11

%Extremelyinformed/motivated

%Veryinformed/motivated

%Moderatelyinformed/motivated

%Somewhatinformed/motivated

Figure 25: Survey responses, questions 9-11

Wta.org 44

Question 12 Word Cloud: What website content or features did you find most useful and why?

Figure 26: Word cloud for question 12

Wta.org 45

Question 13 Word Cloud: What improvements would you make to the website’s design or content and why?

Figure 27: Word cloud for question 13

Wta.org 46

Data from the Heuristic assessment and online survey identified several strengths and some weaknesses of Wta.org. The Heuristic evaluation suggests that Wta.org excels in its site structure and navigation, content type, search functions, and social media linkage (see Figure 28). Where Wta.org lacks is its brand identity, especially in respect to its homepage content focused on WTA and land conservation information.

Survey responses suggest similar strengths and weaknesses as identified by the Heuristic assessment. For example, whereas site navigation for the homepage, Hiking Guides section, and other pages were rated positively, comments suggested that homepage brand identity and content variety were insufficient. Survey comments (from question 13) that mentioned a disconnect between the brand and the homepage include:

• “If this is a website for a nonprofit, perhaps it needs to say so on the homepage.”• “Idk, I might want so (sic) more info about the organization…It was hard to tell what the

nonprofit actually does (provide trail guides?).”• “Maybe a bigger about us button?”

00.51

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.55

Brandidentity Sitestructureandnavigation

Content Search Socialmedia

Averagerating(0-5)ofWta.orgintheQiveassessmentcategories

Results Analysis

Figure 28: Average Heuristic rating for each focus area

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Survey comments (from questions 6B and 13) that mentioned a desire for increased topical content (or changes in the existing content) include:

• “I think hiking with kids should be a front-page article on the Hiking Basics page.”• “More on wildlife encounters – what to do if you see a bear or coyote, how to stay safe

and keep the wild animal safe.”• “More advocacy info on the homepage. Get people out there conserving hiking land.”• “Was this website supposed to interest in (sic) me land conservation? I felt like it was

more oriented towards hiking and hiking trails.”• “The trail guide descriptions seem a little lengthy and heavy on the unnecessary details.”

Relation to Objectives and KPIs. Survey results largely indicate that Wta.org meets thecommunication objectives identified in this research paper. Survey responses were overwhelming positive in that Wta.org achieves its KPIs for the objective “Share news and information on hiking in Washington”. For example, more than 85 percent of respondents reported that they were extremely or very satisfied with the information in the Trail Guides section. The vast majority of respondents (75%) also stated that the Trail Guides either extremely or very prepared them for a hike. Furthermore, 75 percent of respondents were also extremely or very satisfied with the “How To” articles on the Hiking Basics webpage.

Survey sentiment was slightly less positive for KPIs of the engagement objective “Encourage hikers to share experiences on- and off-line”. These KPIs were primarily addressed by questions 10 and 11. For example, 50 percent of respondents reported they were moderately motivated to “help conserve hiking areas and trails in Washington” (question 10). The remaining 50 percent were either extremely or very motivated. Similarly, 81.3 percent of respondents were either extremely or very motivated to “find hikes and hiking areas in Washington” after exploring the website. Another 12.5 percent reported they were moderately motivated; 6.3 percent were somewhat motivated.

Survey responses to questions that addressed the third objective, “Generate support for and awareness of hiking and trail conservation and conservation groups – including the WTA”, and its associated KPIs, were still generally positive. For question 9, which evaluated knowledge of state and national trail conservation issues upon exploring the website, some 62.5 percent of respondents believed they were extremely or very informed on these topics. Another 25 percent were moderately informed, whereas 12.5 percent were somewhat informed. Questions 7 and 8, both of which evaluated support for the WTA, received favorable results as well. For question 7 – which asked, “How easy would it be for you to locate and sign up for a volunteer event” usingthe website – all but 18.8 percent of respondents found the process extremely or very easy (the remainder found it moderately easy). For question 8, which asked how easy respondents found it was to join WTA using the website, 6.3 percent reported the process was moderately easy and the remainder of responses found it extremely or very easy.

Wta.org 48

Based on survey responses, Heuristic assessment data, and benchmarking and audience information, I identified six recommendations ranging from specific website improvements to general content suggestions and large-scale organizational changes.

1. Add spelling suggestion feature to Hiking Guide search bar (improve informationaccess). Suggested by a survey respondent, this modification would likely require adding some programming to the website. Google uses a similar spelling suggestion feature to suggest/identify search topics when a user enters text into the Google search bar. Although a relatively small change, the “trail name spelling suggestion” feature would better connect users to the information they seek, thus achieving communication objective one. See Figure 29 for a visual example.

2. Adjust homepage content and layout (increase WTA and land conservationawareness). The Heuristic assessment and survey responses showed me that the homepage needs improving to better promote the WTA, thus making users more aware of the organization upon first visiting Wta.org. Currently the homepage displays plenty of content; adding an “About Us” section, even a small section, might overwhelm users and drive them away form the website in confusion. I suggest incorporating the scrolling articles section (located below the main navigation) with the articles and thumbnails of the Signpost Blog section and moving this combined section, as well as the Featured Photo and Hike of the Week areas, to the top fold of the website. In the space below the fold – where the Featured Photo and Hiking of the Week currently exist – WTA should add an About Us section with an image or images. This will increase homepage content about the WTA without making the homepage appear overly “busy”. Furthermore, WTA should use some of the space to promote content on trail conservation and provide information on how to become involved in this effort. See Figure 30 for a visual example.

3. Increase visitor engagement with “Hiker of the Week” photo section (encourageonline experience sharing). One survey respondent suggested the following: “Add hikers’ own photos of beautiful scenery and change them regularly so everyone gets to show their photos”. Wta.org already accomplishes this with its Featured Photo section. However, what the website doesn’t do is showcase either WTA or Wta.org members in these photos. Scenic outdoor photos with hikers (either individuals or families/groups) in them and captions identifying the individuals and the photo’s location could spur website traffic through the same principle employed by local newspapers, i.e. everyone wants to read their names/see their faces in the newspaper (as long as it pertains to positive news). Requesting submissions and changing this photo weekly might draw in more website users while also establishing another connection to the regional hiking community. See Figure 30 for a visual example.

4. Diversify content in Hiking Resources section (improve information access).Several survey respondents stated they desired more variety in the content available on the Hiking Basics page. Suggested topics included a comprehensive article on hiking with children, resources on encountering wildlife, and information on high-altitude hiking and dealing with the

Recommendations

Wta.org 49

elements. WTA should poll its members (both organizational members and Wta.org members) to determine what subject matter, if any, additional articles should cover.

5. Increase content/program information targeted towards non-Caucasians.Demographic data from Alexa.com indicates a below-Internet average percentage of non-Caucasian users on Wta.org – despite the WTA’s commitment to increasing diversity and improving equitable access in the outdoors and within the organization itself. One solution includes expanding this effort. Another involves better communicating the WTA’s Commitment to Diversity and Equitable Access, and its affiliated programs, to audience members. I needed to dig deep into Wta.org’s “About Us” section to find content on the WTA’s diversity commitment. Promoting this commitment on the homepage and/or moving the article to a higher-traffic webpage, such as the Hiking Basics page, might help increase website traffic from non-Caucasians.

6. Partner with a larger organization for increased exposure (increase WTAawareness). One initiative that worked well for AllTrails.com was partnering with a much larger organization (in this case National Geographic) to increase website exposure. WTA should consider a similar partnership, ideally with a widely known Washington State-based institution, like the Washington State Parks System or Kent, Washington-headquartered recreational sports equipment cooperative REI. Presently, REI serves as one of the WTA’s most generous corporate donors; a more collegial partnership might better benefit Wta.org and increase website traffic.

Figure 29: Ideal location of spelling suggestion feature

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Figure 30: Homepage suggestions

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Dashboard 1: Trip Reports Engagement

Wta.org 52

Rationale. Tracking engagement on Wta.org can take many forms. For example, one could assess the number of blog article shares to social media or the frequency of donations made via the Donate button. However, based on organizational statistics supplied in the past two annual reports (2014, 2013), WTA places an emphasis on tracking the growth of its Trip Reports, which any registered Wta.org users can submit and comment on. Dashboard 1 examines the growth in Trip Reports filed on Wta.org, as well as the number of individuals filing Trip Reports and the number of comments made on them. Lastly, it benchmarks this data against the competitor website and a leader in the online trail guide industry, AllTrails.com.

Dashboard 1 shows a steady increase in the number of Wta.org users creating and commenting on Trip Reports. Continued growth should be expected barring no major issues for the organization. However, examining the data against that of AllTrails.com shows WTA lagging in the number of Trip Reports filed each year. Founded in 2010, AllTrails.com partnered with National Geographic in 2012 and experienced rapid growth as a result. The partnership with a global brand and the increased exposure as a result likely brought in more visitors to AllTrails and led to a higher percentage of user engagement activity. Today, AllTrails serves some 700,000 members and lists information on more than 50,000 hiking trails (About AllTrails, n.d.), so an estimate of 15,000-plus new trip reports/reviews filed each year may even be conservative. That said, WTA focuses on much more than just providing trail information (as opposed to AllTrails). And Wta.org only provides information on Washington trails.

Wta.org 53

Rationale. Dashboard 2 focuses on volunteer engagement and signups through Wta.org. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and maintaining hiking trails on public and private lands in Washington, WTA depends on its volunteer base. And that means finding ways to sign volunteers up as effectively and efficiently as possible. The Volunteer webpages on Wta.org give website visitors the tools and information they need to research WTA volunteer events near them, determine event need and details, and sign up – all online. Of the different types of volunteer events WTA holds, Trail Work Parties remain the most frequent and popular. According to the most recent WTA Annual Report (Washington Trails Association, 2015), the

Dashboard 2: Trail Work Parties Awareness/Engagement

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organization built, maintained, or protected some 205 trails in 2014, and volunteers clocked 124,000 total hours of trail work time in the process.

Dashboard 2 shows the percentage of visitors to Wta.org who actually look into WTA Trail Work Parties and sign up for them. Data also shows the number of Trail Work Party attendees who learn about and sign up for events strictly through the website (volunteers can also call the organization to sign up). Finally, I’ve compared this information to a fourth KPI, the percentage of website visitors who feel some sort of motivation to help conserve hiking trails and hiking areas in Washington after visiting Wta.org. Website visitors from this last group might donate to or join the WTA instead of volunteering for the organization, or they might not do anything for the organization.

Data also shows that Trail Work Party volunteer rates increased when these events were better promoted on the homepage. Furthermore, website visitor interest in preserving outdoor recreation land in Washington increased when Wta.org bolstered resources regarding this cause. This last bit of data suggests that the more (up to a point) that Wta.org promotes trail conservation and maintenance on its website, the higher volunteer rates WTA should expect.

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About AllTrails. (n.d.). Alltrails.com. Retrieved from http://alltrails.com/about

About Trails.com. (n.d.). Trails.com. Retrieved from https://www.trails.com/about.aspx

About Us. (n.d.). Washington Trails Association. Retrieved from http://www.wta.org/about

Briceno, T., & Schundler, G. (2015). Economic Analysis of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State. Earth Economics. Retrieved from http://www.rco.wa.gov/documents/ORTF/EconomicAnalysisOutdoorRec.pdf

Commitment to Diversity and Equitable Access. (n.d.). Washington Trails Association. Retrieved from http://www.wta.org/about/commitment-to-diversity-and-equitable-access

Durkin, A. (2015, September 6). Appalachian Trail suffers from popularity as Hollywood promotes hiking. The Spokesman-Review [AP article]. Retrieved from http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/sep/06/appalachian-trail-suffers-from-popularity-as/

Harel, T. (2014, November 21). Here’s What You Need to Build a Great Nonprofit Website (Includes Examples). Classy Blog. Retrieved from http://www.classy.org/blog/heres-what-you-need-to-build-a-great-nonprofit-website-includes-examples/

Hike Ontario. (2007). Best Practices For Increasing Trail Usage by Hikers and Walkers. Retrieved from http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/assets/files/pdf/member-archives/reports/HO-BestPractices-Web.pdf

Nielsen, J. (1995). 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design. Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved from http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/

Mapp, M. (2015). Take a hike! REI’s sales soar on boom in outdoor popularity. CNBC. Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/2015/04/24/reis-sales-soar-on-boom-in-outdoor-popularity.html

McLain, A. (2014, March 26). Nonprofit Website Navigation: Tips and Best Practices. WiredImpact. Retrieved from http://wiredimpact.com/blog/nonprofit-website-navigation-tips-best-practices/

Meredith, A. (2013, October 16). How to Pick the Right Domain Name and Extension. Hubspot Blogs. Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/insiders/how-to-pick-a-domain-extension

Our Mission and History. (n.d.). Florida Trail Association. Retrieved from

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http://www.floridatrail.org/about-us/missionandhistory/

Outdoor Foundation. (2015). 2014 Outdoor Participation Report. Retrieved from http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/pdf/ResearchParticipation2014.pdf

Paine, K. D. (2011). Measure What Matters: Online Tools for Understanding Customers, Social Media, Engagement, and Key Relationships. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

U.S. Forest Service History: Hiking in America. (n.d.). The Forest History Society. Retrieved from http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/policy/Recreation/trails/Hiking.aspx

Washington Trails Association. (2015). 2014 Annual Report. Retrieved from https://www.wta.org/about/WTA_AR_052015.pdf

Washington Trails Association. (2014). 2013 Annual Report. Retrieved from https://www.wta.org/about/2013-annual-report

Zangerl, C. (n.d.). Assessment Week 3. Retrieved from https://nuonline.neu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_2257322_1&content_id=_8465149_1

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Scoring: 0 = extremely poor or not used/implemented, 1 = very poor, 2 = poor, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent or exceeds criteria

Rating Focus

Rating and Information Related KPIs Wta.org AllTrails.com

Trails.com FloridaTrail.org

Brand identity

Focus of the organization and website can easily be discerned based on homepage content and/or homepage features:

Instruction: Homepage text, visuals, CTAs, and other features fit with the purpose of the website and overall goals of the organization. Homepage does not overwhelm users. It offers some information regarding the organization and its activities (i.e. in the form of member photos, hiking guides, industry news, or all of the above).

Clarity of website

3 5 4 5

About Us webpage is easily reachable from homepage and its content clear and informative:

Instruction: A clear CTA and link appears on the homepage and on many other pages to direct users to the About Us section. The About Us section provides an adequate amount of organizational information without boring or overwhelming users. About Us also links to additional organizational resources, such as a page on the organization’s accomplishments, history, or staff or board members.

Clarity of website, usability of features

5 4 3 4

Appendix A: Heuristic Assessment

Wta.org 58

The homepage and overall website effectively generates interest in, support for, and/or revenue for the organization: Instruction: For nonprofits, this can be accomplished through adequate information on volunteering and donating; effective CTAs that encourage users to contribute or support; and detailed content on the advantages of supporting the organization. For dotcom websites, this can be accomplished by effectively directing users to: paid subscription information, content covering the benefits of subscribing, and additional channels (like mobile apps) through which users can also subscribe.

Clarity of website, clarity of donate and volunteer CTAs

4 5 3 5

Site structure and navigation

Navigation bars, breadcrumbs, and key page information are highly visible and easily identified: Instruction: Navigation bars, breadcrumbs, and key page information (like headings and sub-headings) appear in the same locations on each page. More than one navigation bar appears on each page. Navigation bars and breadcrumbs identify users’ location within the website.

Clarity of website, usability of features

5 3 4 3

Highly visible, clear, and functional CTAs and CTA links can be found throughout the website: Instruction: CTAs and CTA links for nonprofits primarily direct users to information on donating, volunteering, and learning more about the organization. CTAs and CTA links for dotcoms largely direct users to information on subscribing (and the advantages of), trial uses, mobile apps, and website use guides. Nonprofit-type CTAs and CTA links might appear on dotcom websites and visa versa.

Clarity of website, clarity of donate and volunteer CTAs

4 5 4 4

Content

Website provides a variety of news and information on the organization and the organization’s industry focus:

Richness of content

5 0 5 3

Wta.org 59

Instruction: In addition to featuring an About Us page and pages with related organizational information, the website displays content on industry activities. For a nonprofit, this might include organizational news and activities and national, regional, and local land conservation news. In the case of a dotcom, this might include tips and trends in hiking and backpacking. Content regarding the organization and organization’s industry is current, accurate, and adequate in depth and detail, and it features links to additional resources:

Instruction: The content does not appear outdated and, based on the assessor’s knowledge, it looks correct and comprehensive enough. Content also features links to outside articles or information from reliable sources.

Richness of content, frequency of new content posted

5 3 5 3

Any trail and hiking area reviews and guides provide clear and accurate information:

Instruction: Guides identify trails’ distances, directions to, difficulty, and any special instructions and information. They also provide maps, photographs, and/or video. Reviews notify readers what trail or trails the information covers and provide clear ratings. All trail guides and all trail reviews appear in a similar format and with similar functions.

Usability of features, richness of content

5 5 5 3

Search Website information can be searched for effectively by various means:

Instruction: A search form appears on all pages, either in the header, footer, or sidebar. Search bar looks the same on each page.

Clarity of website, usability of features

5 1 3 5

Users can easily search through trail guides and/or user-provided content (i.e. trail reports, photographs) by at least one means:

Usability of features, richness of

5 5 5 0

Wta.org 60

Instruction: The website’s listing of trails and hiking areas includes a search function, allowing users to locate trails based on name, region/state, and additional options.

content

Website includes interactive regional maps by which to locate trails and hiking areas: Instruction: Interactive trail finder maps clearly identify trails and hiking areas throughout the region or regions covered by the website. Trails are easy to identify on the map(s), as are other features, like state lines, roads, etc. Users can filter trails located on the map(s).

Usability of features

5 5 5 3

Social media

Homepage displays clear links to social media pages: Instruction: Social media links appear in top fold of homepage. Icons are large enough to be easily readable.

Clarity of website, usability of features

5 3 3 5

Effective CTAs point users to social media pages from the majority of webpages: Instruction: A clear and understandable CTA points users to the social media icons. CTAs appear on most, if not all, pages.

Clarity of website, usability of features

5 4 0 0

TOTAL (Out of

possible 65 points):

61 48 49 43

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Appendix B: Online Survey (Tool: Google Forms)

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10/29/2015 Wta.org Evaluation (Communications Class Assignment) - Google Forms

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kGMpglci5lVet8DsDdOb0k7Bb1skU0kAQq084lo3MII/viewanalytics 1/8

Yes 13 81.3%

No 3 18.8%

Extremely easy 8 50%

Very easy 7 43.8%

Moderately easy 1 6.3%

Somewhat easy 0 0%

Not at all easy 0 0%

16 responses total

1. Is this your first visit to Wta.org?

2. How easy to navigate does the homepage appear?

Edit this form

Yes

No

43.8%

50%

nicholas.gosling@gmail.com

Wta.org 2 Wta.org 2

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10/29/2015 Wta.org Evaluation (Communications Class Assignment) - Google Forms

2/8

Extremely likely 8 50%

Very likely 6 37.5%

Moderately likely 2 12.5%

Somewhat likely 0 0%

Not at all likely 0 0%

Extremely easy 3 18.8%

Very easy 10 62.5%

Moderately easy 3 18.8%

Somewhat easy 0 0%

Not at all easy 0 0%

Extremely helpful 8Very helpful 6Moderately helpful 2 Somewhat helpful 0Not at all helpful 0

50%37.5%12.5%0%0%

4. How easy to navigate does the Hiking Guide webpage appear?

5A. Choose a hiking trail and read the Trail Guide and one or more Trip

Reports for the trail. How helpful did you find the hike details (located just

below the hike name in the Trail Guide)?

37.5%

50%

18.8%

18.8%

62.5%

37.5%

50%

3. After reviewing the homepage, how likely would you explore more of thewebsite?

Wta.org 64

10/29/2015

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kGMpglci5lVet8DsDdOb0k7Bb1skU0kAQq084lo3MII/viewanalytics 3/8

Extremely satisfied 10 62.5%

Very satisfied 5 31.3%

Moderately satisfied 1 6.3%

Somewhat satisfied 0 0%

Not at all satisfied 0 0%

Extremely prepared 3 18.8%

Very prepared 9 56.3%

Moderately prepared 4 25%

Somewhat prepared 0 0%

Not at all prepared 0 0%

5B. How satisfied were you with the type of information provided in the Trail

Guide’s Hike Description?

5C. How prepared (knowledge-wise) do you feel for this hike having read the

information available on the website?

31.3%

62.5%

18.8%

25%

56.3%

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10/29/2015 Wta.org Evaluation (Communications Class Assignment) - Google Forms

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kGMpglci5lVet8DsDdOb0k7Bb1skU0kAQq084lo3MII/viewanalytics 4/8

Extremely satisfied 9 56.3%

Very satisfied 3 18.8%

Moderately satisfied 4 25%

Somewhat satisfied 0 0%

Not at all satisfied 0 0%

6B. What other subjects, if any, should articles in the Hiking Resources section

address?

- Lots of stuff here already. Some other topics: car camping, high-altitude hiking, dealing with the

elements while hiking

- More articles about advocating for trail conservancy

- none

- Idk, there's a lot of stuff there. I think they covered most of the important topics.

- I think hiking with kids should be a frontpage article on the Hiking Basics page. Lots of parents -

both new and experienced - would like to read something like that.

- This seemed quite comprehensive. Very good information!

- It was very comprehensive.

- For my first visit, it seemed well covered.

- Perhaps an article on where to hike with children - like the best places in Washington. I would want

to know that

- It's pretty comprehensive as is.

- More on wildlife encounters- what to do if you see a bear or coyote, how to stay safe and keep the

wild animal safe.

25%18.8%

56.3%

6A. Review the Hiking Basics webpage (https://www.wta.org/hiking-

info/basics) and some of the other webpages found in the Hiking Resources section. How satisfied were you with the variety of articles in the Hiking Resources section?

Wta.org ##Wta.org ##

Wta.org ##

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10/29/2015

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kGMpglci5lVet8DsDdOb0k7Bb1skU0kAQq084lo3MII/viewanalytics 5/8

Extremely easy 5 31.3%

Very easy 8 50%

Moderately easy 3 18.8%

Somewhat easy 0 0%

Not at all easy 0 0%

Extremely easy 4 25%

Very easy 11 68.8%

Moderately easy 1 6.3%

Somewhat easy 0 0%

Not at all easy 0 0%

Extremely informed 6 37.5%

Very informed 4 25%

8. If you were to join (or renew your membership with) the WTA, how easy

would it be for you to sign up (or renew) to become a member using

Wta.org?

9. Upon reviewing the website and its features, how much more informed of

state and national hiking trail conservation issues do you feel?

18.8%50%

31.3%

68.8%

25%

25%

25%

37.5%

Moderately informed 4 25%

Somewhat informed 2 12.5%

Not at all informed 0 0%

7. If you were to volunteer with the WTA, how easy would it be for you to

locate and sign up for a volunteer event using Wta.org?

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10/29/2015 Wta.org Evaluation (Communications Class Assignment) - Google Forms

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kGMpglci5lVet8DsDdOb0k7Bb1skU0kAQq084lo3MII/viewanalytics 6/8

Extremely motivated 3 18.8%

Very motivated 5 31.3%

Moderately motivated 8 50%

Somewhat motivated 0 0%

Not at all motivated 0 0%

Extremely motivated 11 68.8%

Very motivated 2 12.5%

Moderately motivated 2 12.5%

Somewhat motivated 1 6.3%

Not at all motivated 0 0%

10. Upon reviewing the website and its features, how much more motivated

to help conserve hiking areas and trails in Washington do you feel?

11. Upon reviewing the website and its features, how much more motivated

to find hikes and hiking areas in Washington (if you live in or were to visit

the state) do you feel?

18.8%

50%

31.3%

12.5%

68.8%

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10/29/2015 Wta.org Evaluation (Communications Class Assignment) - Google Forms

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kGMpglci5lVet8DsDdOb0k7Bb1skU0kAQq084lo3MII/viewanalytics 7/8

- The trail guides were Awesome!

- I liked all the content - the frontpage articles especially. Even found the volunteer and donate

pages relatively informative

- The hiking guide. Pretty good trails and trail descriptions there. Makes me want to move to

Washington!

- The find a hike part of the website is excellent. Not only did it show a map of all trails, it also had

very specific trail information and great photos. I also think the volunteer part of the website is

very motivating and, if I lived in the area, I would want to be part of the volunteer crew.

- The hiking guides were great - lots of important information there for exploring your favorite trail.

- Great info on this website. Trail guides were very detailed - perhaps even better than my trusty

guidebook. Great having this all online

- Ghost towns. Northern State Ghost towns Viewing maps of Rt 20 area. Makes it easy to find and

learn about the sites

- I found the hiking guide to be the most useful feature. It included thorough descriptions of trail

conditions, features and distances, information I like to know before hitting the trail or when

choosing a hike. I also particularly liked the use of the symbols with each hike to provide additional

information, for example which hikes are dog friendly or have views.

- Great level of info on particular hikes as well as wonderful map that shows the general locations.

The "Filter the Map" feature is extremely helpful. The Basics info was also clear, interesting, and

helpful. Trip reports would be invaluable for someone setting out on a hike. This website is very

comprehensive, full of necessary info, and easy to use.

- This website had a wealth of information. I was blown away by how well-organized it was and

how easy it was to find information. The info on particular trails would leave a hiker very well-

informed before leaving the house. The map that shows locations of trails was also particularly

good.

- I liked the Hiking Basics section. Lots of great and interesting resources there. Also liked the

frontpage articles - neat topics!

- Descriptions of hikes and ratings of them. Hike of the week feature. Info on leaving no trace

behind. Volunteer info.

12. What website content or features did you find most useful and why?

Wta.org 69

13. What improvements would you make to the website’s design or content

and why?

- Overall, a great site and a huge resource of information. I can't think of anything it is lacking.

- Was this website supposed to interest in me land conservation? I felt like it was more oriented

towards hiking and hiking trails

- Right now, since it is the first visit to the web-site I have no additional suggestions

- For the "hike name" search bar, I would include wrong spellings of mountain names to aid someone

who did not know the exact spelling of a hike. Also, for my old computer, the sidebar boxes covered

up the content of the main page. It may be an issue particular to my computer (Windows 7), but it was

a bit annoying.

- More advocacy info on the homepage. Get people out there conserving hiking land

- If this is a website for a nonprofit, perhaps it needs to say so on the homepage. Otherwise, it looks

more like a hiking news website

- None, very informative and user friendly site.

- I don't see any improvements needed, but I did have trouble finding one trail with which I was

unfamiliar with the name spelling. Using the map helped with this. The map finder is wonderful!

- The trail guide descriptions seemed a little lengthy and heavy on the unneccessary details. Would

have liked a more cut-and-dry read so i don't need to wade through a bunch of extra descriptors

- Idk, I might want so more info about the organization. I didn't read the about us but the front page

makes it look like a bunch of articles. It was hard to tell what the nonprofit actually does (provide trail

guides?)

- Maybe a bigger about us button? Didn't really see the events button or info either.

- Adding hikers own photos of beautiful scenery and change them regularly so everyone gets to show

their photos. Add their comments to the photos exhibited on the page.

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