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Features of Web Designs for Political Organizations
As the internet continues to proliferate into every sphere of our daily lives, politics is no exception. Many political organizations and activists have now taken their political campaigns and activities online to get more support on a national and international level as well. The internet has changed the way politics is now viewed and conducted. Politics is now fast paced with political websites providing not only information about the candidate and his or her manifesto, but pages for financial contributions, volunteer campaigns, event calendars with voting date and much more.
In the recently held US elections in 2004, the democratic candidate Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts took his campaign online by signing up many supporters and receiving financial contributions via his website. He helped change the way politics was and is viewed on the web. He turned the internet into a powerful medium that broke boundaries and got people involved who disliked opinions the mainstream media. The internet is now viewed by many politicians as not just an informational tool, but as a marketing and promotional medium as well.
Feature of web designs for political organizations
When designing a political website, its user friendliness must be kept in mind. It should be easily navigable and should spell out in a clear and precise manner what the candidate is trying to say. The website should be clean and without any clutter, so that the message of the candidate is heard in a clear-cut and well defined manner. Some key common web design features for political organizations include:
Newsletters
Newsletters play a vital role in bringing the political candidate's message to the forefront and helps keep supporters abreast of the weekly activities happening around the country and the world.
Photo Albums
Here political organizations can put photos, images and slides of their activities on this page.
Guest Books
Site visitors write in entries in an online guest book which is very useful for not only showing support but providing you with useful information about how to better your site.
Message Boards/ Emails
Here visitors and supporters can post their views and messages on an online message board or discussion forum which the political organization supports or is against.
Contact Page
This page includes political organizations address or the candidates address, phone number and email. Here you can also give your suggestions, concerns and ideas directly to the organization itself.
Site Map
This map of the site will help supporter to easily navigate their way around the website as it lists the pages in the index along with a description of those pages.
Multimedia area
Audio, video or flash files are kept here which are usually about political organization's history, achievements and work in the community.
Initiatives page
This kind of page outlines the priorities and initiatives taken up by the political organization or candidate.
FAQ page
This page is a list of questions with links to the answers frequently asked about the political organization and it its workings.
Voting Page
This page contains voting information about how to vote, how to register to vote, and what you need to bring when you cast your vote.
Endorsement Page
This page usually contains endorsements from locals and people from different walks of life about the political organization or candidate.
Calendar
Here political organizations list special events on an online calendar that supporters can attend or need to purchase tickets for.
Articles & Press Releases
Articles and press releases are posted online about the political organization and its achievements.
Make a Contribution Page
Here supporters can contribute money and support towards the political organization.
Volunteer Page
This page lets supporters enroll in a volunteer program to help the political organization and its cause.
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