What a networking group's website has to do
A networking group exists to send members business. Its website has one job: make each member easy to find and easy to hire. Most chapter and association sites fall short in the same ways. The member list is a page of names. Profiles go stale because one volunteer updates all of them. And a guest who wants to visit has to find an email address and hope someone answers.
- A member list with no links to the businesses behind it.
- Profiles that depend on one admin to keep current.
- Guests who show up not knowing who does what.
- Visit requests that land in a personal inbox and wait.
- A site that looks like every other chapter's site.
How we'd set it up for a networking group
We'd usually start with the member, because the member is what a guest is shopping for.
- A directory that works like a link hub. One card per member, grouped by category, with a link straight to their business. The directory is the point of the site, not a page at the back.
- Give members a reason to share it. Presenting members as award winners in categories makes the site something members want to send around, not just a listing.
- Members update their own profiles. Each member gets a personal update link. You decide whether a change goes live right away or waits for a chapter officer to check it.
- A visit-a-meeting invitation. A guest asks to visit from the site, and the request reaches the person who handles visitors.
- One source for the roster. If your group already keeps members in a sheet or a member tool, we'd start there instead of a second list.
What we built for BNI Manhattan Chapter 31
BNI Manhattan Chapter 31 is a networking group in New York City whose members meet every Thursday to send each other business. We built a Hall of Fame website that presents members like award winners, one category at a time, so a guest arrives already knowing who is in the room. See the build →
- A Hall of Fame website that opens like an awards night, with members grouped into award categories.
- A member directory that works like a link hub: one card per member, linking to their business.
- A member update page, so each member keeps their own profile current. What they change shows up on their profile on the site.
- A visit-a-meeting invitation for guests.
What we don't do
- We don't write member profiles for them. Each member keeps their own.
- We don't run your meetings, referrals or membership rules.
- We don't email your members or guests without approval.
Related
Does your member list link to anyone's business?
Bring your roster to a free 30-minute review, and we'll walk through what a guest would see.
Book a free 30-minute review →Networking group questions
Can each member update their own profile?
Yes. On the BNI Manhattan Chapter 31 site, each member gets their own update link, and what they change shows up on their profile on the site.
What makes a member directory useful to guests?
Each card should go straight to the member's business. The chapter's directory works like a link hub, grouped into categories, so a guest can find a member and click through in one step.
Can guests ask to visit a meeting from the website?
Yes. The chapter site includes a visit-a-meeting invitation for guests, alongside the directory.
Why present members as award winners?
It gives guests a reason to look at every member, one category at a time, and gives members a page they want to share. The chapter's site opens like an awards night.
Do you only build for BNI chapters?
No. The same directory, update links and visit requests fit any networking group or member association.