Like most Toastmasters, you’re eager to share the benefits of the Toastmasters program with your community. Creating and maintaining a quality club website is an essential step in ensuring that guests are able to discover your club, understand the value of participation, and visit one of your meetings.
Why Your Website Matters
Your website will probably be the first point of contact that visitors have with your club. They may find it through a search engine, through Toastmasters International’s Find-a-Club tool, or via a link from another website or social media platform.
Wherever they come from, visitors will form their first impression of your club from the content of your website, so it’s important to get it right!
Getting Started
If you don’t have a website yet, here’s how to get started:
- Select a site manager. In many clubs, this is the VP of Public Relations, but any member can take on this role.
- Register for your site at FreeToastHost. There are other free website platforms, but this one is run by and for Toastmasters members, and it provides a range of features designed specifically for Toastmasters clubs. Most clubs use this service, and most of the tips on this site assume that you’re hosted on FreeToastHost.
- Fill in your club’s meeting time and location.
- Fill in your club’s contact information.
- Customize the text on your home page to communicate the unique culture and competencies of your club. What sets you apart?
Once your site is ready for prime time, have a club officer add your website address to the “Club Contact and Meeting Information” section in Club Central on the Toastmasters International website. The contact information in Club Central will show up in your Toastmasters International’s Find-a-Club listing, where many of your potential visitors will first learn about your club, so it’s critical that you keep it up to date!