| Website Features |
| | One-Click Hub Navigation [ more ]
CondoSites leads the industry in easy Website navigation. With our unique, two-page layout, once users login to the site, they are always just a click away from any new or current information they wish to view.
Our secret? Lightbox2 technology. Just click on any link: a window opens, displaying the content you want. Click it shut and the window disappears, leaving you right where you were with ready access to everything.
Our customers love this feature. Especially if you have older or less tech-savvy residents, your community will love it, too. No matter what you’re looking at, you can get back to the main page with just one simple click. |
| | Popular Folders [ more ]
CondoSites makes it easy for you to organize your content. All our Websites come pre-loaded with commonly used folders such as Board Documents, ByLaws and CC&Rs, Financials, Floor Plans, Manuals (for appliances), Meeting Minutes, Newsletters, and more. If you have a need for a folder that isn't represented, it's easy to add one through our simple control panel. |
| | Unlimited Additional Folders [ more ]
Want to add folders not already pre-loaded onto your site--perhaps a “Welcome Wagon” folder to which can contain information and suggestions about the community for newcomers? You can create additional folders for any purpose, any time you want, at no extra charge. |
| | Unlimited Document & Photo Storage [ more ]
Planning to provide users with a wealth of information? CondoSites allows you to upload and store as many documents as you want in any format: Microsoft Word and Excel, Adobe PDF, JPEG, MP3, and more.
Depending on your type of community, you may want include information such as pool rules, emergency evacuation plans, or the menus of local restaurants. We suggest you keep the size of documents you upload as small as possible for fast, easy downloading by your users. We’ll help you with any that may be larger. |
| | Control of Content Management Permissions [ more ]
CondoSites enables Website administrators (community liaisons) to upload, edit, change, or delete virtually all of the community's website content through a series of control panels. Certain groups, such as board members, committees, or property staff members, can be granted limited or complete access to some of the control panels, as well.
With limited access, an authorized user can add or upload content within a particular control panel. This option works well when, for example, a board member uploads a document that needs to be approved or edited by the rest of the board before it can “go live.”
With full access, an authorized group can publish, as well as upload, edit or change content, within any of the control panels they’ve been granted permission to use. Many communities use this option to give concierge staff full access to the Package Log & Notification control panel, as well as to other control panels that are related to their job duties. |
| | Control of Viewer Permissions [ more ]
Your Website administrator can control the types of content members can view by associating a role (homeowner, renter, or realtor) with their login profile.
The viewing of community information, for example, can be restricted to residents, while meeting minutes and newsletters can be made viewable to realtors (as required in some states), as well as to residents. |
| | Discussion Forums [ more ]
Communities can enable members to create and access online groups and discussion forums, for the use of social clubs, for instance.
Just let us know what you need and we’ll gladly add a Google Groups link to your navigation column. This online service includes a plethora of modern discussion forum tools free of charge. Users will be able to access it without leaving the association Website, and can even elect to have a daily digest of discussion board activity automatically e-mailed to members. |
| | Group-Prioritized Content Display [ more ]
CondoSites is committed to making our Websites as user-friendly as possible. For this reason, we add an extra benefit to viewer permission control: the convenience of prioritized content display.
When realtors login to one of our community Websites, for example, among the first things they see at the top of the content navigation column are links to recent meeting minutes, newsletters, and a section dedicated to floor plans. Why? These are the items realtors most frequently view.
When homeowners login to one of our sites, floor plans would not be displayed as prominently. In our experience, residents very seldom have any reason to view them.
We apply the same logic to the content navigation column for each user group, always placing the more frequently viewed items at the top, the least viewed items at the bottom, or not at all. |
| | Google Analytics [ more ]
Google Analytics is a service that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to a Website. With this feature, you can see how often your association site is being logged into, how many unique visitors are logging on from what city, how frequently each page is being viewed, how long visitors stay on a particular page or on the site, and more.
This information is particularly helpful for determining the usefulness of existing content and getting ideas for desirable new content. |
| | RSS Feeds [ more ]
With this feature, users can opt to view updates to the association Website—e.g., news items, announcements, scheduled events, new or updated document postings, and more—on their RSS client. It mitigates the need to visit the community Website on a frequent basis to learn what’s new.
Note: many types of RSS clients (the media through which RSS feeds can be viewed) are available on Web browsers, mobile devices, Websites, and specialty client applications and they’re all free. |
| | Dues Payment Option [ more ]
If your association or property management company is a DuesPayment.com subscriber (our preferred payment solution), we’ll gladly install the Web-based interface on your Website at no additional charge so residents can pay their dues and any special assessments online. (See www.duespayment.com for more information.) |
| | e-Forms [ more ]
CondoSites will preload your Website with frequently-used eforms. Members can use them to reserve a facility room, request maintenance, report a violation, make a suggestion, grant someone permission to enter their unit, submit parking-related requests, and more.
Unlike other systems that funnel all forms into a central database first, these forms are e-mailed directly to their intended recipient, as pre-designated by the administrator; and the recipient responds directly to the sender.
Need a form that isn’t already listed? Just let us know what you need and we’ll create and upload the form for you. |
| | Personal Profile Pages [ more ]
If you opt to use the unique login method, members will be able to securely submit and update their personal information profiles on the community Website.
Profile form fields include standard contact information: e.g., name, unit number, phone numbers, email address, emergency contacts, and password, among others.
Each profile page is password-protected (viewable only to the resident and the administrator), and is used only for administrative and emergency purposes, not for community communications and never for marketing purposes. |
| | Property Management Accounting Integration [ more ]
If your property management company utilizes Web-enabled accounting software, it can be linked to your CondoSites community website. Ask us for more information. |
| | Revenue Generating Opportunities [ more ]
Your Website can generate revenue for your association by charging local service providers, stores, restaurants and other commercial entities a monthly fee for listing on your business directory.
If you expand the directory to include classified ads, you can charge residents a modest fee for their listings, as well.
Note: CondoSites will fully support the uploading of text and graphics, such as logos or coupons, to your business directory. To preserve the community feel of the Website, however, we do not permit the posting of banner ads or pay-per-click ads outside of the business directory.
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| | Local Links [ more ]
Prior to your launch, CondoSites will confer with you to determine which commonly-used local links you would like to include on your Website. These usually include links to your local utility companies, newspaper, Internet and cable TV provider, government agencies, and so on.
Once you provide us with your list, we’ll obtain as many appropriate logos as possible and place them next to the corresponding listing. We’ll also test the hyperlinks to ensure they all work properly. |
| | Additional External Links [ more ]
We’ll gladly add any additional external links you’d like to include on your Website. A popular option, for instance, is a link to Google Groups for the use of board members. Others you might consider: links to local movie theaters or neighborhood association websites. |
| | Member Profiles [ more ]
If you opt to use the unique login method of accessing the Website, you’ll be collecting personal contact data (name, address, phone, e-mail, etc.) for each member who registers for a password.
This information enables you to take full advantage of the Website’s features and functions. For example:
- By assigning each Website user to a particular group (owner, renter, realtor), the administrator can control which modules and folders they can view upon login.
- By having each Website user’s personal information in the database, the administrator can ensure that any form they use (for maintenance requests, violation reports, facility rental requests, etc.) will automatically fill in their personal information as needed.
Rest assured, CondoSites only collects the most basic of user information to assist you and the user in receiving service from the site. |
| | Password Protection [ more ]
CondoSites’ unique two-page layout is designed to keep your Website content private and secure. The Home page, where most associations post basic, non-secure information about their community, is the only area accessible to the public. From there, members must login to gain access to the rest of the site.
Website administrators can assign login usernames and passwords using one of two methods:
- With the single login method, a single username and password can be issued to all users; or a username and password can be established for and issued to each user group: i.e., one set for homeowners, one for renters, one for realtors, and so on. It’s simple—there’s no registration required—but it’s limiting.
- With the unique login method, users must register to get a personal username and password. As they do, their basic personal information is stored on the Website’s database, which then gives them access to the Website’s database-connected functions and features.
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| | Forgotten Password Recovery [ more ]
CondoSites makes it easy for registered members to recover their forgotten username or password. They simply click on a link below the login fields on the Home page, enter their login email address, and click submit. The information is automatically sent to them by e-mail.
Additionally, the administrator can help users with forgotten or obsolete login email addresses, and can always reset passwords manually and contact users with the new information. |
| | Board Member Only Features [ more ]
Your association’s board and committee members can share confidential documents, help create a vendor directory, schedule events, add and edit the Newsboard, and more.
Additionally, by having us install Google Groups on your Website, board and committee members can create any number of private message boards. They’re ideal for conducting online discussions or documenting association matters without the need for live, in-person meetings – perfect for your off-site board members. |
| | Add to My Calendar [ more ]
CondoSites provides links that enable users to download any event to their Google, Outlook, iCal, Yahoo! or other calendar that accepts the industry standard iCal format. They can download documents connected to event postings, and use the e-mail link to send an event-related message to the administrator or other assigned member. |