Sorority Websites... how influential?
 

Old and New members, did you visit the websites for the chapters located on your campus before you made you final decision? What type of influence did it have on where you finally ended up joining? If it did what was the factor(s) (i.e. setup, professional looks, creativity, etc... ) that influenced you the most?

Actually I did check out some of the websites after I visited the booths, because the girls there encouraged me to. It DID influence me a little. The better, more professional websites made me feel like, oh, these ladies have their act together! I would also say, if you are working on your chapter's website, put a lot of pictures up because its really nice to see all the different events you guys do, and pictures of you guys having fun doing your philanthropy stuff and exchanges etc makes us PNM's want to join more. Also I was glad whenever i found a section on academics, because it shows the chapter cares enough about that to add it to their website.

when i rushed none of the national sororities on my campus had chapter websites. i did check out the national websites to see where each of the sorority had chapters. one of the reasons i decided to join a national over a local sorority was the benefit of the social connections i could make. for aephi, though it didn't have the most chapters of the three nationals on my campus, it was a big plus that most of their chapters were located at schools in the northeast and schools with a lot of students from the northeast. one of the nationals on my campus is much larger but they didn't really have many chapters around me which i felt would take away from some of the benefits of being national. while i didn't decide solely based on this (where i felt comfortable was most important) it was a factor i really considered.

When I RUSHed I totaly looked at the websites before I went through. That's all I had to look at when I was in high school 3 hours away from my campus! I went EVERY DAY to their websites...the ones that never changed I hated! At the begining of RUSH it realy did influence my decision because I recognized some girls from their pictures on the website and it was really cool because I felt like I knew that sorority better. In the end what really matters is how good of a group you have but a good website is really helpfull to have when girls are coming in and have only seen the website because that is all they know up to that point!

I asked this question because I know I looked at all the chapters and the one's that were trying to expand to Gtown. My chapter is thinking about making it an office and I wanted some stats on how influental it was.

The use of the internet is only going to expand. And our websites reflect what we are about, as much as anything else does. I really hate to see out of date, or poorly done websites. I think it is extremely important going forward. (Of course I am in marketing with an eBusiness degree, so my feeling aren't going to surprise anyone ;) ) Having it as an office will keep those pages updated!!! Good idea.:)

Web sites didn't exist when I rushed ('88) but I can tell you if they had, I would most definitely have considered them a factor. What an amazing tool! I think that a good web-site is a must--not just in recruiting for your chapter, but in recruiting for rush at all (I wish more college Panhellenics would take the time to create good sites). I agree, poorly done sites make me sad.

The ones that are kept up to date & changed frequently (if only to add more pictures/info), lots of pictures and calendars are the best. Guestbooks are good also.

And since an AGD started this list, I'll share the AGD chapter site from my alma mater-it is extremely well done!
http://www.tarleton.edu/~agd/

Another good one is www.aggiedeltazeta.com and www.techaphi.com (designed by GC's very own Techaphi!)

(these 3 sites have very different styles, but they are all quite awesome imho!)

There were no computors when I started the Local! Thank God!:D

Now, with the Greek Womens Orgs and the Pan Hel rules, they do try to make things even for all of The Soroitys on Campis.

One of my main problems have always been well, there are 4 Soroitys on campus, but just shy of making Numbers. Maybe none of the current Group of New Rushees did not find what they wanted. Guess what, they did not rush or Associate at all!

One of the Largest Greek Soroitys on my Campus was ADII, but were known as ADII Pigs. What a shame, they were the nicest Ladies on campi and the first to alow us to have some partys with them.

They are no longer there and would love to see them come back!

:cool: But the 3 Soroitys are not making numbers, ergo, none can come to campus!:(

6 Fraternitys and 3 Soroitys!:rolleyes:


While All National Web Sites Try to put their best foot forward, it would be wise to check out other schools sites (greekpages.com) and see what is going on there.

Seek and Ye Will Find!:cool:

i didn't look at the websites. but i did talk to my sister who had been in a chapter at my school to get her opinions.

the internet barely existed when i rushed in 97, but i definitely would have checked everything out. i still check out websites now and unfortunately still continue to be disappointed with some in particular

these sorority websites are amazing!! http://www.ufpanhellenic.com/sororities/default.asp

It's the internet age - these days part of being competitive is having a website! I love it b/c it's fun to look at at chapters across the country!

I did look at websites when I rushed...and figured out my rho chi's affiliation because they forgot to take her name off the site! I wasn't too impressed with that :)

Only a few chapters on my campus have webpages and even fewer maintain them. I think webpages are a huge recruitment and PR tool and it's a shame that more chapters don't have them.

As a previous webmaster for my chapter I found it was difficult to find someone to fill my shoes when I left and I feel like this may be why many chapters don't have webpages. Doing the webpage is a labor of love, and either you get excited about the page or you don't care. Also, it's difficult to sit down and teach someone else how to maintain the page, use the programs you did, etc. Hopefully we'll have more tech-savvy women who get exicted about the webpages and the like.

Long before I was in college I was checking out greek websites. When I was going through the college application process and such I looked a little more closely at the websites for groups at those schools. The chapter page was re-done twice while I was in school, and looks great now!!! I hope continues to be updated as it would be great to check in and see how the chapter is doing now that I've graduated!

I created the website for my chapter and I think it looks great. But it didn't help us with recruitment or anything! If anyone could, check out the page and let me know what could be improved upon?!? I dont know what to do, we only got 4 girls through recruitment and we need to step it up to COB right now!

I didn't check out webistes. I just got to know a few chapters before rush and then let the girls and their parties convince me.

However, when I was a Rho Chi, I checked out all the websites so I could provide my girls with accurate, updated info.

The "flashiness" of a website could be influential in the wrong way....which is why I'm all for a university providing the webpages and having the sororities enhace them differently, but the same....Does that make sense? So that there's no competition. I know that there are more and more computer saavy women in school, so websites are going to get more and more enhanced....but what if no one knows how? I don't want a chapter to suffer because someone doesn't know how to use Shockwave or Java :(

The very best Greek web sites are those that make you feel that you are going on a "House Tour" or otherwise peeking inside life in the house. Imagine the impact on a PNM of clicking on a bedroom door and seeing happy sisters having a slumber party; clicking on a library door and seeing dedicated sisters working away...I think the value of a good web site as a PR/recruitment tool can't be overstated.

I'm not just a Rush thread junkie...I'm also addicted to looking at good Greek websites. I probably wouldn't be at work on a Saturday if I didn't spend any work time taking "house tours" of every chapter at a campus hundreds of miles away!

Ivy

i first started thinking about rushing over the summer before my 2nd year at school; i really didn't know too much about the greek system in general, so i was alsways on chapter's web pages; and the ones that were put together really well definately made a good impression on; i remembering putting all those web sites in my favorites until rush was over

I would say that the GC crowd would probably be more likely to look at websites than others ;)

I think U of F is def. an example of the "haves" chapters. Many are professionally built - a few by the same company.

When I went through Rush, only Alpha Phi had a website, and it looked pretty cruddy, I have to admit. Now both NPC sororities have websites, but the new local does not. But we have a new website and it's bad ass. :D

http://www.alphaphithetazeta.com

I remember looking very closely at the websites once I registered for recruitment and they gave you the URLs for each. My chapter's website has been changed a few times since then and I believe it's part of our historian's role to update the website. I do believe it's VERY important to have the most professional site you can create/have made because that's the first place a PNM is going to go for information before/during recruitment. And definitely include LOTS of pics - that's mostly what the girls are looking at anyway. If you have a beautiful big house, then showcase that also.

A website is a recruitment tool--not a reason to join. If men are joining because of your website, I'd question how long your chapter will last.

Nice subtle spam by the way.

I was thinking the same thing.

Way to bump a 5 yr old thread buddy!

These days, it IS a factor, just like Face Book, just like You Tube. Anything that is on the web can either make or break you.

If it's bad, it may be a factor (I seriously doubt it will break you otherwise there are a lot of groups that would have no one). If there is no site, it probably makes no difference. If its a good site, I would hope it is helpful but not that it makes you. People don't join because of websites--they join because of personal connections.

When I went to sorority rush back in Fall 1996, I had barely used the internet and the chapters at UF did not have websites. I do not know how many NPC chapters had websites.

For AI:

- Jen's Greek Info Pages have been EXTREMELY useful.
- The actual GLO websites I judged on content and substance. Not so much on style- although it helps. Ease of finding information I need also was helpful.

I get the feeling that she won't be happy to hear that. :rolleyes:

This isn't directed to you, Scandia. It just makes things much easier for AI shoppers.

Trust me, I did not "shop". It's not like I went like "my favorite animal is the kangaroo, so my first choice is Kappa Gamma Rho because their mascot is the kangaroo" or stuff like that.

My intuition was what led me to the right one- not just valid objective factors like philanthropy and chapter proximity.

i second that

When my interest group was looking to bring an NPC group to campus, we didn't have websites or computers but we did have a great book From Here to Fraternity - best thing about it is it didn't create levels or tiers or anything other that facts (in the groups section anyway). Also, a local sorority at our campus had inquired amongst the 26 NPCs the year prior (they are still local and as strong as the nationals) and they gave us their boxload of information which including some rejection letters but we had somewhere to work from.

We met with DZ, AOII and DPhiE and chose the group that was right for us (Tri-Sigma was the only group already establishing a colony at that time, the first NPC on campus and there are now 7 incl DphiE, AEPhi, SDT, SSS, APhi, PSS and most recently DG.

The biggest sorority at my alma mater has a POS Angelfire website that hasn't been updated in 5 years. Apparently it hasn't "broken" them.