With just a couple clicks, the new Waterfront Rescue Mission web site takes you from home page to helping the homeless.  http://WaterfrontMission.org

The new site, created by Coco Design Associates, Inc., launched in September 2008 has contributed to enormous increases in both donations and volunteers. In a time when many not-for-profits are struggling to raise funds and recruit volunteers, Waterfront Rescue Mission is gaining ground.

“When comparing the last quarters of  2007 to 2008, after launching the new web site, online donations increased 226 percent, and that was huge for us,” said Natalie Smith, public relations representative and volunteer coordinator. “Volunteers have increased as well. The number of applications submitted has exploded with the addition of the online application process.”

The Waterfront Rescue Mission, founded in 1949, offers help to homeless men and women from Mobile to Pensacola to Fort Walton Beach.

The number of volunteer applicants typically increases during the holidays, then drops off, Smith said. But since the site launched, there has been steady stream of applications arriving every week.

Coco Design president Jay Massey said ease of navigation and a secure, professional site that raises consumer confidence yield great results.

“Our goal is to reduce the number of clicks from page one to the donation,” said Massey. But that’s just the beginning, he added.

“It’s one thing to reduce the number of clicks, it’s another to get the wallet out of their pocket,” Massey said. “Increased buyer confidence is key to getting them to put in the credit card number.”

The new site offers a complete history of the mission and its work, with links to donations and volunteer opportunities visible and accessible on the home page.

“We really rely on Coco’s expertise,” Smith said. “Not only is the new site easy to navigate, but if you search for us, you can find us.”

The ease of online participation is drawing younger volunteers and donors as well, Smith said. “They don’t want to call or print out a form and mail it in. It has really opened doors for us having those interactive options online.”

The site is also easy for the Waterfront staff to update, she added.

“We used to have weeks of lag time between getting information and getting it online,” Smith said. “Coco made it easy for us to go in and make changes and update on our own, which means information is getting to people who need it when they need it.”

Waterfront Mission and Coco are working together to develop and add new features to better serve donors and clients, Smith said.

“They are working with us to adjust the project to the manpower,” she said. “You don’t want to throw everything up if you can’t keep up and maintain it. But we are getting more involved and the community is getting more involved. It’s an exciting time.”

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The Waterfront Rescue Mission is a Christian organization that has provided food, shelter and clothing to the homeless in the greater Pensacola area for 60 years. To contact Natalie Smith or to find out more information call 1-888-853-8655 or visit www.waterfrontmission.org.

Coco Design Associates, Inc. (Coco) is a national internet software development firm focusing on browser-based information technologies. Established in 1994, the Pensacola, Florida company provides web design, online application development and internet marketing to business and non-profit clients as well as application development targeting technology transfer to government agencies.

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