5 Key Considerations for Choosing the Right Association Management Software (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: It's pretty easy to set up association management software, or what's called AMS, for your organization, but if you choose the wrong one, it's actually very difficult to switch. So most associations I've worked with feel pretty comfortable with the AMS they choose after considering these five things. Number one, fees. Are there set up fees, support fees, additional transaction fees? A lot of the time, the price you think you'll be paying isn't as it seems. Here's a tip, look for an asterisk or a fine print on the pricing page of the options you're considering, or if you have to call the organization to get their pricing, make sure you ask these questions and get straightforward answers up front. Number two, is the system easy to learn? How much time can you afford actually to spend learning new features or teaching other admins in your organization? While most AMS systems will say they're easy to learn, the proof will actually be in customer reviews, which you can find on unbased software review sites like Capybara, so make sure you look up how customers are rating, how easy it is to learn the system before you choose it. Number three, how well does your potential AMS specialize in the top three functions you'll need? Consider what your top three functions are because these are the functions you'll be using every day. So it's a good idea to go deeper on comparing these functions against different providers. And if you're unsure of what top features you'll need, most associations look into these three things. They look into the contact database, the website builder, and the events platform. Number four, do you need integration with other systems? Many associations are happy with their current WordPress website and don't want to build a new one from scratch, and some AMS systems will actually allow WordPress integration, whereas others don't. Figure out what programs you want to keep using like WordPress or QuickBooks or whatever, and discover which AMS systems actually integrate with these programs. Number five, how many members do you expect you'll have in one year's time? Many AMS pricing is based off the number of members you have, where a higher number of members put you into higher tiers of pricing, so if you know how much you plan to grow in a year's time, it will help you budget for your AMS appropriately. Once you know what you're looking for, you're ready to evaluate the different AMS options you come across. But to help you out, I've actually compiled a list of all the most popular AMS software options, which you can view in the video description here. And one of the top providers rated number one by Captera and used by over 7,000 associations around the world is Wild Apricot. Wild Apricot also received Software Advice's award for the top five easy to learn systems. So if you'd like to find out if Wild Apricot is right for your association, I encourage you to sign up for the free 30-day trial. And that's all for now. Thanks for watching and all the best running your association.