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Getting Started - Welcome to Potentiality

Topics covered on this page:

Stage 1 The Basics

Choose a Homepage Template

Provide Branding Requirements and Transfer Data

Stage 2 Log on and Add Your Own Customisations

Stage 3 Preparing for Launch

Stage 4 Day of Launch

Stage 5 Post Launch to Keep up the Momentum

Related Topics:

Starting from a blank template

[[documentation:Potentiality_Modules_for_your_entire_team|Potentiality Modules for your entire team]]

How do I Recruit New Members/Promote my Site

Quick Guide to Getting to Grips with Potentiality

Stage 1 The Basics

Congratulations on your purchase of Potentiality. You now have all the tools you need to maximise your organisation's online fundraising and enhance your overall community engagement.

Together we're going to build your new website and database. For us to get started, we need you to make some decisions and provide some basic information so that we can build the framework for your new site. We would ask that you provide us with the items outlined below as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary delays.

1. Choose a Homepage Template

You'll need to decide on the home page aesthetics. Choose from one of the templates linked below.

Please visit https://ptly.com/newsite to view a list of site designs and complete the web form.

2. Provide Branding Requirements and Transfer Data

  • Let us know the hex codes for your school's branding colours and any specific fonts that need to be used (this information will be found in your School Branding Document, please send this across if you have one). If the fonts are not freely available, then we may need to purchase them, which will incur a small cost. Alternatively, if you already own the font file(s), please provide them. 

3. Provide List of Administrators

  • (i.e. those involved with the day to day administration of your site. provide the full name and email address of your primary Administrator (perhaps it's you?). Don't worry; more Admins can/will be added once your site is built. For now, we only need the details for one Primary Administrator. See How do I Add or Delete Administrators?

4. Provide Data from Current Database(s)

  • We’ll need to import all your existing data into your new Potentiality system. To do this, you will need to provide us with an export file (usually a spreadsheet) with all your data. You may wish to send us a sample set of your data initially, so that we can discuss your requirements and how you plan to use your data to ensure that your fields are set up to optimise your use of the database.

NOTE: Please ensure you protect this spreadsheet with a password and send us your data by uploading it to our SECURE UPLOAD FACILITY, NEVER VIA EMAIL OR SUPPORT TICKETS. For instructions on how to upload your data, see How do I transfer my data to Potentiality for upload?

5. Organise a Customised Domain

  • When your site is built, we will provide you with a standardised temporary URL that takes the format http://eu.ptly.com/yourschoolname. However, it is likely that you will want to register a custom domain instead so that you have an easy to remember URL that resonates with your branding and your community.  Custom domains are inexpensive and can be secured and registered within minutes using a reliable domain registrar such as GoDaddy. You (or your IT department) will need to visit the domain registrar site to register your chosen domain. We can then connect your Online Community to a custom domain name of your choice.  See How do I set up a Custom Domain? for guidance.

6. Decide if you want multiple Smart Skins 

  • Do some of your constituencies (Parents, Staff, Alumni, etc.) warrant a website of their own? With Potentiality, you can give a constituency a customised smart skin so that it looks (to those users) like they’re accessing an entirely separate bespoke website. However, all website administration and data is held on the same single database making it super easy for you to manage and cost effective. You can even register extra custom domain names for those skins. NOTE: The charge for this service is £350 & VAT set up fee then an annual support charge of £60 & VAT per additional skin. 

7. Provide us details for Data Manager (only applicable if purchased Sync Tool).

We need details of your data manager so that we can begin the approval process for the sync tool.  We recommend this is set up as soon as possible as the process can take 4-6 weeks. This is the tool which enables School data (i.e. current student, current employee , current parents) to be automatically extracted from within a school's MIS using the Wonde School Sync API and provided securely to our Potentiality Sync tool for a fee of £250 & VAT per annum.

Click here to learn more.

Stage 2 Log on and Add Your Own Customisations

As soon as your site’s framework is ready, we’ll let you know the temporary URL and login credentials so that you can proceed with adding the items below to your site.

At this stage, we recommend that you begin to familiarise yourself with your site. The best way to do this is to log on and begin adding and amending items yourself. We have given you three small tasks below but don't worry, we have supplied clear instructions on how to complete them. If you have any questions, you can search this wiki or contact your Potentiality point of contact.

8. Add an Email Header

  • Adding an email header to your correspondence will make your communications look slick and professional.  You will be using your new site to send group emails to your community.  Therefore, we recommend that you add a default header to your site. The header will display automatically when you compose emails. The header is simply a JPEG image.

NOTE: Email headers should be approx 580px (pixels) wide and approximately 60-80px high. It can be amended at any time so don't worry if you're not sure of the initial design.  See How do I create or edit an email footer? or further details.

9. Customise your Automated Email Message templates

  • When a member registers to be part of your online community, they will be presented with a registration page (which you can customise - see How do I amend the Registration Page?). If you would like them to receive an automated message welcoming them to the site, we recommend that you set them up now. Along with the automated invitations sent by other users, inviting your wider school community to join your site via the Missing Members module.

PLEASE NOTE: These emails are not configured by default, but are a good way to welcome new members to your community and provide them useful information as they begin to engage with your community. See How do I customise automated welcome introduction email message templates?for details on how to do this.

Stage 3 Preparing for Launch

Please see our Pre-Launch checklist.

10. Create Launch Email draft

  • Most schools “launch” their Potentiality sites by sending out an email to everyone for whom they hold an email address and for whom they have obtained consent (if applicable) to contact. We provide a standard launch email template which you may wish to edit before you send it to your entire community. See How to Send Group Emails for help on how to send a launch email to your member base.

11. Review and amend Registration Page (where necessary)

12. Set up System & “Help Request” Notifications

  • * System notifications will be emailed to one or more of the Administrators of your site. These notifications are generated by various events, such as people updating their profile with new information, or people attempting to purchase an item from your merchandise store. Whereas help request notifications are sent to an Admin when a user has trouble accessing the site. You can set who will receive these notifications using the Site Wizard. See How do I Control the Notifications I/Other Admins Receive? for instructions.

13. Populate your site with content

  • When your community members visit your new site for the first time, you’ll want them to see some interesting and engaging content so that they’re impressed, and come back often. Now is a good time to start adding content. See the useful links below for more information on how to create interesting content for your community.

  • We suggest (at minimum) adding at least:

You may wish to add an Archive Timeline after you've launched or you may wish to encourage your members to add their own photos and memorabilia to the Archive Timeline when you launch - see* How do I use the Archive Timeline?

14. Final checks - Have you missed anything?

  • * Have you checked that your custom URL is redirecting properly to your new site?
    • Have you and your colleagues tested the site and made sure that you’re happy with how it's functioning
    • Does your school website have a prominent link to your Potentiality portal? If not, we recommend that you set this up. By doing so, you will inevitably boost your membership and overall site activity.

Stage 4 Day of Launch

15. Send the launch email

  • Follow the instructions on this page How to Send Group Emails? It's easy and it’s the same as sending any other group email. It’s a process that you will become super familiar with!

Stage 5 Post Launch to Keep up the Momentum

16. Growing your registration base and increasing engagement in your online community

  • Launching is the start of a journey. Your marketing challenge is to grow the number of people who sign up to be a part of your community, to keep those signed up engaged and interested and to encourage and entice users to visit the site often. People come back to websites because of the content.
    • You should aim to post at least 2 news articles per week to your site. The more the better.
    • You can ask your alumni and other constituents to let you know of anything newsworthy that you can share with the community.
    • Adding photos from events is also a sure fire way to keep people coming back for more.> Take advantage of Potentiality games and competitions (such as the EPL, Wimbledon, World Cup, 6 Nations or AFL coms) to add a competitive flavour to your site and encourage regular sign-ins.

For more ideas on how you can grow your membership and promote your site, see How do I Recruit New Members/Promote my Site?

17. Helping registrants who experience issues promptly

  • When your site has launched, you will have many members respond and register to be a part of your online community. There will be some people who are unable to gain access, often because the details they’re using to register (first name, last name, DOB, etc) differ to those details held on your database. You will receive notifications (see step 13 above) to notify you that these people require assistance. The Potentiality Wiki has a handy guide that walks you through How to Deal with Unsuccessful Registrations. It's not hard and by dealing with a few of them, it will help you to become familiar with how your site functions.

18. How to Raise Support / Questions/ Bug reports/ Upgrade suggestions and requests 

  • Potentiality uses Project Management/Support Ticketing software, making it easier for our clients to log and track requests for support and/or assistance.

NOTE: Try to log ALL issues and questions through Redmine, rather than by email. Potentiality support staff work primarily from Redmine task-lists, so your issue will be attended to more quickly if logged in Redmine, than if you send an email (emails are more easily missed too).

You should ensure you spend 15 minutes familiarising yourself with how our support ticketing platform works.  See How do I raise a new support ticket or amend an existing one?

We look forward to working with you!

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