When should a campaign website be started? The short answer is as early as you can.
Have a primary to win? A website could make all the difference. Turnout for primary elections is usually low. There are two types of people vote in primary elections – dedicated supporters and those who take their voting privileges seriously. Putting up a campaign website during a primary gives the impression that the candidate is in the race for the long haul. Securing a domain name early on gives you an opportunity to promote the site in every piece of campaign literature right from the start. A website can help influence primary voters who seek out information about the candidates. Once a primary is over, the website content can be switched over to focus on the general election.
Waiting until the last minute or following an opponent’s lead limits a site’s effectiveness. By holding off, you’ve lost an opportunity to influence the voters who had sought political information online. By starting late, you will have little time to promote your new website. Building out a campaign site in response to an opponent’s site can look to many as if you’re simply following the others’ lead. A ‘wanna-be’ site, if you will.
With Online Candidate, it costs less than a mailing to get a campaign website. Having a website created early will give the recipients of the first campaign mailing a destination to find out more about the candidate, how they can help, and where they can contribute to keep the campaign rolling to success on Election Day.
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