by Alan Ruthazer

As companies rush to go green, determining the right approach to creating effective web-based communication that will capture the spirit of environmental conservation becomes crucial to the success of website initiatives.

In recent months SiiTE Interactive, NYC, has developed several websites that help promote green thinking for clients like Lexus, Toyota, Chevy, Oprah, and the Hearst Corporation.

A website developed by SiiTE Interactive on behalf of Scholastic, for sponsor Lexus was designed to challenge students around the country to think of ways to improve the environment across topics: land, water, air and climate. Students upload their responses to the challenge for an opportunity to win over $1 million in prizes.

The Toyota “Why Not” website, developed in partnership with Dentsu America, responds with a can-do spirit to questions such as, “Can a car company grow in harmony with the environment?” by replying “Why Not” and going into detail through stories, links and examples of promotional media presented via an orchestrated Flash-based navigation scheme.

In finding a uniquely green way to ring in the holiday cheer, O, The Oprah Magazine, helped promote Sam’s Club through a website, which offers tips and tricks to being more conservation-oriented across areas like celebration, travel, home and gifts. For example, one can opt for sustainably grown or harvested, recycled or reused materials, and biodegradable and recyclable materials for gifts and gift-wrapping.

SiiTE recently developed a facts-based website (which was up only a few months) for Chevrolet on behalf of Popular Mechanics that informed users of the advantages of renewable fuel source E85 Ethanol – a fuel option Chevrolet is helping promote and incorporate into new vehicles.

Finally, SiiTE developed an orientation tour site for the use of employees of the New Hearst Tower, New York City’s first Gold LEED®( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building. Utilizing animation and interactive floor plans SiiTE helped to showcase the new features of the building, such as the use of rainwater collected from the roof and stored in a basement reservoir, which helps to heat, cool and humidify the air in Hearst Tower.

Tips for a Successful “Green” Website
In developing green-oriented websites, here are some items to consider as best practices:

1. Provide ways to get involved
Offer suggestions to users as to how they can make a difference through simple changes in their everyday lives, then show how your company/organization is offering ways to make it easy to help support their efforts.

2. Show the impact
It is easy to think that recycling one soda can, for example, doesn’t make a real difference, but it can have a great impact if it is part of a larger effort on behalf of many people. Through the use of theoretical or factual examples, consumers will see that their small changes can have a significant impact (if everyone recycled just one can more per day the impact would be X).

3. Contribute as a company
If you are asking customers to get involved in being greener, be sure to show the difference that your company is making.

4. Inform
Give meaningful facts about conservation. Users crave nuggets of information. If you can enlighten users with these kinds of quick hits, it will help the message be delivered.

5. Provide a forum
People are deeply passionate about the environment and want to be given an opportunity to be heard. Through Forums and Blogs, users can express their points of view and may show how it applies specifically to your brand. Forums can be moderated, but it’s wise to not over-censor, as this will quickly lead to an unused feature.

6. “What do I get out of it?”
While most people want to help, if they know that there are ways that their lives can be improved while helping, you have created a win-win situation. Offer these suggestions as additional added value.

7. Don’t preach
People don’t want to be told what to do, but rather want alternatives to consider, so keep the tone and voice of your communication about collaborations and suggestions, as opposed to demands as to what YOU should do.

8. Links
Provide links to organizations where users can learn more and get more involved.

9. Don’t be too self congratulatory
When promoting your company’s contributions to the environment do not be overly self-congratulatory as this can invite critics to question the seriousness of the effort and prompt questions as to what you are not doing.

10. Raise awareness
Taking the opportunity to raise awareness is a meaningful step in and of itself and can help create the momentum for change.

Alan Ruthazer is the Founder of SiiTE Interactive Building Interactive Relationships