Changes to Membee’s Online Profile
The brand new version of Membee’s online Profile has been added to the software. While we have always had an online Profile module that members could use to update their information online, the new version is much improved. It looks better and is easier for your members to use, and it is simple for your …
The brand new version of Membee’s online Profile has been added to the software. While we have always had an online Profile module that members could use to update their information online, the new version is much improved. It looks better and is easier for your members to use, and it is simple for your staff to set up and maintain.
Don’t know what an Online Profile Is?
Some people confuse the Membee Profile with the Membee Directory. The online member Profile is a Membee module that you post on your site to allow your members to access and update the information you have on file for them. The Profile is only available to a member who signs in to see his or her own information. It is a self-serve way for your members to make changes. For example, they can simply login and change their own address rather than calling your staff and asking them to make the change.
The Directory is like an online telephone book where some of the member’s information is posted publicly. A member’s listing uses information provided by the member through their online profile update.
An Online Profile | An Online Directory Listing |
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The Profile and the Directory are separate pages intended for different purposes but the online Profile can be used by your members to update their Directory Listing information.
Why Use A Profile Update Page?
There are many reasons to add the Profile to your site:
- Using the online profile saves your staff time and allows them to complete their tasks with far fewer interruptions. Staff can plan when they want to review and accept the changes rather than responding to phone calls. Being able to control their time rather than having to respond on demand to requests is more efficient.
- Your members expect this kind of 24 hour – 7 day a week – 365 day a year self-serve access. Associations who provide the ability to complete online updates are viewed as more modern and up-to-date
- Your members are accustomed to maintaining their own information in profiles at any number of sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, and even the local utility company. As an example, Facebook has over 650 million users and every one of them maintains an online profile.
Profile Customization Features
The profile can be customized to suit your situation and your membership.
Control Access
- Create multiple Profile pages with different settings if needed and control access to those pages based on membership status.
- Control the level of access that your members have on the Profile by running a report that sets their profile maintenance rights to one of three levels:
- User – Users can see and edit their own information
- Manager – Managers can see and edit their own information and their employer’s information
- Administrator – Administrators can see and edit their own information, their employer’s information, and information for other employees of that organization.
Add Your Own Help and Instruction Text
- The Overview is the first page that your members see when they arrive at the online profile. Let them know how you want them to make changes or provide any additional information you want just by editing the instructional text.
Overview Tab
The Overview Page Online
- Customize instructions for each section simply by editing the instructional text fields.
- Rename section titles for the tabs if you wish.
- Enter your own Help text for any field as a guide so that your members complete updates correctly. Maintain data integrity and save your staff time by ensuring that the information entered meets your standards or criteria.
Choose the Fields You Want Updated
- Turn field display on or off for each field.
- Decide if each of the fields can be edited or only viewed.
- Make completion of certain fields required.
Directory Listing Updates
- Decide which directory or directories your members can update.
- Choose what can be changed in the directory listing. You have the same granular level of control over each of the Directory fields as you have for Basic and Contact information
- Don’t want to display the Directory Section Tab because you are charging members for certain Directory features and you want to maintain staff control? Hide the Directory update section. It is easy; just uncheck a checkbox.
Decide How You Want the Page to Look
- Easily change the style of the online Profile so that it more closely matches the look of your site.
Update Your Staff and Database
- Choose one or more of your staff members to receive an email notification when an online profile update is completed.
- As the updates are accepted your staff can ensure that the data is acceptable and can choose field by field the information that is added to your data.
- When the information is changed in the member’s profile a note is added to the file to track who accepted the change, what has changed and when the change occurred.
Setting up and Managing the Profile is Easy
Setting up your Profile page is easy. It just takes a few simple steps. Note that you do need to be using the Membee Social Network Login in order to use this version of the Profile.
Step 1 – Add a Profile Script to Your Webpage
The profile is what we call a "widget". Think of a widget as a plug-in for your site. When you are ready to add the Profile to your website, it is as simple as copying the script generated by the Profile Widget in Membee and then pasting it into your webpage. Once the script is published on your web page, it makes it easy to see changes in the configuration that you set using the Profile Control in the Admin area of Membee.
Step 2 – Configure the Profile
Once the Profile script has been added to your site you configure it in the Profile Widget in Membee. You choose exactly what information is displayed to the member online simply by checking or unchecking a checkbox. You control which data fields your members see field by field and whether or not those fields can be updated by selecting radio buttons. You choose how you would like the Profile to look on your site.
If you need to make a change to the settings, you don’t have to re-insert the script. Just adjust the settings in the Profile Widget and the changes appear live on your site page as soon as you save.
To see more information about how you create, manage, edit and approve online profile updates see the Setting Up and Maintaining the Online Member Profile article. Remember to have your username and password ready.