Top ten questions
1. Do you work with all political parties?
We work with most. Mainstream UK parties are benefitting from our ability to produce sites that people in politics can be proud of. We apply the same standards that we use in our banking work to ensure our clients’ data is never shared or compromised.
2. We love your platform. Can we use our own designer?
Yes. Designers like developing for our platform because every aspect is customisable, and Insight is really simple to design for. We don’t limit what you can do. We welcome web designers to use our platform for their clients' political sites.
3. Does Insight integrate with our existing party software?
Systems such as Labour’s Contact Creator and the Conservative’s Merlin can output data that Insight easily imports to populate your site - and we are working towards even better integration in the future. If you’ve got a specific query,
get in touch.
4. How often do you update Insight?
We roll out updates to the platform every four to six weeks. Every Insight user gets these improvements to their site.
5. Do you offer a content package?
If you’d like us to provide content services, such as writing, uploading content and managing your site for you, we can. We can also provide cover for an absent member of your team for an agreed period.
6. Is Insight suitable for small parties and independents?
Yes. Our package brilliant for small parties and independent candidates, with features such as online joining, payment processing, membership list management and conference coordination. We can also offer political parties per-member pricing, which allows your site to grow at the same speed as your membership list.
7. What does our monthly service charge cover?
Your service charge covers platform access, software updates, hosting, backup, unlimited outbound email and support. It spreads the cost of your site over a manageable monthly schedule and means there need be no major up front costs. And of course, you can cancel at any time - representing even better value.
8. Can we use our communications allowance on a site?
Yes. We’re happy to advise you on how best to use your
Members’ Communications Allowance on a Insight web site.
9. Why is PoliticalInsight better than a free CMS?
Because it has features and functionality developed specifically for political campaigners. And we are continually developing it to work even better. Talk to us and you’ll find out exactly why. For more information on why PoliticalInsight is better than a free CMS please
click here.
10. Can we have a demonstration?
Yes - we think it’s the best way to see all that Insight has to offer. If you live in the UK we can provide a demonstration at your place of work, home or office.
Request one here.
Getting Started
How do I start?
When you are ready to start, let us know using this
online form. If you have any questions email
sales@politicalinsight.co.uk or call our office on 01582 517471. We'll get back to you within one business day.
How long does a web site take to set up?
We can set up your initial site straight away (within one business day). For sites without bespoke design work, we take payment on delivery. For sites with a custom design, your first payment will be taken when that work has been completed. Nearly all of our customers are ready to go live within 30 days of giving the go-ahead.
How do we go live?
Going live is simply switching your web site domain name from the temporary address where you build it to the permanent address where everyone can find it. We’ll do this for you. It is best to switch domains a few days before you want to launch the site to give it time to propagate across the Internet. Step by step details can be found in our implementation guide on Shareinsight.org
Can you design and build the site for us?
We can. Click here for details of our consultancy services. We do everything from a full set up service to discrete parts of the process such as graphic design, content strategy, data management and search engine optimisation (SEO).
Will my site look like everyone else’s?
There is no limit to the ways you can customise your web site. Design guides will help and you can contact our support team with any other questions. Alternatively, we offer additional services if you would like help creating your unique web site.
Can we use JS, CSS and other web technologies in our site?
Insight is designed to be simple enough to be used by any computer user. No knowledge of HTML or other languages is required. But if you have the skill, you can use more advanced web technologies in your site.
Are there any hidden costs?
No. Your monthly subscription covers the cost of hosting, support, platform development, backups and unlimited outbound email.
The only other costs are 2.5% or 30p (whichever is the greater) for money taken into the site through integrated donations, and 5p per SMS text message. If you use neither, you'll pay for neither.
If you haven’t already got one, you'll need to register a domain name. We’re happy to do it for you - and manage the domain, for £20+VAT per year. But, of course, you can do it all yourself if you'd rather. You may purchase additional consultancy services as you wish but these are not necessary to set up your site – PoliticalInsight allows you to do all these things for yourself.
How do we get a domain name (web address)?
Domain names need to be registered for a small cost. You can either do this yourself (through a company such as www.ukreg.com) or we’ll set it up for you.
Can we keep our old web address?
Yes. When you go live we’ll talk you through switching the domain names.
Support
Can I talk to a real person?
Call our support team on 0844 736 5298. There will be someone to answer your call Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.
What support do you provide?
There are loads of online resources, step by step guides and FAQs on our support site ShareInsight. Customers can also find answers or ask their own questions in the forums there. Failing that, simply email or call our support team.
What if there is a feature that we want which is not part of Insight?
Let us know. Insight is under continual development. If your idea is viable, we will add it to our development list.
Can we get training?
Most of our packages come with face-to-face training to help you get the most out of the site from day one.
ShareInsight.org is full of tutorials, guides and advice about PoliticalInsight from us and from our customers. We also run training programmes in Cambridge (UK) for all abilities on demand. Watch ShareInsight for details.
Will it Work for Us?
For what size organisation is PoliticalInsight optimised?
Honest answer? Any size. It has the features, functionality and scalability to work for a huge organisation with a colossal database. But because it is easy to only use the parts that you need, it is perfect for a candidate with a few members who only want a couple of pages up on the Internet.
Some of our members are not online. Won’t a web site exclude them?
PoliticalInsight makes provision for your offline members. For example, it will automatically print address labels for them when you are doing a mail out; you can create accounts in the database for anyone regardless of whether they use the site or not; and all documents you publish have printable versions.
You can’t afford not to have a web site. PoliticalInsight is versatile and flexible enough to be used as fits your campaign the best.
Does PoliticalInsight need a lot of maintaining?
No. Because it is easy to use, anyone can keep an eye on the parts of the site for which they are responsible, meaning no one person has much to do. Your administration can be run through the site, but this will save time elsewhere.
Can we keep using our existing databases?
The beauty of PoliticalInsight is that it is a central repository for all your data – bringing it all into one place for easy access and clever integration with all your processes. We have designed a system to make your life easier if you want it.
How do we import our existing data?
There are options for importing data in the Web Office when you set up your site. Sometimes organisations want us to import the data for them – when they have a lot and want to save time – in which case we offer a paid data management service.
Can we have PoliticalInsight in other languages?
Not currently. But if you live in the US, Australia or other english speaking countries, we can change parts of the site (such as payment processing) to meet your particular requirements.
We’re not in politics – can we still have an Insight web site?
Of course! Visit www.endis.com to find the version of Insight that is right for you.
Running Insight
Do you provide email services?
Yes. For a small charge we can set you up with up to 200 email addresses, and manage the transition from your current email provider. We use Google as our service provider for this service, but you don’t have to have @gmail.com addresses - they will be at your domain name.
How many members can we have?
As many as you want.
What can site administrators do? How many can we have and how do we change them?
Site administrators have access to all the site settings (such as permissions, mailing set up, themes and layouts). You tell us who should be a site administrator and we’ll set it up. After that, they can add as many new site administrators as they like.
Who can change things on the site?
Site administrators can do the whole lot. After that, you choose which other members of the site can see and do things to whatever level is appropriate.
Technical Details
Are there any technical prerequisites for using PoliticalInsight?
You just need a standard web browser and a broadband Internet connection. Please note that a few Web Office areas are optimised for the Internet Explorer or Firefox browsers.
On what system does PoliticalInsight run?
PoliticalInsight is built on the Microsoft .NET platform and runs on Windows 2003 web servers with a MS SQL database storage server.
Will our data be safe?
Technologically, we treat the security of the data we hold with the utmost importance, and employ the same tools and architecture we have used in our banking work to protect the privacy of PoliticalInsight users.
We store all our information in full compliance with the Data Protection Act 1988. Endis Ltd will not use the organisation's information as a mailing list for any purpose and will not resell or otherwise distribute this information.
On your site, content can be customised so it is visible only to those who need to see it, and permission to change things on the site given only to those who need it.
Where are the web sites hosted?
We host PoliticalInsight on our own servers in a professional colocation environment in London Docklands, with 24/7 monitoring, security and multiple redundant power supplies. Information is synchronised between the 5 servers every 15 minutes as a precaution against server failure, and data is securely transferred to our Cambridge servers every night for additional protection.
Is our data backed up in case of an emergency?
Yes. Our backup strategy has multiple levels of redundancy, including being synchronised across our 5 London servers as well as daily backups to cloud-based storage in encrypted form on a 30 day cycle.
Can we export our data from PoliticalInsight?
Yes. All your data can be queried (searched for specific details) and then the results exported. In addition, information such as data submitted through an online form can be exported in different formats (e.g. Word, Excel, CSV).
Will we be found on Google?
Your site will be a public web site available to search engines.
How can we improve our Google rankings?
Our search engine optimisation (SEO) specialists know what to do to organically improve your site’s visibility in search engines. See additional consultancy services for more details.
What kind of files can we upload?
Document files, including PDF, Word, Excel spreadsheets, comma separated files (.CSV), Powerpoint presentations (.ppt and .pps), Flash animations (.swf), javascript (.js), XMl, ZIP (.zip).
Audio and video files, including Real (.ra, .rm, .rv), Windows Media (.wma, .wmv), mp3, mp4 (.mp4, .m4a), Ogg Vorbis (.ogg), Quicktime (.qt, .mov), AVI (.avi), Flash Video (.flv).
Payment
How do we pay for PoliticalInsight?
By monthly subscription. Paying by credit or debit cards is free (we do not accept American Express). Paying by standing order gives us more admin so it costs £5 per month.
Can we pay by cheque?
With prior agreement, yes.
Do you give discounts to charities?
We already are. We have deliberately priced PoliticalInsight below commercial rates because we know that many organisations are on a restricted budget.
How do we cancel?
Once you have signed up for PoliticalInsight we need 30 days’ notice for cancellation, after which we will stop taking payments and disable your web site. There are no charges for cancelling.
Additional Services
Can we get help with the graphic design?
Our Graphic Design team can help with everything from a logo to a full web site design. See additional services for more information.
Can we get help with the words on our site?
Our Content Strategy service ensures that your message is noticed, clear, accurate, in the right tone of voice and consistent across your web site. See additional services to find out how we can transform your content.
What other services do you offer?
In addition to Graphic Design and Content Strategy services, we also offer Data Management to import your data quickly and securely into your new site, and Search Engine Optimisation to help you get found on Google. Customers wanting us to build their whole site quickly and professionally can also enjoy our Project Management Service. Click here for more details of our additional services.
How do you charge for consultancy services?
Consultancy services are charged for at a daily rate and we can advise you as to the most cost effective way to have your needs met. Best get in touch so we can provide a custom quote and advise you of how long individual tasks will take.
