Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative

Overview

Rooted in Member Service

Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative’s (WSTE) website redesign began with the same priority that guides its daily work: member service. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, WSTE is responsible for keeping power dependable, communication practical and support accessible. The cooperative partnered with Powerful to create a website that could better guide visitors through high-demand tasks, from paying a bill to finding outage information. The result supports WSTE’s goals of increasing online engagement, improving navigation and keeping timely updates visible, while giving members a more direct path to the services they rely on.

Clear Direction for Everyday Needs

For WSTE, intuitive design began with a practical question: What are members most likely trying to accomplish when they visit the website? A cooperative website often serves as the first stop for urgent needs, routine account tasks and service-related questions. Members may be looking to pay a bill, report an outage, start or stop service, download SmartHub or find community information. When those pathways are easy to spot, the website can become a more helpful extension of the cooperative’s member service team.

Powerful supported this goal through the task-oriented Deschutes blueprint. The homepage features prominent call-to-action buttons directly within the hero area, giving visitors immediate access to high-priority tasks before they scroll. The buttons were strategically selected around WSTE’s most anticipated member needs, including Download SmartHub, Start/Stop Service, Pay Bill, Community Outreach and Outage Center.

This structure helps the homepage act less like a welcome mat and more like a service counter. Visitors can quickly identify where to go and complete the task they came for.

The overall impact is a website that supports self-service without feeling impersonal. By placing common tasks front and center, WSTE can help reduce routine phone calls and emails while still delivering the helpful, member-focused experience people expect from their local cooperative. The design stays proactive, clear and practical.

Timely Information for an Active Cooperative

For a cooperative that plays an active role in its communities, current content is more than a nice addition. It helps members stay aware of office closures, board updates, community involvement, service news and other timely announcements. WSTE wanted a website that could keep that information visible and easy to maintain.

Powerful supported that goal through the News Releases web app and the Calendar and Events web app. On the homepage, the Events & Meetings section highlights upcoming dates in a simple card format, including holidays and office closures. Each card includes the date, title and additional event details, giving visitors a quick snapshot of what is ahead.

The In the Spotlight section gives news posts a dedicated place on the homepage, helping important updates avoid getting buried. Recent posts, such as the manager’s message and board-related news, appear with images, dates and clear titles. This gives members a quick way to see what is new before clicking into the full news area.

Together, these features help the website feel current and connected to the cooperative’s day-to-day service. WSTE can highlight time-sensitive updates, community news and member resources from the homepage and internal pages. For members, that means fewer missed details. For the cooperative, it creates a dependable place to share information that supports transparency, engagement and trust.