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Before you create or change a web site for your non-profit organization, consider hiring a knowledgeable web designer to conduct a thorough evaluation. Not only will your organization benefit from an unbiased report, you'll also discover if the web designer you've hired to evaluate your site is the best match to work on your site. Ask them to consider the following:
While budget realities usually mean few non profits can have the ultimate web site, it's important to at least lay the foundation for future expansion. That means creating a site that's modular and easy to expand without requiring a major overhaul every time a new feature is added.
Is your site working for you or just sitting on the web, hoping for the occasional visit? Your web site should be more than an informational site. It should also shoulder some of the administrative burden of your organization. Add online forms, automate e-mail collections for mailing lists, point media and PR to an online media kit, or create a page of frequently asked questions.
When it comes time to redesign or even create your web site, carefully consider your capabilities. Who will create the site, what are their capabilities and their long-term commitment to your non-profit? What would you do if the person responsible for your web site left your organization?
If you decide to use a web designer to create or redesign your site, find several and carefully consider their capabilities. To locate a designer, ask around for recommendations from other organizations, friends and colleagues. Inquire about a designer's experience, view design samples and contact several of their past clients to uncover their ability to work within a budget and time frame. Put together a detailed list of what you want your web site to contain and accomplish. Give that list to prospective designers and ask them for an estimate that breaks down all the costs.
With all web sites, there's an initial expense. But if you're planning on refreshing your content on a regular basis, with a news area or newsletter, for example, you'll find that maintenance costs can quickly add up. You might not have the in-house expertise, and your web designer may be too busy to provide immediate changes to your web site. The solution? Content management systems. Content management systems are nothing more than software running on your hosting server or on your PC that allow you to change text, graphics or both on your web site. With a content management system in place, you can easily update your news area, for example, without having to contact your web designer or learn complicated software. In addition, many systems allow you to make these changes through your web browser. While adding a content management system to your web site will require an initial investment, future updates can all be handled in-house, at no additional cost to your organization. If you anticipate making many updates, the investment may be more than paid for in only a matter of months. In addition, with the ability to change your web site's content at a moment's notice, you'll find your site to be a much more useful and effective tool for both your organization and your visitors.
Whether you develop your site in-house or use a web designer, you should be familiar with some general tips for an effective web site. Ask yourself these questions:
One of the more daunting challenges facing those responsible for a web site is knowing what options are available. A few have been mentioned already, but there are more options that may aid many non-profit organizations. Of paramount importance, however, is to carefully consider the effectiveness and necessity of these options before adding them to your site. An evaluation by a web designer can help you discover what options would truly benefit your organization and which would probably end up being under-used, unneeded or inappropriate for your organization.
As important as finding a good web designer is finding a good hosting provider. Look for one with a wide range of support for various scripting and database languages commonly used in many of the most powerful, effective, and inexpensive scripts and server software. A hosting provider should support the installation and permission-setting of PERL scripts, support PHP, MySQL, SSI, and other scripting and database options. Look for a generous amount of storage space for your site, as well as adequate bandwidth. More than likely, your web designer will have a hosting provider in mind that will support the functionality of your web site. Before signing up with a designer's preference, inquire if your designer is a reseller or receives any other incentive, other than solid hosting support, from the hosting provider.
Your web designer may also suggest that you switch to a new hosting provider, even if you already have one. They may do so for a number of reasons, including lack of support from your current host for functionality in your new site. While switching hosting providers may sound daunting, it's usually relatively painless and can help cut down the time it takes to create the new site. You may even find yourself with a less expensive new hosting provider.
Help encourage repeat visits to your web site by keeping the content current. Old content and broken links are tumbleweeds that will turn visitors away and discourage a return. Consider placing a news area on the home page so visitors can see right away that your web site is fresh. If the content interests your visitors, then monthly, weekly, even daily updates will keep them coming back.
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