Is your website working for you? If not, you may have made The Biggest Mistake.
I’ve looked at a lot of nonprofit websites. Many look as though they were thrown together at the last minute or were done in response to someone saying “We need a website”. Some are design nightmares – hard to read with too many fonts and too much text on each page. Others haven’t been updated in years.
The Biggest Mistake you can make when it comes to websites is not being clear about the website’s purpose and desired results.
What is your website’s purpose? If your website is simply to provide information, then put all the basics on it and make it easy to read and navigate. If you want to raise money with your website, then tell stories about those you are helping or the good you are doing, and offer an easy way for people to donate.
You must post fresh content regularly (monthly is ideal). If repeat visitors to your website see the same stale, out-of-date information every time they visit, they’ll stop coming.
Your website is no different than any other communications tool. If you are clear about what you want it to do, it’s much easier to be successful with it.
Sandy, you just tweeted about this article, but I think it may have been more relevant when you first wrote it (apparently 21 July 2008) than it is today. Although there are still a handful that have a terribly designed web site, many if not most NGOs and non-profit organisations have by now recognised that an investment in professional design and clear presentation of their message is a pre-requisite.
In my experience, the current breed of NGOs are developing good looking web sites, and they even have a clear statement of what they’re about, but I feel the area they’re letting themselves down is that they’re not really getting inside the minds of their audience and establishing what sort of information people would appreciate, and which ways are best to engage them. For example, how many nonprofits have engaged in the social media space? Of the few that have, even less are generating worthwhile results from that investment of resources. I believe the key for nonprofits now is to take the step from *looking* effective to actually connecting meaningfully with their supporters and external stakeholders.
Philip, I agree with you that there is definitely more awareness today among nonprofits that they must have good websites and many are making theirs better. I still run into nonprofits all the time that have terrible websites and they know it. I counseled one this week about some things they can do to make theirs more interesting and interactive with their audiences. I think you and I are on the same page that the nonprofit must connect with their supporters!
Sandy