The digital world is growing faster than ever, and the stakes for non-profits are higher than ever. A website is a non-negotiable tool in the modern non-profit’s toolkit. It helps you connect with supporters and donors, build a community around your cause, raise funds from online donors, and more.
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Whether starting from scratch or revamping an existing site, these insights will ensure your non-profit’s online presence is optimized to achieve your goals. Here are ten things that every non-profit should know when building a website:
1. Identify the Purpose of the Website
The first step in building a website for a non-profit is to identify the purpose of the website. What are the organization’s goals, and what do you want to achieve through the website? The website’s purpose includes raising funds, promoting awareness, or providing information about your organization’s mission and activities.
2. Define Your Target Audience
Understanding your target audience is essential when designing a website. It helps to create a website that meets their needs and expectations. A non-profit organization should consider its target audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors when creating a website.
3. Choose a Domain Name
A domain name is the website’s address that people type in their web browser to access the website. Choosing a domain name should be easy to remember and reflect the non-profit’s brand. It should be unique, easy to spell, and easy to pronounce.
4. Select a Web Hosting Provider
A web hosting provider is a company that provides the server space where your website’s files are stored. A non-profit organization must choose a reliable web hosting provider that is fast, secure, and offers excellent customer support.
5. Develop a Content Strategy
Developing a content strategy is essential to create engaging and informative content that helps to achieve your website’s goals. A non-profit organization should create a content strategy that identifies the type of content to be published, the target audience, and the publishing frequency.
6. Design a User-Friendly Interface
Designing a user-friendly interface is crucial to make a website easy to navigate and use. The website should be planned and designed with the user in mind, ensuring the website layout is easy to understand, and the navigation menu is easy to use.
7. Optimize for Search Engines
Search engine optimization (SEO) improves a website’s visibility on search engines. A non-profit organization should optimize its website for search engines to increase its visibility and attract more visitors.
8. Focus on Mobile Responsiveness
Mobile responsiveness is the ability of a website to adjust its layout to fit different screen sizes. A non-profit organization should focus on mobile responsiveness to ensure its website is accessible to mobile users. Most people access the internet through mobile devices, and a non-mobile responsive website may lose potential visitors.
9. Incorporate Donor and Volunteer Management Systems
A non-profit organization should incorporate donor and volunteer management systems into its website. This allows donors and volunteers to easily sign up, donate, and track their donations or volunteer hours. It also helps to streamline the process of managing donors and volunteers.
10. Have a Clear Call to Action
A call to action (CTA) is a statement that encourages visitors to take action. For a non-profit organization, the call to action may be to donate, volunteer or sign up for a newsletter. The CTA should be clear, visible, and easy to understand.
Conclusion
A website is critical to any non-profit’s fundraising and advocacy efforts. It can help you increase donations, drive traffic to your cause, and build a stronger community around your mission. With the right strategy, a website can be one of your most powerful tools for raising funds and awareness. Don’t let the fear of building a website stop you from pursuing your mission. Instead, use these ten tips to ensure your non-profit’s website is built to last.
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