nonprofit web design & redesign tips

NONPROFIT WEB DESIGNBest Practices & Practical Tips

[email protected] | phone: 732.241.5365

Jill Carenphone: 732.241.5365email: [email protected]: 2dogsdesignfacebook: 2dogsdesignwebsite: 2dogsdesign.com

mailto:[email protected]

WEBSITE GOALSClearly define your website goals and the importance of each:

1)Gain new volunteers 2)Increase donations3)Promote new initiatives4)New supporters5)Others…..mailing list subscribers, social media growth etc.

By being clear in your goals and the importance, you can better define your website hierarchy and layout.



WEBSITE ACTIONSWe have our goals outlined, now we have to determine the action we want them to take:

1)Complete a contact form2)Click the donate button and make a donation3)Take a poll4)Sign a petition5)Others…..join newsletter, register, become a member

Once you have your goals and actions in place then a wireframe can be completed that includes these items.



YOUR MESSAGEYou only have a couple of seconds to capture a visitors attention -

and to get them to understand your message!

Does your website clearly define your message?

The examples below do a great job of clearly defining what they do in a split second!



TECHNICAL/SEO REDESIGN CONSIDERATIONSA redesign takes a lot of planning to ensure you move content properly, address SEO issues

and to ensure a great user experience for existing supporters!

●Obtain a full list of current URL’s ●Use analytical data to assess your new navigation hierarchy and website structure-review

bounce rate, page visit times, most popular pages and more to get a grasp of what your visitors are really looking at. A good web agency will review this data with you during the research phase.

●Create new pages and content ●Make sure old URL’s are “redirected” to new page content (301 redirect)●Review keywords and user queries (latent semantic indexing)●Ensure responsive technology is in place●Page speed and load time●Section 508 and W3c compliance●Clean server of old outdated media, files and data to keep your site optimized and the

search engines happy



INVESTMENTLOW-RANGE $2-5K


At this range you may be able to receive the following services:

1)Installation of your preferred CMS (Drupal, Wordpress, Joomla as examples)

2)Assistance in choosing a pre-designed responsive template for the chosen CMS

3)Installation & setup of necessary plugins/add-ons for required functionality such as contact, donate and social sharing

4)Setup of mailing list subscription5)Help with format of content pages Typically in this range there will be no custom coding

or content services provided. But this is a great step towards having a responsive website that looks professional and conveys your message!

Freelancer.com / Web Consultant / elance.com


INVESTMENTMID-RANGE $5-10K


In this range your nonprofit can get a great website with a custom look and some great features to help engage and convert visitors - including but not limited to:

1)Custom design (limited revisions)2)Development and programming of CMS3)Advanced integrations with social networks, 3rd-

party apps and email services4)Additional conversations about hierarchy and best

practices5)SEO friendly 6)Assistance with data transfer and content• More hours for consultation and post launch

support• May not have as much backend customizations Small-mid sized web agency


INVESTMENTHIGH-RANGE $10K+


In this range you should be able to achieve everything needed to create a robust website that achieves your group’s goals:

1)CMS of your choice installed and programmed2)Integration of all required 3rd party applications3)Custom backend for ease of management4)Email integration with auto-responders5)Membership areas and account management6)CRM/Fundraising integration (Blackbaud,

Salesforce, Donorpro etc.• The options are endless…...

Mid-Large sized agency


WEBSITE CMS OPTIONSUnderstand your needs - then take a test drive!


Things to consider:

● Ease of admin area (test drive before you commit!)● Can you update the CMS easily if it becomes outdated● Are plugins free or do they require licensing fees● How are files managed - can you easily sort and find

media and document files● Is the core SEO friendly● Does the CMS have more functionality than you will need● Is it flexible to allow for future functionality add-ons

without having to re-invest in the core code again● Will it integrate easily with your 3rd party applications

(CRM systems, donor management, donations etc.)● Can you find support readily available - is their an active

community around the CMS to help you


PROPRIETARY CMSAnother option is a custom built CMS and in

certain circumstances this may be a good option, but can be expensive .

If you decided on a proprietary CMS be aware of any licensing fees and how support will be provided.



FINAL THOUGHTSINSPIRE. ENGAGE. DIRECT. EDUCATE

Inspire them to learn more...Engage them to do more...

Direct them to be involved more..Educate them to understand more….

creative type. clear call to actions. storytelling


nonprofit web design & redesign tips

Government & Nonprofit