Mobile ready your nonprofit websiteBy Mitch Crase

STEP 1 : Evaluation

I already have A site!

• Mobile devices are new but may run ok on your site already

• Maybe you can wing it for a while!

• A professional looking and highly functional site has value

No site yet…..

• Ok nothing to lose• It’s a great time to start!• Starting mobile is the best

way to be mobile ready• Separate mobile sites is

generally unsatisfactory

1B : Mobile visibility

• Evaluation should not carry costs, no problem• Visit Google or others like W3C MobileOk Checker• Just enter your URL and get results, easy!• Beware of free evaluation with results for a fee

What results?

• Does your website display well in a mobile device?• Image rendering is a primary concern• Margin breaks and fonts are others• W3C Mobile Checker will relay a score 0 to 100 and

specific problems

1C : OWN YOUR DOMAIN

RENT

• Do it their way

OWN

• Do it your way• Expansion is coming, pay

attention

Know your mobile

• Too many mobile devices to list but one key note• Approximately 1/16 have the best product (IPAD) (USA)• Approximately 1/3 mobile now with growth expected • The vast majority are using some form of mobile browser• When browsers change so will the results • Monitor your mobile web results, invite feedback• Always try to look ahead and know your market• Any market share that is significant must be

accommodated , same with ordinary net browsers

Know the Trends

QUALITY• Trend 1……. Basic HTML

website by anybody• Trend 2……..Better HTML

website usually by designer• Trend 3……..Professional website

by the cool designer• Trend 4……..Professional website

by anybody??• Trend 5…. Better version of

current trend

COSTS

• Trend 1…..….…CHEAP • Trend 2...AFFORDABLE• Trend 3…...EXPENSIVE• Trend 4…….…..CHEAP• Trend 5 AFFORDABLE?

Know your site basics

Functionality

• Donor friendly• Media friendly• Volunteer friendly• Site consistency• Know your site’s purpose• Keep it apparent, center• Use a blog

Primary needs• State your Cause• Get donations• Get people involved• Your site MUST BE

SEARCHABLE AND FOUND

• Web 2.0 has implications for Google search

• Web searching is a skill

Content Management

A MUST

• Somebody has to manage the website ready or not!

• Web 2.0 demands dynamic interaction

• No word on a web site that can take care of itself yet…

THE OPTIONS

• Hire unskilled• Hire web-skilled• Hire web-support to

supplement• The skill set of everyone

involved will delegate your results

Step 2: Going mobile

Fresh Start

• You could hire a designer or a firm 1k to 20k

• Free web design volunteers Grassroots.org

• You could get an all-in-one website solution online ( do it yourself )

Upgrade existing

• Rehire said designer to update and provide a new unique solution 1k to 20k

• Find said volunteer to update

• Do it yourself ?

2B : Its always about Cost

• Pay now or pay later• Get now or get later• More money equals more website features• Stay in your budget! The board loves that…• Tread carefully with do it yourself !

2C: Websites aren’t dead

Roles will change• Professional custom

websites offer robust performance using Drupal , Joomla and other CMS

• Facebook is like a group website solution

• I predict that more specific roles will emerge in the interest of specialization

The budget choice

• Wordpress which used to be just a blog

• Yes you can bring your domain name

• Yes its free• Yes anybody can run it • Adjust your performance

with your personnel

Why these three? VALUE

• They give you professional themes• They keep your site mobile compliant• They provide content management to fit your size• Thousands of plug-ins to choose from (the goodies)• Superior integrated databases provided (PHP,SQL)• They support their products because they can• You can expect them to add more, dare to ask• Rapid access to a Social Media Platform• Do expect the costs to rise modestly

Popular plug-ins

Search, Security, Share

• Blog search optimization• Contact forms, secure

forms with spam blocking• Enable Google Analytics

for entire site• Share, bookmark, email

buttons• CAPTCHA to eliminate

automated responders

Social Media, more

• Approximately 250 dedicated to social media

• Language translation• Site map generation

(XML)• Enhanced page navigation• Widgets (event calendars)

Step 3: Choose well !

• There are thousands of all-in-one solutions• Only 3 have taken the lead!• Joomla, Drupal, and the popular choice is Wordpress• It’s about value, functionality, product support • Custom websites with CMS may cost more but may

protect you more or less• Like Microsoft, AOL, Myspace, Facebook the product

support follows the winners which can change rapidly

Conclusion

• Wordpress is the ultimate website solution for a smaller organization

• Small organizations that expect to be large should seek the advantages of a more complex CMS like Drupal, Joomla unless they need something more specific because these are built for size

• The value is too great to ignore

Contributions

• Nonprofitable.org How much does a website cost?• Smashingmagazine.com Nonprofit Website Design: Examples and Best Practices • Businessblogs.co.nz Are websites about to become obsolete?• Slideshare.net Rethinking the Mobile Web by Yiibu• Wordpress.org Popular plugins• Wordpress.com A look inside the Wordpress database• VineyardDesigns.com Complete Website Building Sites• Techie-Buzz.com Check if your website is mobile friendly• Nonprofitblog.org How much does it cost to get your nonprofit blogging? , Towards a new

kind of website• Marketinghacks.com Search engine optimization pricing – How much should you pay?• Physorg.com Internet body meets on domain names• Levelenddesign.com Drupal vs. Joomla vs. Wordpress• Searchengineoptimizatioinstlouis.com Are websites obsolete? Is social media replacing

it’s role?