Ten posts to take your website to the next level
The nonprofit blog carnival is back in town, and this month’s topic will have your head spinning faster than the Tilt-a-Whirl (in a good way). It’s all about creating a smart, powerful website for your nonprofit, and we’ve gathered up some excellent posts to help you do just that.
Build it
- Begin at the beginning: what does a good website look like? Claire Axelrad of Clairification writes about the growing importance of building a truly interactive, social site (spot the ducks!).
- Take a good, hard look at your website with Ann Green’s checklist in hand, one page at a time–maybe you’ll discover that the moment is right for a refresh.
- Remember what websites looked like back in 2001? Pamela Grow reminds us that even though the web has come a long way, it’s important not to let the technology intimidate you (or push you to overcomplicate things).
- Wireframing is an important step in designing an effective website. Yesenia Sotelo on Smart Cause Digital will walk you through the whys and hows.
Maintain it
- As Lori Halley on Wild Apricot Blog puts it, “keeping website content current or fresh is truly mission critical.” Check out her practical tips for keeping your site up-to-date without breaking the bank or making yourself crazy.
- Joanne Fritz highlights six key mistakes that might be holding back your website–is your site guilty of any of these?
- The best way to improve your website is to measure its performance and make changes based on what you learn. Louie Herr on The Communications Network talks you through the process of turning website data (like Google Analytics) into valuable insights.?
And don’t forget…
- …your mobile visitors. Andrew Edwards at Ethical Studios has put together a great post outlining the pros and cons of different mobile-friendly options. Which one is right for your nonprofit?
- …to think about all the ways your visitors actually use your site in real life. Katya Andresen shares some takeaways from a Google presentation on mobile, multi-screen culture and what it means for the modern website.
- …the legal stuff. Privacy policies and accessibility standards may not be top of mind when you think about crafting your site, but they’re very important. Erin McClarty has put together a useful list of legal concerns you should keep an eye on.
Inspired? Tell us what you’re going to do next with your website in the comments.
And while you’re in the mood for cotton candy and funnel cake, now’s a great time to start planning your post for next month’s Carnival. The host is Miriam Kagan over at npENGAGE, and she’ll be covering a very timely topic as the year-end fundraising season approaches: how are nonprofits using CRM and predictive analytics to successfully implement multichannel campaigns?
