I love to cook. I apply the way I develop a recipe to the way I develop a plan for a non-profit website. For me, it starts with having an idea in mind of the end result. Then I have to think about all the people that will eat it. All these flavours taste great but they are going to look “brown” on the plate? When people see food that looks good they’re likely to eat it and talk about it.
The way a website looks and functions determines if people will engage with it. Humans absorb stories and images really well if they are presented in the right way.
So, when it comes to your non-profit’s website, I have put together the key ingredients you need.
These are the absolute bare minimum essential menu items for a non-profit website:
- Who we are
- What we do
- Our Impact/Our Story
- Get Involved (volunteer, donate, partner, work)
- Contact Us
When you have all these menu items (at a bare minimum) any one of your stakeholders can find what they need about you and take action on your website. So now let’s consider the bare minimum features.
These are features that are easy to include and I consider “must haves:”
- Call to Action on every page
- Volunteer Sign up form
- Contact us form
- Donate online option
- Clickable phone numbers
- RESPONSIVE (works on mobile phone and other devices)
- Security and back up features
If you want to position yourself properly online and demonstrate you’re an expert or specialist in your field you need this:
- A Blog
- Latest Research
The reason you have a Blog or share the latest research is to help people who are looking for information. When people are online they are generally looking for information, to educate themselves or find something they need. Having a blog is a great way of being found online by new people who are potentially interested in you.
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