effective design effective content web site tools interaction

Effective DesignEffective Content

Web Site ToolsInteraction

Learn how to use your website to increase donations, engage your community, and foster relationships through

the power of the Internet.

Presented by Jami Broom, Internet Marketing Strategist www.ClicksToMySite.com

Nonprofit Web Design: Convert Your Website into a Major

Tool to Engage Your Community


Effective Design & Content•A Website is a Tool•First Steps to Get a Website Online•The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly•Design Tips•Break-out Session – Pretend You Are a Website

Website Tools & Interaction•Creating and Managing Your Own Web Site•HTML & Web Authoring Tools & Content Management•Getting Your Website UP•Website Tools•Search Engine Optimization & Social Media

Welcome & Thank You!

I. Introductions

II. Presentation Agenda:


Using Your Website as a Tool

Purposes: What do YOU get out of your website?•Community Involvement•Donations•Volunteers•Partners•Recognition – raise awareness

People: Who comes to your website?•Foundations•Donors•Community•Volunteers•Your Members; The People You Serve•Job Seekers/Potential Staff•Media•Anyone


First Steps to Get a Website Up & Running

Domain namePick a domain name

•More than 7 million .org domain names are now registered.•Extensions: .org, .com, .us, .info

Register a domain name – costs, precautions, and companies•GoDaddy.com -- $9.99 for a year•Grassroots.org – free for a year for nonprofits

Website Hosting•Reputation•Location•Price - $10-$20 per month•Free Hosting – Grassroots.org


Three Distinct Aspects of a Managing Website

•Design – Graphics, layout, images, making it look “pretty”

•Development – Coding, programming, putting it together

•Marketing – Search engine optimization, email marketing, getting people there


Critical Errors in Web Design

•No style – stick with one style for every page•Typos/Grammar errors – ask someone else to review your website!•Infrequent updates – if your website looks like it’s managed by a lazy person, well, it probably is.•Not enough content, text – search engines can’t read pictures•Too much information – don’t bombard people, but make sure they can find what they’re looking for•Outdated Design – Web technology and style has changed a great deal from the late 90’s – don’t be outdated.•Bright RED text. It does not make me want to read further.


What a website should be:

•Clean and Organized: Your message, mission, and call to action should be easy to find

•Load Quickly: Avoid a home page that makes you jump through hoops or watch/listen to a video. It wastes time.

•SEO Friendly – Your website should be easy to find online.


What a website should NOT be:

•Cluttered with lots of flashy and unnecessary graphics

•Difficult to read – small font, various styles, and bright colors are difficult for the eyes

•Missing important components


Components Every Nonprofit Website Should Have

•Home Page – Brief introduction that states what you do, and how to find and do everything you want a visitor to do on your website•About Us - Mission statement, staff list, board of directors list, and history•Programs and Services•Outcomes – What are some of your success stories? Do you have testimonials? What are your accomplishments over the last year, last 5 years, last 20 years?•Purpose – What issues surround your cause? What is happening in your industry? •Donations – How can people give to your organization?•Contact – email, address, phone number, map, contact form•Site Map – A page that serves as a directory to every page on your website•Events – Fundraising events, volunteer training, etc.


Optional Pages for Nonprofits

•Wish List – Write out the items your organization needs for donations – computers, phones, paper, supplies, food, etc.•Partners – If you partner with other agencies, list them and provide links to their sites•Volunteer Opportunities – List what your organization needs volunteers to do and how they can get involved.•Employment/Internships –Have a page to list job opportunities or internships available.•Privacy Statement – There may be legal reasons to put a privacy statement on, for instance, if you are collecting email addresses.•Blog – Post a blog once a month (or more) about your organization•Forum – Allow your visitors to interact with each other and your staff


Design Tips

•Put your contact information on every page•Provide a menu or categories for navigation•Link back to the homepage on every page•Use a logo, professionally designed•Make sure the website looks the same in every browser


The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

http://www.nonprofitadvancement.org/

http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/

http://www.zeum.org/

http://www.redcross-allegheny.org/

http://www.aviary.org/index.php


Activity: Pretend You Are a Website


Creating and Managing Your Own Website

1.HTML2.Templates3.Web Authoring Tools

•HTML Editors – Notepad, WYSIWYG•Content Management Systems – WordPress, Joomla, Drupal

HTMLLearn a little HTML

(Not Scary!)

All text goes inside a paragraph tag

bolditalicsunderline

Adds a line of space between text: Adds a horizontal line: <hr>Adds a link: <a href=“linkgoeshere”>link</a>


Web Authoring Tools

Basic EditorsNotePad - freeWordPad – free with Windows

WYSIWYG – What You See Is What You Get Web EditorsMicrosoft Expression Web: $299 or $15 through TechSoupDreamweaver: $399

Content Management Systems -- Open Source -- Free!WordPress – Joomla -- Drupal – good for online stores


Getting your website “UP”

“Putting” files

Using an FTP – “File Transfer Protocol”

Dreamweaver has a built-in FTP

FTPs: Mozilla, SmartFTP, Fetch (for Apple people)


Website Resources for Nonprofits

Finding Volunteers:•Grassroots.org•Volunteermatch.org

Using Templates:•Cost substantially less than designing from scratch•Look just as good•Customizable•Thousands to choose from•To find them, Google “free website templates” nonprofits


Content Management Systems

•Easily Updated

•Open Source

•“Free”


Content Management Systems

WordPress –

Joomla –

Drupal –


Hiring a Web Design Firm

•Expectations•Costs•Updating•Search Engine Friendly


Internet Marketing

•Getting Traffic to Your Website•List your site with search engines•Google – where does your website rank for certain keywords?•SEObook.org•ClicksToMySite.com – free tutorials and tips

Google Analytics – track how many visitors your site gets, which search words they use to get there. FREE – add code to your website.


Social Media

•YouTube – Charity : water raised $10,000 in ONE DAY on YouTube

•"Call to Action" feature for YouTube's nonprofit partners•InVideo overlays to drive traffic to an off-YouTube web page, where they can collect signatures, email addresses, or even donations.

•LinkedIn – a professional profile – post presentations, blogs, connect with other professionals

•Twitter – send tweets out about your organization – if other people retweet, you can literally reach 1000s of people in seconds.

•Facebook – post events, raise money, connect with people


Other Website Tools for Nonprofits

•Email Marketing•Online Donations•Online Auctions


Recap

•A website is a communication tool – back and forth communication•What do YOU need out of your website?•Several tools are available – which ones will work for you?•Tons of information is online – free tutorials, free resources


PodCamp Pittsburgh

www.podcamppittsburgh.com

The “Un-Conference”

Social Media Conference

FREE


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for your product or service.

Let's make sure they find you.

www.clickstomysite.com

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effective design effective content web site tools interaction

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