Building an online presence for your non-profit
All organisations need to have a compelling website; even those that are not in the business of making a profit. Creating the perfect website for your business or organisation is about much more than just getting the colour scheme and the navigation right. It is about getting your message across effectively.
Your website showcases you and your business or non-profit organisation online. However, for it to do this it needs to accurately portray who you are, what you want to achieve, and why you want to achieve it.
To do this, the web designer needs to gather information long before they start on the actual design process. It isn’t enough for them to produce a wonderful website, they need to devise a strategy, a plan that will get you from where you are to where you want to be. They also need to cover everything from customer support to managing your Google Ads. This process is underpinned by your overarching goals, which you need to consider.
Once the web design agency knows these, they can begin to tease out of you the smaller details that they need to build a workable strategy. This will include getting to know your industry sector, your main competition, and your customer segment.
When choosing your web design consultant, choose one that asks questions, who makes a note of your answers and who acts on the information provided. It is also important that you ask questions; what is their strategy for a non-profit, how is it going to work and how will its success be measured? Don’t settle for vague answers, your website needs to be built on firm foundations.
Tips on choosing the best web designer for your non-profit
It is not enough to just have any web designer, you need to ensure you have the best one possible. By following these tips, you can improve your chances of doing just that.
When searching for web designers, one place to start is by investigating the websites of the companies you are considering. Take time to look around each site and see how easy it is to navigate, how engaging it is, and when any news or blog content was last updated. You want a company that showcases their work on their own site.
Take time to look at the services they provide as well. Different companies will focus on different sectors and different online services. If they are geared towards business and you are a charity, you may want to look elsewhere.
Similarly, if you need a complete service package, and the company only offers initial set up, you will need to consider your options. One way to see whether the web design agency can accurately provide the services they offer is to check with people who have used them previously. Look for testimonials from previous clients, or details of previous projects and go back to the source for references and recommendations. When talking to their previous clients, ask for details. Did they provide good SEO? How well did they handle the online marketing? Did they work on your social media presence? These are just some of the questions you need to ask before making a final decision.
