Best Practices: Web Site Design for Nonprofits

February 22, 2009 — IMPACTMAX

Kathy Sierra's Hierarchy of User Needs

Download my free Best Practices eBook below!

I love this illustration by Kathy Sierra about a Web user’s Hierarchy of Needs. That flow/enchantment level give us all something to aim for—but we have to work up through the other needs first.

That’s what my free eBook Best Practices: Nonprofit Web Site Design is all about. It combines the wisdom of online Web site experts with my own experience to offer some basic best practices to help your Web site achieve the first five levels.

Too often, nonprofits are so thrilled about having developed a Web site, they stop there. They don’t invest time in evaluating and improving it once it’s up. That’s a waste of their original investment.

I recommend a thorough, top-to-bottom evaluation of your Web site every year. That’s in addition to continuously tracking important useage data. This 20-page DIY eBook is a guide to get you started. It’s certainly not exhaustive, but it’s a great starting place. It’s also a helpful resource for any nonprofit developing a new Web site.

DOWNLOAD HERE: Best Practices: Nonprofit Web Site Design

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Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: bestpractices, creativecommmons, design, socialmedia, strategy, websites, writing. 12 Comments »

Ash Shepherd Says:
March 4, 2009 at 8:03 pm

The author asked if I would share this comment as well even though it missed the deadline to be included in the ebook.
~~~~~
If I had to keep it to one piece of advice I would say always think of a website as a process not a project. The needs of the user and the organization are going to continue to change and the website needs to be able to stay current enough to facilitate the intersection between those needs. Organizations should make sure you have the proper tools, skills and time to attend to and update your website.

This is not to say everyone needs to become a web design or SEO expert themselves, that is in no way realistic for most nonprofit organizations. However, getting a website built in a tool such as a Content Management System (CMS), getting training on how to use the tool and planning for some periodic review and support on an ongoing basis is realistic for most nonprofit organizations.

Sustainability is the key, otherwise groups will be backsliding and recreating their efforts every couple of years.
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Ash Shepherd

Abigail Says:
March 20, 2009 at 7:01 pm

hi Gayle, I totally agree with your Best Practices and am sharing them with a few clients who are about to rebuild their sites. Thanks for Tweeting this.
@abisail

Abigail

Harry Says:
April 4, 2009 at 7:57 pm

I really liked your blog! Keep the articles coming I am going to pass your site to others.

Best Practices In Web Design (Part 1) « Karl Quirino’s Blog Says:
May 12, 2009 at 5:16 am

[...] Author’s Note: Most of the information found in this series was sourced from a free eBook ‘Best Practices – Non-profit Website Design’ written by Gayle C. Thorsen, a nonprofit communications consultant for impactmax.wordpress.com. . If you wish to download this excellent piece of work by Gayle, please also visit: http://impactmax.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/best-practices-web-site-design-for-nonprofits/ [...]

Best Practices In Web Design (Part 2) « Karl Quirino’s Blog Says:
May 12, 2009 at 5:19 am

Best Practices In Web Design (Part 4) « Karl Quirino’s Blog Says:
May 12, 2009 at 5:24 am

[...] Author’s Note: Most of the information found in this series was sourced from a free eBook ‘Best Practices – Non-profit Website Design’ written by Gayle C. Thorsen, a nonprofit communications consultant for impactmax.wordpress.com. If you wish to download this excellent piece of work by Gayle, please also visit: http://impactmax.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/best-practices-web-site-design-for-nonprofits/ [...]

Best Practices In Web Design (Part 3) « Karl Quirino’s Blog Says:
May 12, 2009 at 5:26 am

Sullivan Web Development Says:
October 21, 2009 at 5:10 am

Thank you thank you thank you!

I have been looking all over for a resource about how best to deal with Non-Profit companies, like churches and stuff. I’m downloading this report as we speak.

THANKS again!

Sullivan Web Development