Revamp Your Online Presence

Your organization’s website needs to be a place where visitors can get a clear sense of who you are, what you do, and whom you serve. This requires an effective combination of usability, design, and clarity of content. But never fear — content management systems are here! Content management systems (CMS) are types of software that allow you to easily create, organize, and publish content on the internet with minimal technical skills needed. With just a bit of training (and perhaps some pro-bono help!) you’ll be able to create a website that is easy to use, and easy to update.

Is your current website furthering the mission of your organization?

Your website should have a very clear purpose that complements your organization’s mission. The first step is deciding what you want your website to accomplish:

• Do you want it to inspire individuals to donate or corporations to partner with you?
• Do you want it to educate potential beneficiaries on services available to them?
• Does it need to do all of the above? In all likelihood, you’re looking for your website to engage a variety of visitors.

Next, take stock of what you have in place already (if anything). This will help you scope out the next phase of your online presence.

Need help with this? Get professional, pro bono assistance on this project: Website Audit

Once you’ve completed this assessment, it’s time to dive in:

Are you trying to reinvent the wheel? Instead, refresh your look with a pre-made template.

Web designers have already done the work for you to create simple, easy-to-use website templates that effectively relay information — all you need to do is customize one to meet your organization’s needs. Thousands of these templates are available at little to no cost through companies like Squarespace, Wordpress and Drupal! Best of all, you’ll save time and money on hiring a costly web developer to build your site from scratch. Building out a website on a CMS platform is an easy way to get a sleek website up and running — fast.

Need help with this? Get professional, pro bono assistance on this project: Website Construction (CMS-based)

Reminder: Update your content frequently (and easily).

With a CMS-based website in place, it’s time to commit to updating your content on a regular basis. Be sure that your website contains the most up-to-date information on your organization’s:

• Programming
• Events
• Impact data

This will show supporters and beneficiaries both that you are active in the community. You know how hard you work to make a difference — use your website to ensure that information is transparent and readily available to anyone who’s interested.

Need help with this? Get professional, pro bono assistance on this project: Website Copywriting

Are you directing traffic to your new & improved home base?

Once your beautiful, easy-to-use website is up and running, it’s time to get as many eyes on it as possible! You’ll want to make sure that it’s broadcasted strategically to potential supporters, and that it’s easy-to-find for potential beneficiaries. Consider methods like weekly social media posts and search engine optimization to direct the right kind of traffic your way. When visitors get to your site, they’ll know exactly where to go to get the information they need.

Need help with this? Get professional, pro bono assistance on these projects: Marketing Strategy, Social Media Plan, Search Engine Marketing Plan

Want to learn more about utilizing Catchafire for your organization’s Website needs? Reach out to our Nonprofit Advisors at help@catchafire.org.