This article is the 11th in our Nonprofit Toolkit series. You can find past articles in our library that have dealt with how staff can support their board of directors; the strategic plan tool; policies and procedures; a communication plan tool; risk management; competency-based boards; creating a volunteer handbook; how to conduct your own member survey; using templates, and succession planning. This month’s article is about improving your website.
This article, part of our Nonprofit Toolkit series, is written by an association executive/consultant to share tips with peers and volunteer leaders on simple ways to strategically enhance a website. The how to do it is not covered here. If you are a webmaster or a tech-savvy person, this article is not for you. But if you’d like some ideas on the big picture of website planning, then you might find some of the suggestions especially helpful.
1. Ensure your website is easy to navigate and read
In an effort to provide a wide range of information, many not-for-profit organizations dump a lot of text onto their site without critiquing how easy pieces are to find for those who are not familiar with the site. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who knows nothing of your organization and your issues. How would you look for information? Where would you start? What is nice-to-have information? What is need-to-have information?
TIP: Web research suggests that the most effective number of categories is five or six. “This means you need to look carefully at the content you intend to publish on your website, and organize it so that everything fits into a logical hierarchy with no more than three levels, if possible,” says Kevin Jackson, cofounder of Biz-Zone, a company that specializes in association websites. “This exercise is actually very useful from a strategic perspective, because it really starts to clarify organizational issues from a big-picture perspective.”
2. Develop a protocol to respond to e-mail and telephone queries
Many resource-poor organizations don’t want to get phone calls or e-mails generated by website traffic because of the sheer volume, especially requests from non-members. However, web surfers want to find contact information for key staff and will be critical of your organization’s website if contact info is not there. Some organizations have a standard explanation that “the information you are seeking is a benefit of membership and therefore we regret that we can not offer it to you. For information on joining our organization, click here.”
Remember that if your organization is trying to influence the public or attract students to your sector, you should be resourced to reply to those audiences.
TIP: Provide an ‘info@name of your url’ feature at a minimum to provide some way for visitors to make contact and ensure maximum 24-hour response, even if it is to say their request is on the list for replies. An automatic message, called an ‘auto-responder’ can manage this task nicely for you.
3. Readability is especially important on a website
Select fonts that are most likely to be used on 99% of the computers on the Internet (e.g. Arial, Verdana). Unless your target market is highly educated, use no more than grade four to six reading level. You can test your text’s reading level in Microsoft Word®:
When Microsoft Word® checks spelling and grammar, it can also display information about the reading level of the document. To set up this feature:
- Click Options on the Tools menu
- Click the Spelling & Grammar tab
- Select the Check grammar with spelling check box.
- Select the Show readability statistics check box, and then click OK.
4. Ensure your information is current
We have all had this experience. You go to a website that turns up non-current information and you immediately question how reliable the rest of the non-dated information is. Sustaining a good website is like ensuring a good relationship: You must invest your time to keep nurturing both. Add a “New” section on your home page to direct traffic to the latest additions to your site.
TIP: Make a date with your website on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis (depending on your resources) and apply a critical eye to everything on your site. Listings for events and programs should always be up to date and your news must be current.
5. Ensure your information is presented in a way that make sense to your visitors
TIP: Your website categories (five to six, remember?) should be labelled from the point-of-view of members and visitors, rather than by the names of internal departments or other organizational structures you work with. The way to test for this is to try and imagine you are a non-member and surf your site to discover what that experience is like.
6. Convey value to your members
It is common that members are unaware of the amount of information on a website that is of value to them. At the same time, members expect their association’s site to add value to their membership. So, now that you have ensured they can find the information they need, present it to them in a way that conveys value for members.
If you offer a ”Members Only” section on your website, instead of making it a nice place to visit, add some key information that makes it a ‘must visit’ area. Ensure that once a member has gained access they have access to all relevant areas without being asked for the same password multiple times in a session.
TIP: Shift the language on the site from a description of the process to the results for members. For example, rather than “Bill 259 passes 3rd Reading” present the results for members “Lobbying Efforts Result in $500 Savings per Year”.
7. Limit the number of PDFs on your site. Think interactivity.
Although PDFs contain good information, it takes a highly motivated visitor to dig that far down. “Besides,” says Kevin Jackson, “PDF files are designed for the print medium, and they are cumbersome and unfriendly for a website visitor, not to mention some search engines are still unable to find content buried in a PDF file.”
A significant feature of the website is interactivity – use it. “Websites have the potential to do so much more than simply publish text,” says Jackson. “They can allow dynamic searchability of knowledge, link to outside references and sources, even connect to databases and online banking. Once you have ensured that the basic information is presented professionally and cleanly, it is time to look at some of the other potential areas to improve your website.”
TIP: Rethink some of your website information so that it is web-friendly rather than simply a repeat of the printed version.
8. Add tools to simplify the relationship
While online registration is still an ‘extra’ on basic websites, people are learning to expect it, as it can save time. Budget to add an online registration/purchase feature as soon as you can and create a superfast registration. Another popular web tool is a site map. Provide search tips. Include a ‘remember me’ feature for passwords and give password creation tips at registration.
TIP: Display ’50 Quick Answers’ to commonly asked questions.
9. Maximize your website investment
Cross-promote your services and products. Use your web address on all communication vehicles so that people are continuously reminded of the range of your services and products. For example, include a feature in your online newsletter called ‘What’s New on the Web’.
TIP: Make certain to brand your products, services and events so that everyone remembers they are a “YOUR organization” offering.
10. If resources allow, invest in website benchmarking
The American Society of Association Executives produced an extensive article entitled Website Benchmarking for Effectiveness (Self-Guide Tool) reprinted by permission by the Canadian Society of Association Executives; if you are a CSAE member visit www.csae.com/public/public.asp?WCE=C=47|K=221360.
The article begins by helping the reader link their website strategic plan to the organizational strategic plan through 13 key questions. It then probes for an inventory of costs related to equipment, technology and human resources and asks the reader to relate the amount of revenue and cost reductions that can be attributed to their website. Detailed risk management factors are listed (internal, external and partnering threats, as well as legal issues). Visitor experience criteria are presented (understanding your members and visitors, website visual appeal, content and updating aspects). The article ends with 18 questions to ask about your website’s usability and links backs to how it started: synchronization of your website with strategic goals. If you cannot access the article, at least you now have some categories to construct your own benchmarking exercise.
11. Ensure your website is donor-friendly
In Pattie LaCroix’s July 31, 2006 article, Do we still need to make the case for the web?, a number of important questions were raised for those who use their website to attract donors:
- Is the copy web-friendly? Is it written for the web medium?
- Are there opportunities for the end user to engage with the content (links, blogs, chatrooms, photo galleries, send to a friend options, etc.)?
- Is your copy current and regularly updated?
- Is your story, your case for support, easy to access?
- Can end users subscribe to content that is specifically of interest to them?
Finally, make you call to action visible across most pages. We hope these tips and ideas are helpful to you and we welcome your additional ideas to share in future articles.
Paulette in President of Solution Studio Inc., a consulting practice that serves the nonprofit association community. She can be reached at 1-877-787-7714 or Paulette@solutionstudioinc.com. Paulette was recently appointed as the Executive Director of the Trillium Chapter of the Canadian Society of Association Executives on a part-time contract.
