Web Site Construction & Content Suggestions

Revised with new information as of January 28, 2008

Web Site Construction & Content Suggestions
For Mission-Based Organizations

To start, your mission-based organization (nonprofit, non-government organization/NGO, civil society organization, etc.) should put its initial energies into developing a simple, basic Web site. From there, you can build a much more comprehensive web site with more content and advanced features (more graphics, more pages, searchable databases, etc.). Your initial, starter Web site may only exist for a few weeks or months before it is changes or even completely revamped; however, it is better to get on the Web with your basic information (which is what MOST people want anyway) than to be unfound on the Web for many, many months/years waiting for your fancy, comprehensive Web site to be ready for launch.

The development of an initial Web site can be broken down into four basic steps:

No one can develop the content for your organization's Web site better than an organization's own staff (including volunteers). You may use one staff person or outside consultant to design your site, but your organization's entire staff should all contribute to the determination of what information goes on the site and provide the material for the site.

What will go on your organization's initial home page should determine how your Web site will be structured. The answers to the staff's identified Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) should determine what will go on your organization's home page.

What are "FAQs?"

FAQs are Frequently Asked Questions and their answers. Determining what the FAQs are for your organization is crucial in the development of your Web site. I started saying that back in 1995, and now, almost 13 years later, I believe it more than ever!

The best person to define the FAQs is the person who answers the phone the most. Yes, that's right -- not the marketing manager, not a consultant, not the IT staff, but, rather, the receptionist. Ask that person the top 10 - 20 reasons people call or stop by your organization. Also ask this person to whom he or she transfers the most calls, and then talk to that person/persons as well, asking him/her/them what the top 10 reasons are that people call them.

The answers to these questions create the content and structure for your initial web site (and should always influence further incarnations of your web site). The answers should then be made easily accessible on your Web site via your home page (the first page people see when they surf on to your Web site). If you use an outside consultant or volunteer to design your site, that person should be well-aware of your organizations FAQs. Remember: people in your target audiences will visit your Web site for the same reasons that most people call your organization.

Home Page Suggestions

For a simple, initial site, the following is suggested as content for the home page:

a "news" link or blurb
This would change monthly. It would be a reason for people to return to your site regularly, and would point visitors to parts of the site they may not go to otherwise. Highlight a special event, new volunteering opportunities, a new service, a message or blog from the Executive Director, etc.
organization/program mission statement(s)
link to the history of your organization (why it was founded, its major accomplishments, etc.)
link to the latest annual financial report
link to a complete, descriptive list of your programs, services and resources
mailing address and at least the main phone number and one main email address
link to directions to your organization (both as a map and written out)
link to information on where to park (both cars AND bikes), and what mass transit (bus lines, train lines) a person could take to get to your location
link to how to support the agency (how to donate, how to volunteer, etc.)
FAQs (frequently asked questions and their answers)
event and program announcements
press releases
articles from your publications (newsletters, annual reports, etc.)
articles and personal narratives ("blogs") written by your NPO staff, board members or clients
job openings
staff list
announcements of public hearings or legislation about an issue relating to your agency (following the restrictions placed on you by the IRS as a tax-exempt organization, ofcourse; more info is available about online activism and your agency's rights to engage in such).

NO LINKS to pages that are not part of your organization's web site on your home page!
Doing so encourages people to leave your site before they've read any information about you. No links to off-site materials on the home page means no funder or sponsor logos that link off your site!! You can put such links on secondary pages.

View a sample of a Web site home page structure.

"Second Layer" Pages

The pages that link directly from the home page are called "main" pages. Not every page on your web site can have a link from the home page, given how many pages your site will eventually generate. However, there is more information you should post on your Web site than just the main pages; for instance, the following are some of the "second layer" pages that could be generated beneath some of the "main" pages. Examples

list of current and upcoming events
about your organization
-- biographies of your Executive Director or senior staff members
-- list of Board of Directors
-- history of your organization
-- latest year's financial statement (donors like to see this)
education and outreach services
-- youth projects
-- internships
-- speakers
-- publication schedule for your newsletter
supporting your organization
-- information for and about financial and in-kind donors
-- information for and about volunteers (both current volunteers and potential volunteers)
etc.

This document can help you think about where you are now, as far as online activities, and where you need to be:
Stages of Maturity in Nonprofit Orgs Using Online Services
This assessment will help nonprofits think about networking tech standards they should pursue, and possible goals for the future.

Repeat Information

It's important to repeat some information from page to page, because each user will not visit all of your pages. In fact, most visitors will not visit MOST of your pages.

The information on the Web pages may not always be unique from one another; for instance, some information on the FAQ page should be repeated on other pages as appropriate.

Linking pages together

All pages should link together as appropriate; for instance, any time the words "volunteer" is used on a page, those words should link to the page that has information on volunteering at your organization. Many of the links on the home page should be repeated on other pages, so that users don't have to keep returning to the home page to access new areas. And EVERY page should have a link back to the home page.

It is recommended that a standard set of links appear at the bottom or top of every page, so that users can easily and quickly jump from one section of your Web site to another.

Page "Signatures"

At the bottom of each page, I recommend the same information:

Logo for your organization, or, at least the name
postal address
phone number
"main" email address (with a link allowing the browser to send an email message)
the Web address/URL (with a link that goes back to the home page)
a copyright notice

Just as you would want this information on your brochures and newsletters, you also want this information on any sets of pages a user may print using your Web site. People WILL print out your Web pages!

Feedback Forms

If you want to get feedback from the public or from people you have served, create a simple online form to capture information from users. A link to this form should appear on most of your "second layer" pages, but not your home page, as you want people to read at least a little about your organization before they decide they want more information.

You could note on the page that the form is for people who would like to be added to the your postal and/or electronic mailing list(s), and that the information would not be sold or traded to any other organization (as e-mail advertisements increase on the 'net, it's important to let people know how their information is going to be used).

It is suggested, at minimum, you ask for the following information from those who want to be added to your mailing list:

First Name:
Last Name:
Email Address:
Mailing Address:
Day Phone:
Are you currently involved with our organization? If so, how?
How did you hear about our web site?:
What did you find most interesting on this site?:
Other comments you have regarding the our organization and/or our web site:

For more advanced tips on web site construction and content for mission-based organizations, visit TechSoup, an initiative by CompuMentor designed especially to help mission-based organizations with computer and Internet issues.

Other related resources that can help you:

Don't Just Ask for Money!
The "Support Us" button on your organization's web site needs to link to more information than only how to give money to your organization.
Use Tech to Show Your Accountability and To Teach Others About the Nonprofit Sector!
Mission-Based groups are under growing scrutiny. What you put on your web site can help counter the onslaught of "news" stories regarding mission-based organizations and how they spent charitable contributions.
Developing & Delivering Government Services on the World Wide Web
Although written for a particular state's government, these guidelines present principles that can help any agency decide how best to design, manage, and market Web services. The material emphasizes important topics that are often neglected on other "how-to" web sites, including: setting service objectives and policies, organizing and managing staff and other resources, assessing costs and effectiveness. This site is no longer available at its former URL; to access this information, you must go to archive.org and type in (or cut and paste) this URL: www.ctg.albany.edu/projects/inettb/recintro.html

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