I am in over my head, does my website need edits or a remodel?

Man frustrated by his Nonprofit's website because he is not able to tell if he needs some edits or a complete remodel.

I am in over my head, does my website need edits or a remodel?

First, begin by taking a deep breath. Websites are not permanent, and the great thing about having a WordPress site is that making changes to your content is a simple process. The same goes for creating a new website (if it comes to that). 

If you have an existing website in need of a “makeover”, we suggest doing the following: 

  1. Revisit your end goal. Meaning, what do you want from your website? Do you want your website to be a hub for information? Or do you want your website to be a stepping stone to visitors reaching out? Whatever your goal may be, having one is crucial. It will help you make the needed changes to get from Point A to Point B and all the way to Point Z smoothly.

If you are just creating a website, or completely redoing your website here’s what we suggest:

  1. Also, begin with your end goal. How you get there will be different because you are starting from scratch, but the questions above are still the same.
  2. Develop a site map. Consider which pages are the most important to have on your website. Many Nonprofits also choose to have videos, event calendars, blogs, etc. on their website, which will also be a part of your site map. Don’t get lost in creating a map, though. We suggest working in an excel spreadsheet, which makes it easy to read, edit, and collaborate. Remember to keep your end goal in mind (how you want to engage with your visitors) when developing your site map.
  3. Design your site. Here’s the point where it does get very overwhelming, and we do recommend bringing in a designer and developer. You have your site map all laid out at this point, but then bringing your ideas into development is where things can turn. A designer and developer will help you with the look and feel of your site, the content, functionality and overall design. Plus, they won’t let you forget about your mobile site – a common mistake Nonprofits make. 

Websites are your Nonprofit’s biggest advocate, so it’s important that it’s treated that way. Yes, this all can seem very overwhelming, and you may not see the value of all this time that goes into planning, but a visitor will be able to tell who spent the time on this. We promise you that. Don’t sacrifice your future volunteers, donations, email subscribers all because you were overwhelmed with the process. There is always help.

2021-05-24T14:58:51-04:00May 26th, 2021|Features|

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