Basic Web Development & Maintenance
for Nonprofits, NGOs, Government Offices
& Other Mission-Based Organizations

(I eye this section of my web site once or twice a year, thinking to myself -- self, these pages probably aren't needed any more. They are soooo basic. There is so much other information out there, more advanced and detailed. Get rid of this section. I tried once in early 2005, and got two emails within hours of deleting the section, asking me where the pages were and begging me for the info. One of the pages here is one of the top pages on my site. So, the information remains.)

Ofcourse, a Web site will not replace any other communication/outreach activities of a mission-based organization altogether (your brochures, direct mailings, listings in local newspapers, speaking to groups, attending conferences, etc.); instead, it will supplement and enhance those activities. It also won't replace email, and it's not the only online activity an organization should undertake.

Adding to the appeal of a Web site is the very low-cost of having one. If your organization already has computers (even old computers) that have the capability of sending and receiving email and can create documents on a computer, you probably will not need to purchase additional software to have a basic Web site.

A mistake many organizations have made in their Web site development is handing over the entire Web development process -- from content creation to regular maintenance -- to a consultant or another company, or to just one staff member. This leads to the site never being a true part of the organization -- other staff see it as something completely external to what they do. Everyone in your organization should have continuous input into Web site development and maintenance. Everyone at your organization, particularly department heads, should feel ownership of some part of the web site. Encourage your organization to integrate Web development and management into the work of ALL employees, not only those who produce content for publications and are involved with any communications or outreach activities, but also your program director, volunteer manager, and anyone who has anything to do with those your serve or the public at large. In fact, certain departments should control and direct the content of entire sections of the web site (the volunteer manager, for instance).

Your focus on your initial Web site developoment should be to get a simple, easy-to-navigate site up within just a few weeks that provides the basic information about your organization (mailing address, contact information, announcements about upcoming events, directions on how to get there, etc.). Once this basic site is up and regularly maintained, the web site can be expanded and advanced features can be developed and implemented.

These tip sheets offer very basic "starter" information, and are focused specifically on people who are NOT "techies." They are also meant to help those who aren't directly involved in web site development to still feel involved and in control of some or all of the process:

• Information on and Links to Tools & Tutorials
  
  • Your computer probably already has all the tools you need
    
  • Learning .html and advanced functions

• Development Timeline
  An overview of the entire process, from idea to execution, in the order to do them and with an estimate of how long each step should take.

• Web Site Construction & Content Suggestions
  Identifying what should go on your organization's Web site. Even if you are using a professional Web designer, this is a step in Web site development YOU should control!

• Design Standards and Tips
  Even if you are using a professional Web designer, this is important advice for you to be in control of your Web development! Includes tips for layout, graphics, browser compatibility, and access for people with disabilities.

• Web Policies and Security
  What will be the process of approving Web site material before it's made public? When should you say "yes" to a "link exchange" -- and when should you say "no"? Who should have access to change files on your Web site? Who is going to answer e-mail from the Web site? These and other questions are critical for you to answer before your Web site goes public.

• Finding and Choosing a Web Site Designer
  What should you look for in a Web site designer? Whether its a volunteer or a paid-professional, here's some tips on how to find and what to look for in such a person.

• Choosing A Web Site Host & URL
  What should you look for in a Web site host? Should you go with a "free" provider? Where can you find low-cost providers? What should your Web site address be? This tip sheet can help you answer these questions.

• Maintaining Your Web Site
  A Web site is a work-in-progress; here's how to manage that ongoing process easily and cheaply.

• Marketing Your Web Site
  "If you build it, they will come" does not apply to Web marketing. Marketing your Web site is as important as designing it -- how will you get people to visit your marvelous information if they don't know about it? Focuses on no-cost and low-cost methods.

• Demise of a Terrific Web Site
  while responding to changing situations and circumstances is important, completely changing an organization's web site for the sake of something "new," or because someone from the for-profit sector tells you to, is not. Your mission and program content should drive the mission and content of your web site. Always.

• When is a Web Upgrade Not Really an Upgrade?
  What a web developer may consider as an upgrade may actually be a major obstacle that will impede the organization in serving its constituencies. Making a web site more "cutting edge" from a designer's point of view may not be easier, quicker or better from a user's point of view or the point of view of the staff.

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