Do It Yourself or Do It For You? Weighing Out Your Website Options

Being a non-profit doesn't mean you have to scrimp on everything. Start by hiring a professional, then take over.

We all know that financial resources are an important asset for non-profit organizations. Non-profits simply don't have the luxury to spend on projects or events that do not contribute to the accomplishment of their goals, whatever these may be.   

There was a time that websites or webspaces were considered a luxury by many people. But as Internet usage grew, it is unquestionable that web presence is an important asset as well, especially for non-profits that need to spread awareness about their goals and their very existence.

Unfortunately, having a website is not enough; if you're not going to have an effective website, you may as well not have a website. Effective non-profit websites are attractive and communicates to visitors immediately what the organization is all about. Its purpose is not only to provide information about the non-profit, but also to attract visitors to supporting or joining the non-profit.

Words are not enough. Websites are a highly graphic experience, so the overall look and feel of a website should be perfect for a non-profit. Here is where we now ask: would it be better to do it yourself, or have somebody else do it for you? Both options have its pros and cons that are well worth considering. However, do remember that you are not limited to choosing just one option, since you can do both anyway. This will come in stages.

As mentioned before, your non-profit website should give visitors an idea of what your organization is all about; plus, it must be pleasing to the eye, easy to use, and functional all in one. This probably sounds pretty complicated if you're not into surfing the net or web design in general. Even if you do have an idea of what you'd like your website to look like, you may not have the skills, knowledge, or software to execute it.

Having a website is important, but worrying about the web design should probably not be the priority. Even if you have staff that has basic knowledge of HTML, hiring professional web designers is still a better option since initially, they would be able to work not only on the web design, but also the website's usability and search engine optimization (an awesome design does not necessarily translate to user- and search engine-friendliness). You're paying web designers for their knowledge of coding, graphic design, web design trends, and visual communication; thus it may be best to leave your website's design to the experts (at least at first).

Useful tips:

• Check the portfolio of the designers that you're planning to hire. You will see right away if their design philosophies match with your taste or your organization's needs.
• Web designers usually have testimonials on their websites. Review these testimonials and the websites created for these clients, to see if they really were actual clients. You can also contact these clients via their websites.
• More expensive does not necessarily translates to better. There are a lot of web designers out there that offer relatively affordable rates especially to non-profits.
• Why not go for the whole package? Instead of just enlisting the services of a designer, go for a web development firm that offers web design with a content management system.

After having your website created for you, the next step is maintaining it. With the right website software/provider, you can still have the capacity to update your website, whether or not you are Internet savvy. Maintaining a website basically involves updating the content regularly, posting pictures and updates, and quality assurance — making sure that all the pages of your website are active and do not have broken links or images.

If your web designer tells you that you need him/her to update your website, consider hiring somebody else instead. Ideally, your web designer will be in charge of the design, but not the maintenance. That's why many web designers use content management systems so that their clients can be independent from them and update their websites by themselves.

Useful tips:

• Always update your website's content regularly. Some visitors may go to your non-profit website to check out the news, events, and activities that your organization is involved in.
• Keep your website's content short, simple, legible, and plain. Your website is not a scientific journal so you don't need to impress anybody with heavy jargon.
• Try to learn a thing or two about image editing so you won't have to rely on web/graphic designers for the photos or images you'll put on your website.

Once your designer has set up the essential non-profit website elements, you can start easing yourself in and eventually takeover the maintenance of your website. While your web designer is coming up with a the mock design for your site, start working on the content so that when the template is ready, all you'll need to do is insert your content. Some web development firms offer support and training that can help you understand the backend and how to update your web site.

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The Nonprofit Website Solution is a division of Web Partner Group (www.webpartnergroup.com) which provides information and communication technology services. In 1999, Web Partner Group began working in the non-profit sector developing websites and web-based applications. To read more about the Nonprofit Website Solution, please visit their website at www.nonprofitwebsitesolution.com.

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