It is said that the website is one of the most important things when it comes to small nonprofit organizations. A stable and well-designed site can help you raise money, get people informed, and connect the community. Even though website development is not rocket science, there are still a lot of things you need to know and consider before you start your project. A good hosting server will make the difference between people being able to reach you and get informed, or a website that crashes regularly.
Nonprofits need to be careful when choosing the hosting and the development team because you don’t want to waste your whole budget on one thing only. To help you reach your goal, we created this guide. Check out our tips to make sure your project is successful and that you can tackle every obstacle that may occur.
Have a goal
The goal is the most important thing when it comes to website development. You cannot create a successful project if you don’t know what the whole point is. You should think about the audience, the way everything will look and the things you are going to put on there.
When setting up a goal, think about the budget and the team. If you are not sure if you can maintain the whole project and make sure it will run for a long time, maybe you should take a step back and postpone it. You should also think about the skills you will need for it, and if you can find volunteers that are good in content creation, marketing, design and so on.
Considering these things before you start the whole thing is easier than to just go with the whole. Make sure you have backup plans in case something goes wrong.
Have a budget
When you develop a new site, you have to have a budget for it. Some things will be free, but some things need to be paid for. For example, the name of the website needs to be bought and you have to invest in a good hosting server. Once you build your site on a platform, you can use a lot of different add-ons and tools that are free for use.
You should know that the things you get for free usually have a premium, paid option as well. When you start a new site, you don’t need the premium features, but as the site grows, you may need to check which things you can do better, and how the premium tools can help you reach your goal faster.
Find the right hosting
If you want to stay within your budget and still have a good website, you need to find the right hosting site. Websites like tophebergeur.com provide more details on Hebergement Internet that can help you reach your goal without spending a fortune. You should be aware that there are different plans with different features, so make sure you know what your goal is before purchasing a plan.
Experts suggest that you should start with the lowest option, and go from there. You can change your plan and invest in a premium feature if your website is performing better than expected. However, most start-up websites need time to get recognized, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money for the first few months. When people start checking out your website, you can switch plans and revise the features you are going to need.
The server space depends on the number of visitors, so check the analytics regularly so you know when you need more space and when is the time to make some budget cuts. When choosing the hosting, make sure you choose a plan with a stable and high-speed internet connection, and that you will be protected from any possible attacks on your site.
Gather the team
The most successful businesses have great teams running them, so if you want to make a name out of your organization, you will need a really good team. Start by thinking about the positions you need to fill and how many people you are going to need for that.
Look for volunteers with the needed skills and check to see how good they are. Every person is a valuable addition to your team, so even if they don’t have the exact skills you are looking for, they may have insights that will help your overall project.
The next thing you should consider is if you are going to need professional help. For some things, it is better to hire a service and invest in things. The quality you are going to get for free is not going to be the same as the things you pay for. When it comes to graphic and web design, IT support, and marketing, you should look into services that are affordable but can get the job done right.
Optimization
No matter what you choose and how you decide to build your site, you have to optimize everything. This means that people on every device will be able to look at the best version of your site. This includes desktops and laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
Nowadays most people use their phones to browse the internet, and if the website does not look good on a small screen, chances are, they are not going to open it twice. Every click you lose may cost you a potential partner, volunteer, or investor. Talk to your hosting provider about the options they give you and see if optimization is something that’s included in the plan.
Check to see if everything opens up and shows correctly and be really careful about the loading speed. It is said that people who have to wait for more than 3 seconds for everything to load are not going to be returning visitors to your website.
You don’t have to get a professional programmer or spend a lot of money on the design. Some things you can learn on your own and don’t forget to show your brand on every page of the website. You can advertise your organization on other sites for free, so make sure you email other places and work out an agreement. Your site should be easy to navigate and simple enough so everyone can find their way around it. The menu should be visible and your goal should be available for everyone to see.
Follow these tips and you will build a successful site in no time. If you are not sure about things, you can always hire a professional service to get things done for you, or you can just find a volunteer that knows more about the development.
Kim Marks 
Rhydian Choi