In today's digital age, having a polished, responsive, and fast website that reflects your nonprofit's brand, mission, and new capabilities is crucial. However, many small nonprofits face challenges in this area due to limited in-house IT resources and technical know-how. They also lack in-house designers.
If you're considering redesigning and replatforming your dated old website from the ground up, this guide will walk you through the essential steps, providing you with the knowledge to have informed discussions with your tech volunteers, web agencies, or shared IT resources.
Who should read this
You are
A non-tech-savvy leader in a nonprofit who needs a redesigned website.
E.g. CEOs, Executive Directors, Marketing Directors, Communications Directors
You lack:
An in-house advisor to manage the project end-to-end
Knowledge of what needs to be done
Knowledge of the sort of skilled people who will do it
You fear:
Inability to communicate needs to tech partners
Project failure due to lack of technical knowledge
Being misled by vendors
Wasting time and resources, delays, and budget overruns
Step 1: Define Your Goals and Objectives
Before diving into any of the technical aspects, it's absolutely essential to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve with your new website. Consider the following questions: These are also the questions you will need to answer for people who will be involved in building this new site.
What business need or change in environmental context is driving the need for a website redesign?
What are the key challenges with the existing site? Where was it failing to meet user expectations?
What are the main goals of your website? (e.g., increasing donations, volunteer sign-ups, raising awareness)
How will you measure success of this new website? How will you benchmark your success against the existing website?
Who is your target audience? Who are primary and secondary audiences?
What functionalities and features do you need? (e.g., online donation system, event calendar, blog, podcast, streaming video)
How do you want your brand and mission to be represented?
These will take time to write and will see a few iterations. Things will change. Capture these in a living shared document on Google or OneDrive.
Step 2: Assemble Your Team...incrementally
Redesigning and replatforming a website requires a collaborative effort. Here's a high-level overview of the team you need and in the order you need to hire/recruit them:
Project Manager: Oversees the entire project, ensuring timelines and objectives are met. Start with someone in-house but given the workload, it is best to outsource this to a Project Manager. Find a part-time manager on gig platforms like Upwork
Internal Subject Matter Experts team: Audits content on existing website to identify what needs to find a home on new site, brings insights and view points on what type of site they would like and directs the content strategy for the new site
IT Support: Provides technical support and ensures the website is secure and functional. Facilitates Content Audit and guides CMS platform evaluation
Web Designer: Creates the visual design and layout of the website.
Web Developer: Handles the technical implementation, coding, and integration.
Content Specialist: Writes and organizes the website content.
SEO Specialist: Optimizes the website for search engines to increase visibility.
You might find these experts through volunteers, a web agency, or freelancers on platforms like Upwork.
Step 3: Conduct a Content Audit
A thorough content audit is crucial to understand what content you currently have, what needs to be updated, and what can be archived.
Your internal SME team should ask your IT person to help with the following:
Pull a list of all published URLs, media assets (images, videos, audio files), and files (like PDFs).
Include performance details like how often each item is accessed and the last access date.
Generate page-based usage reports from Google Analytics, if available.
Compile a report on the most common search terms over the last 3 months if the site supports search.
Synthesizing all of this data into a spreadsheet is the first step. Then your team can evaluate the content for quality, relevance, and performance.
Steps include:
Inventory: List all existing content on your current website.
Evaluation: Assess the quality, relevance, and performance of each piece of content.
Action Plan: Decide which content to keep, update, delete, or create anew.
Step 4: Plan Your Website Structure and Content
Work with your team to plan the structure of your website. This includes:
Sitemap: A visual representation of the website's pages and their hierarchy.
Wireframes: Basic sketches of each page's layout and elements.
Content Strategy: Plan for what content will go on each page, ensuring it aligns with your goals and speaks to your audience.
Step 5: Choose the Right Platform
Selecting the right platform is crucial for your website's success. Common options include:
WordPress: Highly customizable and widely used, ideal for nonprofits.
Wix or Squarespace: User-friendly, drag-and-drop builders with good design flexibility.
Drupal: Powerful but requires more technical expertise.
Consider your team's technical skills, budget, and the features you need when making your choice.
Step 6: Design and Develop Your Website
With your goals, structure, and platform in place, your web designer and developer can start building the site. Key steps include:
Design Mockups: Create detailed design mockups for key pages and get feedback from stakeholders.
Responsive Design: Ensure the design works well on all devices (desktop, tablet, mobile).
Development: Code the website, integrate necessary functionalities (e.g., donation system, contact forms), and ensure it's optimized for speed and performance.
Step 7: Migrate Content
Migrating content from your old website to the new one is a critical step. Here's how to approach it:
Content Mapping: Determine where each piece of content will go on the new site.
Content Cleanup: Revise and update content as necessary during the migration process.
Automated Tools: Utilize tools and plugins that can help automate part of the migration process, especially if moving from one CMS to another.
Step 8: Test Thoroughly
Before launching your new website, it's crucial to test it thoroughly:
Functionality Testing: Ensure all features and functionalities work correctly.
Responsive Testing: Check the design on various devices and screen sizes.
Performance Testing: Optimize the website for fast loading times.
User Testing: Get feedback from a small group of users and make necessary adjustments.
Step 9: Launch and Promote Your New Website
Once testing is complete, it's time to launch your new website. Steps include:
Backup Old Website: Ensure you have a backup of your old website before making any changes.
Soft Launch: Consider a soft launch to a small group before the official launch to catch any last-minute issues.
Official Launch: Make your new website live and inform your audience through email, social media, and other communication channels.
Step 10: Maintain and Improve
After launch, ongoing maintenance is crucial to keep your website running smoothly and effectively:
Regular Updates: Keep your platform, plugins, and themes up to date.
Content Updates: Regularly add new content to keep your audience engaged.
Monitor Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor website performance and user behavior.
Security Checks: Regularly check for security vulnerabilities and ensure your site is protected.
Redesigning and replatforming your nonprofit's website can be a daunting task, but with the right team and a clear plan, you can create a polished, responsive, and fast website that truly reflects your brand and mission. By following these steps, you'll be well-equipped to have informed discussions with your tech partners and ensure a successful website transformation.
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