Articles

Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Online Communications

Are your online communications working? How can you tell? In this article, we talk through four types of measures-- Views, Followers, Engagement, and Conversion-- that help you track your efforts to see if they're worthwhile.

Tips for Designing (or Redesigning) a Nonprofit Web Site

What are the steps and skills needed to plan a major site redesign?

Comparing Open Source Content Management Systems

A Web presence is critical for almost every nonprofit, but creating a Web site can be daunting.

Understanding Cookies and Their Effect on Your Privacy

As you view Web content, software on the Internet is recording — and often sharing — information about you, including what site

Use Online Surveys to Get the Feedback You Need

What do your constituents think about your programs and services? What kinds of activities are your donors likely to fund?

A Few Good Web Hosting Providers

Is your nonprofit's Web site running off a server in your 15-year-old nephew's closet? Does your Web designer charge you $150 a month for hosting when you've heard that $15 a month will get you everything you need? Would you like to use a particular software package that your hosting provider just won't let you install?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to consider looking for a new Web hosting provider.

Eight Ways a CMS Can Help with Search Engine Optimization

Is your Web site set up in such a way that new pages and content automatically show up prominently in search engines like Google? If not, you may wish to enlist a helpful ally — your content management system. A content management system (or CMS) is the software package that allows you to add content to and update your Web site.

A Few Good Tools to Manage Content on Simple Sites

Are you embarrassed by your organization’s Web site? (Come on, you can admit it.) Was it built in a volunteer’s nephew’s basement — or does it look like it was? Does it feature events or breaking news that are sadly out of date? Are you still trying to get around to adding that program you started last year?

Tips for Creating and Managing Content

Before you create online content, you need to have a way to share it with others. Having access to great writers, editors, pictures, and stories is important — but if you can't post these to your Web site, they'll do little to further your mission.

Seven Web Development Pitfalls

Many organizations design and develop their own Web sites; others rely on consultants and vendors to help with this process. However you approach your own site, there are a few common Web development pitfalls you should be aware of. Avoiding these mistakes during the development stages can help save you time and money down the road, and will lay the foundation for a successful Web site that grows with your organization.