| At this point in time, almost every
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| | Museum audiences, from the museum go-er
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| nonprofit organization counts heavily on
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| | to an elementary school teachers planning
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| its website to generate donations,
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| | a field trip and a scholar investigating
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| program participation and volunteers,
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| | research opportunities. Put graphic
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| among other goals. What's ironic is that,
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| | design to work.Give your priority content
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| now that we're more experienced and
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| | greater 'visual weight' with a large
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| comfortable with the Web, many nonprofits
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| | space on the home page, including a
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| have diverted their focus from making
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| | sizable headline, longer summary and/or
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| sure their sites are maximized to engage
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| | photo. Weighting multiple elements
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| users.Here's an example:I'll never forget
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| | equally or almost equally is the
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| when a local museum re-opened its exhibit
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| | equivalent of talking about multiple
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| space after a multi-year renovation. The
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| | topics at the same time. It's impossible
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| museum got lots of press, including an
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| | for your audience to know what to focus
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| extensive feature in the New York Times.
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| | on.Use graphics and photos to create
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| Unfortunately, when I went to their
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| | interest and meaning.Use a consistent
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| beautiful new website to plan my visit, I
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| | page layout for each section.A Strong
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| couldn't find hours, admission fees or
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| | Model:The Family Violence Prevention Fund
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| directions anywhere.Talk about
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| | Take a look at this complex site and
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| discouraging a visit! Clearly the museum
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| | you'll see that it covers many programs
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| had worked hard to get press coverage,
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| | and campaigns, related news flashes and
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| but didn't think through what questions
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| | other topics. But, like a traditional
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| that coverage would generate to make sure
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| | newspaper, the home page "real estate"
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| they were addressed by the site.Beware.
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| | has been used most effectively to place
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| This kind of error is common. It's all
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| | like content elements together. Color and
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| too frequent to be on a website where
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| | type choices reinforce these
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| vital information such as phone numbers
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| | distinctions, making it easy for a site
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| and addresses are not included.Website
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| | visitor (whether current or prospective
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| ease of use (or "usability" to use the
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| | donor, advocate, member of the press or
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| common lexicon) is an absolute must. It's
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| | abuse victim) to easily find what s/he
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| far too easy for a site visitor to move
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| | needs.In addition, the use of color and
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| to another site to give or volunteer. And
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| | photos of people throughout the site
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| very easy for visitors to leave the Web
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| | ensure that visitors stay focused and
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| altogether. So do your best to keep your
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| | engaged. Consistent page layouts (there
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| visitors engaged with your nonprofit's
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| | are actually two layouts used throughout
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| site.Here are my top four "to-dos" to
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| | the site, depending on the content on
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| ensure your website generates the actions
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| | each page) reinforce focus and confirm,
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| you need:1. Use intuitive/ logical
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| | subliminally, that the visitor is still
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| navigation and structure.Be sure your
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| | on the same site. Make your website
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| site:Makes content easy to find: Organize
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| | interactive, where and when it makes
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| it by priority, time, alphanumeric order,
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| | sense.Of course utilizing online donation
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| or some other logical method. Uses
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| | and registration forms, as well as links
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| "breadcrumbs" to help users determine
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| | and contact emails is a no brainer. But
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| where they are in the site, where they've
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| | how can you use interactive tools, beyond
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| been and how to get where they want to
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| | those straightforward applications, to
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| be. Approaches include featuring
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| | add value for your Web audiences?Ideas
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| drop-down menus from your site's main
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| | for online community building
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| menu bar (which features the various
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| | include:Create a mechanism to solicit
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| sections). Once a user is within a
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| | donor and volunteer questions, concerns
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| certain section, h/she sees another menu
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| | and comments. Poll readers on their
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| listing all the sub-sections within that
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| | response to an article or news flash
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| section, enabling ease of moving around
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| | featured on the site. Share survey
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| the site. Another approach is to include
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| | results or other audience feedback on a
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| the text equivalent on every page (i.e.
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| | page within the site. Build an online
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| Home>Get Involved>Volunteer>Sign-Up
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| | community where participants (think board
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| Form). Has top and side navigation bars
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| | members or volunteers) can share
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| that work together. Has no "dead links"
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| | knowledge, work in progress and
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| that lead users to a dead end with no
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| | experiences. In some cases, you'll want
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| exit. Includes a technical contact in the
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| | to make these communities private.Great
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| event that a user experiences
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| | Examples:Speaking Freely, the ACLU of
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| difficulties.A Strong Model:Elderhostel's
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| | Pennsylvania's blog, is covering the suit
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| website incorporates all of these
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| | brought by parents in the Dover, PA
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| elements, which are particularly
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| | school district who are fighting to keep
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| important for its target audience of
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| | the teaching of "intelligent design" out
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| seniors. Take a look at: Keep content
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| | of the classroom.Blog readers can comment
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| short and current.In order to reach your
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| | on blog entries. The many comments speak
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| users, follow these guidelines.People
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| | to readers' passionate reactions to this
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| don't read on screen, they skim. "Chunk"
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| | issue. Special Libraries Association
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| content so it's easy for users to digest
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| | reports results of its recent salary
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| the key points.Web copy should be
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| | survey back to its membership. Because of
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| refreshed frequently. Your nonprofit's
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| | the relative ease and inexpensiveness of
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| home page will seem stale if users see
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| | the online survey format, the SLA was
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| the same headlines that were posted two
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| | able to survey 100% of its membership for
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| months ago. Give them a reason to return
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| | the first time in its history. Housing
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| frequently.Write for your audience:
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| | Association of Nonprofit Developers
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| Maintain the perspective of each target
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| | provides an online message board for its
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| audience and write to them. Keep their
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| | members to ask questions and share
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| point of view in mind when writing copy.
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| | expertise. use these guidelines as a
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| If your target audiences are too
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| | checklist for reviewing your nonprofit or
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| divergent to do so, create distinct
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| | foundation website. I think you'll find
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| points of entry or home pages for each
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| | areas in which your site excels and
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| group, so that you can communicate in the
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| | others that can be strengthened for even
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| most effective way.Provide links to
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| | greater impact, with a fairly modest
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| additional detail for the user who really
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| | investment of effort and budget.Nancy E.
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| wants to know more.A Strong Model:Formed
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| | Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through
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| around a family collection of rare books
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| | effective marketing and
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| and manuscripts, Philadelphia's Rosenbach
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| | communications.Subscribe to her free
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| Museum and Libraries has a lot to say on
| |
| | e-newsletter "Getting Attention," at and
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| its site. But the team keeps content
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| | read her blog at for more insights,
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| pithy and organizes it well. As a result,
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| | ideas and great tips on attracting the
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| the site is useful for the broad range of
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| | attention your organization deserves.
|
