Launching or modernizing your NPO's website represents a fantastic opportunity to highlight your mission, without needing to be a technology expert or have significant financial resources.
An effective website is not just an attractive showcase for your organization; it's a dynamic tool that facilitates engagement, communication, and support for your cause.
This guide is intended for those who wish to lead this project independently, by providing clear steps to build an effective website.
Before diving into the creation of your site, it's crucial to think about its purpose. Every page, and every piece of information must have meaning. Define clear objectives: do you wish to inform, recruit members, and receive online donations? Keep in mind that visitors scan content rather than read it in detail. Avoid common mistakes such as a disorganized structure or a lack of hierarchy in the information.
A website is always the result of careful thought: a "catch-all" website, whose objective and structure have not been thought through, will not engage your audience as you hope. Moreover, not having a defined objective will waste your time later, as it will be harder to structure the site.
Redesigning or initially launching a website can be expensive. Here are some technical tips to consider to limit costs:
Choosing the right website creation software is crucial. We have listed the main criteria that should guide your choice:
Yapla proves to be the perfect solution for developing an NPO website independently, precisely meeting each of the mentioned criteria and being specifically designed to meet the needs of non-profit organizations. If you're looking for support in creating or updating your site, our Professional Services are here for you. You'll benefit from the expertise of various professionals, and one of the great advantages is that our team is committed to training yours, thus ensuring your long-term independence!
An effective website is one where the visitor can easily find what they are looking for. Therefore, plan a simple and intuitive structure.
To get an overview before building your site, create a site map (sitemap) on paper or with an online planning tool like MindMeister, Trello, Notion, Xmind, GitMind, or Lucidchart.
Before diving into writing the content for your website, remember that the goal of each page has been previously defined, clarifying its role and the message to convey.
With these objectives in mind, the next step is to develop a page plan that will guide the structure of your content. Using ChatGPT can be useful for refining this plan, helping you to organize your ideas coherently.
Since visitors tend to scan rather than read websites in detail, it's crucial to structure your content in a visually intuitive way. Favor the use of bullet points, lists, and other graphical elements that facilitate the quick and effective understanding of information.
Furthermore, structure the content of your pages by wisely using HN tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize your ideas hierarchically and incorporate strategic keywords to optimize your SEO.
This approach will not only make your content more engaging for readers but will also help improve your website's visibility on search engines, ensuring that your message reaches a broader audience.
User experience (UX) should be at the heart of your design. Ensure that your site is pleasant to navigate, that texts are readable, and that desired actions (such as making a donation or signing up) are clear and inviting.
The appearance of your site has a significant impact on the impression it leaves on visitors. Choose a design that matches the image of your NPO and use high-quality images to capture attention. Here is a list of tools and platforms where you can find royalty-free images, both free and paid, to enrich the content of your website:
With the increasing use of smartphones, your site needs to be responsive, meaning it should perfectly adapt to screens of all sizes. Test your site on various devices to ensure an optimal user experience. Ensure that your site's structure is as intuitive on mobile as it is on a computer, with adaptive menus and easily clickable buttons.
Getting feedback from real users is crucial. Conduct tests with third parties to see how visitors navigate your site and adjust the structure accordingly.
Security is paramount to protect the data of your association and its members. Ensure that your website creation platform offers robust security options.
Regularly update your site with the latest news or events, for example. It's very important to allocate time after setting up the website for its maintenance; otherwise, it may lose its effectiveness. Implementing analytics tools will help you understand how visitors interact with your site and adjust your content accordingly. Google Analytics is a good starting point. The data your website collects can provide valuable insights that will help you strategically develop your NPO and website
In this article, we've covered the basics for starting or updating your association's website.
Yapla allows you to easily launch independently with a tool suitable for all types of NPOs.
Please note that Yapla also offers Professional Services for those who wish to be supported in the creation process:
Several areas of expertise can be brought to bear, and one of the major benefits is that our team commits to training yours, thus ensuring your long-term independence! Discover our service here: Yapla Professional Services
Register for the discovery webinar
Solène, Marketing Manager
100% free
Simplify the management of your NPO!
Discover Yapla, the most comprehensive platform available for free that simplifies the management of more than 60,000 NPOs