3 Things to Consider When Building Your NGO’s First Website

Do I Really Need a Website for my NGO?

YESSS! Absolutely

You work so much for your cause — Doing good & supporting your community. Now it’s time to spread the word and share what you do.

A well-built website can:

• Grow impact, and increase awareness about the cause & NGO
• Increase number of visitors to the NGO’s website
• Get easier access to stories & facts that people can connect and engage with.
• Convert your website visitors to members or donors.
• Ensure your website meets your target market needs: users looking for support, members, volunteers & donors.
• Trust & reputation building: showcase projects, share accomplishments & activities, transparency & disclosure.

Users will visit your NGO’s website because they want to:

• know your core mission & values
• network with like-minded individuals
• access specialized educational resources
• instantly join & become members
• donate / support
• see an engaged community
• volunteer / provide free service
• know where their donations are going
• receive updates about projects & activities

Here are 3 things to consider when building your NGO’s first website

1- NGO Website Design

WHY IT MATTERS: The right design elements help engage website visitors. The website design is the first impression & one of the first aspects a website visitor will notice and remember. It takes 50 milliseconds for a visitor to form an impression of your entire website.

WHY IT INCLUDES: typography, colors, images, and other branding details

DESIGN CHECKLIST:

• Simple easy-to-read layout
• Welcoming design, friendly visual content
• High-quality images – avoid blurry/pixelated pictures
• Simple, readable font that contrast with background
• Consistent branding, a great recognizable logo
• Search functionality that is easy to find
• Big clear call to action button: Donate, Volunteer, Join
• Content that motivates & engages users to take action
• Responsive website to supports all devices

2- NGO Website Content/Pages

WHY IT MATTERS: The right pages will attract members & donors. 74% of visitors feel disappointed when the content of web pages are outdated or don’t reflect their interests — unfortunately a bad experience means that a website visitor will leave and won’t come back.

WHY IT INCLUDES: features that a page should include and the of content created in each that users want.

PAGES CHECKLIST

• A page showcasing current & upcoming events
• A page including members & participants testimonials
• A page that provides news / blog
• A page that includes industry reports / valuable content
• A page that includes an online form for new members
• A page for members-only
• A section featuring donation / online payment feature.
• A page that provides a “snapshot” of key financial info.
• A page that provides all contact information
• A page that provides all info about mission & vision
• A homepage that shows a summary & a clear CTA

3- NGO Website Optimization & Features

WHY IT MATTERS: Optimization attracts visitors, coverts visitors to become members & supporters, and increases overall engagement with your organizations activities and website.

WHY IT INCLUDES: tactics that increases the effectiveness of a website.

OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST:

• Make sure your website is mobile friendly
• Add a personalized touch to all communication
• Add popups for users who spend time reading your content
• Perform A/B testing
• Clear resources: tools, information, assistance, direction
• Add an analytics code, and the Facebook pixel.
• Identify keywords to rank for. Apply SEO strategies.
• Test different content, collect emails & send newsletters.
• Create relevant content to fit goals, audience & tone.
• Train your staff to update your website.

Remember these website requirements are general. You can always optimize further your NGO’s website depending on the nature of its work. An NGO website for AI or STEM education will certainly differ than that for human rights!