11 Website Design Best Practices for Nonprofits

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of the newly released book Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits. These best practices serve as a foundation for upgrading your website to be compatible with the Social Web and are then elaborated upon in the upcoming webinar How Nonprofits Can Successfully Utilize Online Fundraising and e-Newsletters. Also, Defenders of Wildlife is listed as an “Example of Excellence” in the book. You can view their website at defenders.org.

11 Website Design Best Practices for Nonprofits

The rise of social media and mobile technology has changed the way people process information. The 24/7 news cycle is overwhelming to many people. Websites that are burdened with too much text or too many images without consistency in size and color scheme can immediately lead to an exit response. Whether we like it or not, information overload is a part of our culture now, and the design and tone of your nonprofit’s website need to take this shift in communication seriously and present your website accordingly. Simplicity is key.

Your supporters also now expect a more social experience from your website. It’s crucial that your social media and mobile technology campaigns are integrated into your website. You may need to completely start over with your website, or you may simply need to tweak your current design, but make no mistake: the general principles and design aesthetics that ruled during the era of Web 1.0 are no longer applicable.

 1. Have a Simple, Visually Powerful Web 2.0 Home Page Design

The home page of today should have large, powerful images and minimal text. Navigation should be bold, bright, and obvious. The upper right-hand corner is the most valuable section of your website—use it to plug your e-newsletter and group text messaging campaigns, donate now functionality, and social networking communities. Icons and buttons have strong appeal and impact in Web 2.0 design and result in more clicks than text links. Overall, avoid clutter. Text and multiple links to choose from can easily overwhelm readers to the point where more than anything they just want to leave your website.

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