If you’re hoping to build a new website for your nonprofit, you’re likely equal parts excited and nervous. Online giving has increased by 42% over the past three years, and it’s crucial to ensure your website is tailored to keep up.
It’s certainly thrilling to take your operation to the next level, but there are plenty of considerations on your plate: What should the site look like? How much will it cost? And which is the best firm to help you get it done?
There are many options out there – so how do you find the web developer that’s the perfect match for your organization? In this guide, we will cover the top five factors that you should consider as you choose the developer for your next nonprofit website project.
Web Development is Crucial for Nonprofits in NYC and Beyond
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As daunting as new web development projects can be, they are also an important step in growing your business. In fact, as many as 48% of people determine the credibility of a nonprofit from its website design.
In other words, it’s crucial to ensure your website is high-quality so that you can reach and connect with your donors. What’s the best way to do that? Entrust your development project to a reliable, experienced agency that specializes in the nonprofit sector. Here are some other factors to look at as you make your decision…
#1: Company History and Portfolio
The web developer you choose to take on your project will play a large role in determining the quality of your future website. So it’s important to look into the company’s history and values.
Check out their website, which will likely include case studies to verify the quality and efficacy of their work as well as portfolio examples of other sites they’ve built. Reviewing these materials can help you determine whether or not a company is a good fit.
#2: Website Must-Haves
Before you start speaking with a nonprofit website developer, it’s important to form a short list of the goals and priorities of your project. That will help you determine what to ask for and what functionality you want to ensure the developer will be able to provide.
Listing out your must-haves and nice-to-haves will help you decide what features are essential and what items might be better served as a post-launch project or integration.
#3: Timeline
You probably already have a date in mind for when you’d like your site to be completed – but this is especially important if you have a hard deadline for the launch. For example, you might want the site to be live before a major industry event, product launch, or sales cycle.
Make sure to talk to agency candidates and ask them to honestly assess whether they can meet the deadline you have in mind and if they anticipate any challenges in meeting it.
#4: Budget and Expected Costs
Finding the right web development partner means that you need to have a firm idea of how much you can afford to pay for a new website. On the financial side of things, it’s crucial to determine a price range rather than a single number – that will give you added flexibility when looking for the right company to work with.
You should also ask about what costs are part of the project estimate and check if you will be charged for any fees and services that are not included in the initial statement of work.
#5: Available Services
Web development is not exactly a “set it and forget it” project. You will probably need some degree of ongoing support and maintenance on your site, so you will want to ensure that any development agency you work with is able to provide those services as well.
Plus, having a list of non-negotiable services before you begin talking with agencies will help you narrow down your list of prospects and find the one that checks all of the boxes.
Work With NYC’s #1 Nonprofit Web Developer
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When you’re ready to take your nonprofit’s website to the next level, turn to the experts. At Think Design, we have been working with organizations in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years. We’re based in New York City, at the hub of the nonprofit world, and our development strategies are aligned with the needs of organizations just like yours.
We’ve worked with groups focused on the arts, social justice, community services, and more – we have the insight and experience to provide you with digital design and web development optimized specifically for your goals. Get in touch with us to learn more.