Loading...Hey All, hope you enjoyed reading our blog post on how to setup a Music blog. Discussing along the same lines, here is a complete guide on how to create a website for an NGO. Read on!
Limitation of funds is a bane for most Non-profit organizations!
No matter how well they delegate their funds, there is always something that gets left behind and in this battle to decide what is important and what’s not, most NGOs often ignore the marketing part of their brand.
But, what they need to understand is, that an online website, along with digital marketing, is very important for businesses today.
A well designed and user-friendly website, will not only explain their goals but also tell people about their achievements, needs and requirements. Besides with the wide range of options that are available today, they can build a really good website, even on a shoe-string budget.
Yes, you read that right!
In this post, I bring to you a simple 6 steps guide, that will help you to create a beautiful, low-cost, fully functional website for your NGO in no time!
#Step 1: Select A Hosting Plan That Suits Your Need
A bad web hosting can ruin your brand’s reputation and as such, choosing a right web host is very important!
What is Hosting?
Hosting is a space provided by a hosting service, on its server, to store your website files.Though there are a few web host companies, that provides free hosting services for Non-profit organizations, such as Znetlive or NetCraftIndia, they come with its own set of restrictions.
Hence, from a progressive point of view, having your own web host is essential. However, before you select a hosting plan, you need to ask yourself these questions:
- What kind of website are you trying to build?
- Does your website need any special software?
- How much traffic are you expecting?
- Does it need a windows application?
Answering these questions will help you to get an idea, on what kind of hosting service you are in need of.
From an NGO perspective, getting a shared hosting platform, for starters, is a good option. Because not only is a shared hosting plan affordable, but it is also easy to maintain and is more than sufficient to run a new website.
Moreover, to make it easier for you, I would suggest that you go with Hostgator.in, that has several hosting plans, that suit all budgets. HostGator is not only a reliable web host, but it also comes with good customer support & backup policies that are essential for all websites. Read this HostGator Review to know more about this hosting provider.
Further, for a quick selection, here are some basic hosting plans from Hostgator.in
Moreover, HostGator also offers discounts on all its purchases, helping you to save more money. You can check out HostGator promo codes here.
#Step 2: Register & Choose An Appropriate Domain Name
What is a Domain Name?
A Domain Name is a website address, that helps you to establish your company’s identity online. For example, if the name of your NGO’s Website is www.educationforall.org, then “educationforall” becomes your Domain Name.
Thus, selecting the right Domain Name for your NGO is very important. Here’s what you need to keep in mind while selecting a Domain name:
- Select a name that reflects the work of your foundation
- It should be unique, but keep it short and simple
- Pick a name that is easy to recall.
Further, even though a .org extension is preferred by all non-profit organizations, don’t limit yourself to it. Other extensions such as .charity, .foundation etc, works well too.
For a quick check on the prices, click here to know HostGator pricing schedule or to register your NGO Domain with HostGator, make use of these HostGator Domain coupons. Also if you want to save more money, it is ideal that you register your Domain Name for 5 years at a time.
#Step 3: Website Design Based On Open Source CMS
Let’s face it, the rates charged by professional designers, to create even a basic designed website can be steep, thus hiring a full-time web developer, to design your NGOs website, is not a feasible option.
So, what can you do? The answer is simple, use WordPress!
As a powerful and popular open source CMS platform, WordPress is not only free but it is also user-friendly. Moreover, besides allowing you to create a responsive website, WordPress also features numerous add-ons modules, tonnes of best WordPress themes for blogs and website and useful plugins, along with easy to use admin interface.
What are the benefits of using WordPress?
- Updating content through WordPress is easy, with its simple back-end editor.
- It can be used by multiple users and it comes with social media integration.
- It helps to create SEO-friendly pages along with permalinks.
- Easy maintenance of the website through simple control panel.
In addition, you can download WordPress for free. And once you have purchased your Domain and Hosting plan, installing WordPress is an easy task.
#Step 4: Use Of WordPress Themes With Integrated Plugins
Want your site to look professional? Then, start off by selecting a good theme!
Since themes are the visual means through which you communicate the aim of your charity or foundation, selecting one that focuses on your cause and presents your ideas effectively, is very essential.
So, what should you look for in a theme?
- Look for one that is easy to set up and maintain, along with being flexible.
- Select a theme that is responsive, i.e. it should work on all devices smartphones, tablets, desktops.
- One that allows easy integration of plugins and other widgets
- It should allow you to customize your web pages
Best part, sites like ThemeForest, have some of the most incredible themes for WordPress, which you could buy at an affordable price.
Here are some of the most popular WordPress Non-profit themes on ThemeForest that you can purchase to create your NGO’s website:
The above-mentioned themes are not only well-designed and responsive, but they are also integrated with useful plugins such as PayPal, WooCommerce etc., that will help you to automatically collect donations and at the same time keep a track of it.
#Step 5: Use Of Google Ad-words For Advertising
With Google’s new initiative, you can now advertise or promote your business online, that too free of charge.
That’s right!
Google has come up with a program called Google Ad Grants, that supports non-profit organizations to promote their cause online. What’s more, through this program, an eligible non-profit organization can create text-only ads and receive grants of up to $10, 000 per month for advertising!
But here’s a kicker, there are some institutions which are not eligible for Google Ad Grants program such as:
- Government Entities and organizations
- Hospitals and medical groups
- Schools, childcare centres, academic institutions and universities (philanthropic arms of educational organizations are eligible).
Also, Google has placed a few restrictions with regards to the ad, such as:
- All Ads would appear only on Google search result pages
- The budget for these ads are restricted to $329/per day
- You can run only keyword-targeted campaigns.
- And the maximum limit for cost-per-click is $2
So what is the eligibility criteria?
For those of you who wish to apply for this grant, you have to fulfil three criteria:
- You should have a current and valid charity status, authenticated by the country in which you are placed.
- Your website should be fully functional along with relevant content.
- You need to acknowledge and agree to the application’s required certifications regarding how to receive and use donations obtained from the grant.
So, if your organization fulfils these three criteria, apply now. This advertising tool is a great way through which you can not only create awareness for your website but also get in touch with a large audience base.
#Step 6: Create Awareness Through Social Media
Here’s a secret, in today’s age, with the multitudes of marketing options that are available, getting the right kind of exposure for your organization, has become super easy.
How? With the help of Social media!
Popular social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, can help you to enhance your outreach efforts, by connecting you to millions of people globally in minutes, that too free of charge.
For instance, with the help of Facebook, you can create a dedicated page for your organization or institution, and once the page goes live, you can connect with your Facebook friends and ask them to help spread the word.
Simple, isn’t it?
What’s more, through these sites, you can not only keep your donors and supporters updated on the latest news about your organization, but you can also use it as a means to communicate about any upcoming event, charity function etc.
#Conclusion:
To sum it up, from the above points, it must have become clear to you that building a website is not an expensive affair.
Besides paying for services like hosting and domain name, there is not much that you need to spend on. Moreover, having a website not only benefits your NGO tremendously, but it also helps you to create an identity for your organization online.
Remember, “If you have a will, you will find a way.” So, don’t let lack of funds deter you from creating a website for your NGO!
Have any suggestion or feedback, let me known by leaving a quick comment below.
