How to build your nonprofit website with WordPress

 


How to build your nonprofit website with WordPress

Whether your nonprofit operates at a local level or internationally, getting people on board with your cause — and making them aware of your organisation’s existence — is critical.

Whether your nonprofit operates at a local level or internationally, getting people on board with your cause — and making them aware of your organisation’s existence — is critical. Fundraising, generating public awareness and finding the support of an audience gives your organisation a voice, and access to important resources that will help you make a difference. 

Having a well put together website is like having a digital home for your nonprofit. Websites are used to garner support, educate your audience about your work, build a connection between you and the public, which all helps to increase donations. 

Building a nonprofit website can sound like a complicated task — but if your budget is tight, WordPress is an excellent option. 

WordPress is one of the most popular web building platforms in the world. It’s relatively easy to use, and the costs to run and build a website are low. 

In most cases it’s best to commission the help of a web developer to ensure a more professional looking finished site — but the fees will be much cheaper than with a custom-coded website built from scratch.


Why Use WordPress for Your Nonprofit Site?

WordPress is a popular choice amongst nonprofits of all sizes. The process of setting up an organisational website is low with Wordpress – and in many cases you can achieve a lot of fundraising and organisational growth with a relatively simple site.

If you can build the website using Wordpress yourself in house — all you’ll have to pay for is web hosting and a domain, and potentially a professional built Wordpress theme (template) for a slicker looking site. 

If you go with a WordPress developer, prices tend to range up to $10,000 USD (approximately £8,315 GBP).

Nonprofits also use WordPress because it chimes with their core values. The platform is easy to use, and provides a variety of resources for beginners. There’s also access to powerful plugins and integrations — extra features which are highly customizable, and open up a huge amount of potential when it comes to the functionality of your website. WordPress is also secure, so you can use strong passwords and safety practices to keep your credentials safe.

Here’s how to build a website for your nonprofit with WordPress:

1.Select Your Hosting and Domain Name

The first thing you need to do is to select your host and domain name.

A host is a server where all your data is stored. Your users connect to it to be able to access your site. It’s important to select the right web host to secure your site content, and get the most out of your site performance and SEO. 

In essence, you’ll need a host that will prioritize your security and support you when you encounter errors, and help you to resolve any issues.

You’ll also need a domain name for your web to find your server. Your domain name adds credibility to your nonprofit organization, and separates you from the millions of other nonprofit websites out there. It also creates versatility in your online presence, and helps you gain more supporters.

There are many web hosts to choose from out there, offering hosting and easy-to-use WordPress packages at a very low price, making it simple and affordable to spread your message to the people. Here are the top three recommendations for you:

  • SiteGround is the most popular WordPress hosting service amongst the WordPress community, known for offering the best 24/7 support out of any provider. Packages include automatic upgrades, daily backups built-in WP caching, free CDN, free SSL, one-click staging and GIT version control.

  • BlueHost also offer 24/7 support, and their WPBeginner package includes an exclusive 63% off discount, a Free Domain, Free SSL, and a free Site Builder with templates (at time of writing).

  • DreamHost powers over 1.5 million WordPress blogs and websites — offering a custom dashboard, 1-click WordPress install, automatic WordPress updates, unlimited space, unlimited bandwidth, and free SSDs making your site 200% faster.

 

2. Choose a WordPress Theme

WordPress themes are cheap to buy, and they’re a quick and convenient method for making the design of your site look more professional. These are templates that have been pre-built by developers — all you have to do is upload your content and customise. 

If the theme you pick turns out to not be quite right, the low cost means you can experiment with another. 

There are free WordPress themes but their customization options and features are limited. There are many free-theme-websites out there, but we’d recommend sticking to an established website like WordPress.org to make sure your theme is still well coded.

If you want themes that include more features and support, choose a Premium theme. Most of the themes in this category include built-in features for customizations and special functions. As with free themes, it is highly recommended to use a popular and trusted theme stores when purchasing a theme to make sure the code is solid.

3. Include Additional Plugins

Branded keywords are pretty essential for getting to the top of Google’s search result page — and these are the keywords to do with your organisation’s name and brand. When users look for your nonprofit by name, you want to appear right at the top, and bidding on your branded keywords will help you do this.

Finally, you’ll want to add plugins to your website. Plugins are what make WordPress so flexible and powerful as a web building platform. They bolt on specific functions to your website such as customizing your forms, social sharing links, forums, caching, spam blocking, SEO, breadcrumbs, custom fonts, and a whole lot more.

There are a vast amount of plugin options, and some come with additional costs. You might want to use the following plugins for your nonprofit website:

Before you go!


Nonprofits and charities trust us to build powerful, effective WordPress websites to reach for their goals, and tell a powerful story. If you’re looking for a creative agency for web development services — send us an email using our contact us page or drop us a line.

 
Tusko