How to Plan a New Website for Your Michigan Nonprofit: A Simple Checklist Before You Hire a Designer
A friendly, step-by-step checklist to help Michigan nonprofits define goals, content, photos, approvals, SEO, and budget-ready tools so your design project runs smoothly and cost-effectively.
Why planning matters for your nonprofit
A clear plan saves time, avoids scope creep, and keeps costs predictable. For nonprofits with limited staff and budgets, preparing core decisions before you contact a designer lets the project focus on strategy and impact rather than back-and-forth revisions. Local reviewers of Advanced WEB Strategies frequently highlight how a collaborative, patient approach helps projects run smoothly—so starting with the right materials sets the stage for that productive collaboration.
Start with goals and audience
Write 2–4 clear goals for the site (for example: attract volunteers, accept donations, promote events, share impact stories). Identify primary audiences—donors, volunteers, clients, partner organizations—and note what action you want each audience to take on the site. Prioritize those actions so your designer can structure navigation and calls-to-action around them.
Decide the essential pages and features
Create a simple sitemap listing must-have pages: Homepage, About/Our Mission, Programs/Services, Get Involved (volunteer/donate), Events/News, Contact, and a Donate/Support page. Consider secondary pages like Impact/Reports, Staff/Board bios, and Resources. Note required features such as an online donation form, event calendar, newsletter signup, and social links so the designer can estimate development time accurately.
Prepare content: text, photos, and priority items
Gather existing text (mission statement, program descriptions, bios) and identify gaps that need writing. Collect high-quality photos and captions—action shots of programs, team photos, and logos. If professional photography isn’t possible, select the best smartphone images and flag which will need editing. Label content with page destination and indicate which items are high priority to launch (for example: donate page and contact info). Mention accessibility needs like alt text and readable fonts so they’re built in from the start.
Define approvals, timeline, and budget guardrails
Decide who will be the main contact and who has final approval to avoid delays. Set milestones: discovery, wireframe/structure, first draft, review rounds, content freeze, and launch. Limit review rounds (for example, two rounds per phase) to keep the project on budget. Share an expected budget range up front so the designer proposes solutions that fit your cost constraints—hosting, minor edits, and future support should be clearly discussed.
Think about SEO, reviews, and ongoing support
Plan basic SEO tasks: descriptive page titles, short meta descriptions, a clear URL structure, and one or two keywords per page. Encourage supporters to leave Google Reviews and display them where appropriate—reviews help local search visibility and build trust. Also ask potential designers about hosting, performance, and support—customers of Advanced WEB Strategies often note improved hosting performance and responsive technical help, which reduces post-launch headaches.
Tools, cost-saving tips, and next steps
Use affordable tools: free content editors (Google Docs), simple image editors (Photopea, free Canva plan), and donation platforms that integrate with websites. Keep the launch lean: publish the core pages first and plan phased enhancements. When you’re ready, contact a designer with your sitemap, prioritized content, sample photos, and the approval list—this lets them provide a realistic timeline and quote. If you’d like hands-on help turning this checklist into a scoped project, Advanced WEB Strategies (based in Rochester Hills and serving Michigan and Oakland County) offers consulting, design, hosting, and SEO support tailored to nonprofits—reach out to start a conversation.
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Advanced WEB Strategies
Our goal is to help non-profits and small businesses create a professional website for a reasonable price. We want to create your web presence, so you can focus on what you do best. We utilize the latest technology with clean, fast development. We create websites that are compatible with tablets and smartphones.