Articles: Websites

Idealware articles, like those in our Few Good Tools series, give nonprofits concise, critical information on the software choices available for specific organizational functions and goals. We compare software options, offer real life examples and case studies, and give you the tools to make the right decision based on your specific needs.

Articles: Websites

  • Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Online Communications
    By Laura S. Quinn ,
    June 2010

    Are your online communications working?  How can you tell?  In this article, we talk through four types of measures-- Views, Followers, Engagement, and Conversion-- that help you track your efforts to see if they're worthwhile.  

    Chances are, your organization has a website. Perhaps you also send out broadcast emails, or maintain a blog, Twitter or Facebook account. Is the effort you’re putting into online communications working? How can you tell?

  • A Few Good Online Donations Tools
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    May 2010

    What tools can help you collect donations via credit card through your existing website?  In this adaptation and update of our 2005 report, we look at the considerations and the options for taking online donations.

  • A Few Good Web Hosting Providers
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    June 2008

    We asked nine nonprofit internet specialists to share some of the Web hosting providers that have worked well for them, and some tips for hosting everything from a basic website to a powerhouse web application.  Fully verified and updated in June 2008.

  • Eight Ways a CMS Can Help with Search Engine Optimization
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    April 2008

    If you want your site to show up prominently in search engines like Google, your website content management system can help - but not all CMSs are created equal. We suggest the features to look for to help with search engine optimization. 

  • 10 Steps to Being Found on Search Engines
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    March 2008

    Does your organization show up on the first page of results in search engines like Google or Yahoo? The content and structure of your website can have a dramatic effect on how easily potential constituents can find you via search engines. This article explains how.

  • Comparing Lower-Cost Online Integrated Application
    By Eric Leland,
    December 2007

    Online integrated applications allow nonprofits to manage a number of different aspects of their constituent information and Web presence all together in one package. Eric Leland took a close look at eight packages to compare their functionality in a variety of areas.

  • A Few Good Tools to Manage Content on Simple Sites
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    July 2007

    Are you embarrassed by your organization’s Web site? (Come on, you can admit it.) Was it built in a volunteer’s nephew’s basement — or does it look like it was? Does it feature events or breaking news that are sadly out of date? Are you still trying to get around to adding that program you started last year?

  • A Few Good Web Analytics Tools
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    April 2007

    Web analytics tools help you track your site's statistics, allowing you to see how many people are looking at which page, what sites your visitors are coming from, who your users are, and more.  Which one should you use?  We talked to six nonprofit experts about the tools they recommend.

  • Top Ten Mistakes When Selecting a CMS

    By James Roberston,
    January 2007

    Selecting a content management system (CMS) can be a complex task, and organizations often run into pitfalls with processes, politics, and understanding the CMS environment. James Robertson outlines a common-sense approach to avoiding the most common mistakes.

  • Payment Processing in Pictures
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    January 2007

    It can be hard to understand how online payment processing works. Many different steps and a lot of jargon make it seem more complicated than it is. To help you see the big picture, we’ve laid out a typical payment process in diagrams.

    Here’s the whole diagram – but don’t worry, we’ll break it down.

  • A Few Good Online Petition Tools
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    January 2006

    Petitions can be useful both to influence decision makers and to build a list of people interested in your cause.  So how do you implement an online petition? We asked eight nonprofit technology professionals what tools they would recommend.

    Looking to win friends and influence people? When used as part of a larger strategy, online petitions can be useful in doing both.

  • A Few Good Online Payment Multitaskers
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    January 2006

    While there are many applications out there that can help you process any single type of online payment, what if you want a tool that will support a variety of transactions?  We asked six experts what tools they would recommend to process various types of payments on an existing website.

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