Every Organization (Still) Needs a Website

Every organization has (or should have) a website.
How useful it is?

Is it helping your organization reach its goals?

The purpose of a organization website has been evolving since the first web page went live in 1991. Organizations were some of the early pioneers on the web, creating websites and the first social networks: chat rooms. Nowadays, social networks are everywhere. People and communities share day-to-day experiences online, intimate details of their lives, news, events, anything and everything.

Where does that leave your website? And why is it still important?

Today, I see two important roles that every organization’s website can— and should — play.

First, the website should be an easy-to-manage tool

The organization needs a useful tool to provide important features and content to the audience. A website should be easily found through keyword search. In return, the website builds connections within its community through transactional landing pages and offers. This connection allows the organization to speak directly to its community through email.

The second role of an organization’s website is to connect with social networks

Networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Instagram provides great opportunities for community building.

Social networks allow you to meet people where they are. They open the door to conversation; By contrast, a website guides visitors through the knowledge and opportunities offered by your organization.

There is a symbiotic relationship between your website and your social media presence. Your website nurtures your social media, and in return social networks awareness and traffic to your website. It’s important to keep in mind that social media is owned by the big players, and those players often change the rules. You own and control your website and the content. Blogs allow you to present news, current events, and activities in depth on a daily, weekly, or monthly cycle, and you can push that content through social channels and email.

Your website is where the community can find the big picture and small details of your organization, from events - to volunteering - to fundraising.

Whatever is important to your organization and your community is available in one central location, your website.