More on websites:

In developing your website, you should again rely on your previous work in developing your brand, identity and messages. Nothing new should appear on your site that isn’t consistent and complementary to these initial elements, or you risk fragmenting your story and confusing stakeholders.

Designing and building a website can be costly, but doesn’t always have to be. There are some great software packages and templates out there (Adobe Photoshop has some great stuff and even Microsoft Publisher has a reasonable set of website templates), and many web hosting companies offer discount rates for non-profits (and even for-profit rates with companies such as Register.com and GoDaddy.com are pretty darn cheap these days).

As with your business cards, it’s wise to find skilled help to design and build your site (unless you have strong graphic talent yourself) so that the first version is solid and compelling. Going back and redoing something later not only wastes precious time, money and resources, but you can alienate supporters and stakeholders by overhauling your site into something completely unrecognizable to a previous version. It’s better to think through what you’ll need in the long run to fulfill your mission (refer back to your strategic plan!) and design a phased approach to your website that builds the initial framework, look and feel now, while allowing you to add and augment as you move forward and grow.

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Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications