Here at NTAP we’ve been preparing for the Building Program Websites Training at the end of the month. This has been one of my favorites to put together because there have been so many exciting advances in the web development world over the past few years. That said, it’s also been overwhelming deciding what all to include in a 90 minute session. Here are a few themes that seem to be emerging:

1. Making sure your website utilizes the Web. In addition to being a storefront for your organization, a program website can also take advantage of the many resources available on the Web. Statewide websites are excellent examples of such resources, especially those sites that have developed extensive content libraries and legal assistance directories. Other web resources have been developed to address timely legal issues. For instance, the National Consumer Law Center recently launched a website dedicated to student loan borrowers in need of assistance.

2. Learning about your website users—before and after you develop your site. There are many ways to learn about who is using your site and what they are trying to get out of it. Many programs have submitted questionnaires to potential website audiences -–including clients, agencies that assist clients, funders, and board members-- to get a sense of what these groups want out of a program website. In addition, once a site is up, tools like Google Analytics and WebTrends can provide further insights about who accesses the site, what material they view, and where users come from.

3. Developing a plan for keeping your site updated. Think about what is going to keep your website fresh. Maybe it’s regularly updated content in the form of a program calendar, RSS feeds of your organization’s news, or other information. Some programs have implemented a redesign of their site. Although hiring a commercial web designer can be expensive, programs have had some success finding “pro bono” designers or using a free or low-cost template.

These are just a few of the ideas we're throwing around. As we begin refining this training, we would love to have the community’s input. Please post your comments below or email me directly. And of course, we hope to see all of you on June 27th.