5 Steps to Ensure a Smooth Nonprofit Website Redesign Process

Overhauling your nonprofit’s website is a major undertaking. For many organizations, partnering with an external agency or consultant is the most efficient path to success — especially when your site must balance complex needs, integrate multiple systems, and serve diverse audiences. But working with an external team requires preparation and clear communication to avoid delays and derailments that can waste time and resources.

So, how can you ensure your website redesign project runs smoothly? Here are five key steps.

1. Start With Purpose

Begin with “why?” Before you solicit proposals or discuss design preferences, define your new website’s goals. What outcomes should it achieve? Should it drive donations, increase event registrations or generate qualified leads? Should it help visitors engage more deeply with your programs, find resources without frustration or provide a more inclusive and accessible experience? Perhaps you want to strengthen awareness, showcase impact or serve mobile users better.

It’s also important to ask, “why now?” Is the project tied to a grant, a milestone anniversary or overdue maintenance? Does your current site fail Americans With Disabilities Act accessibility standards, misrepresent your brand or frustrate users? Whatever the case, clarifying your “why” will keep the redesign rooted in measurable outcomes and guide decisions throughout the process.

2. Assemble the Right Team

Building the right internal project team with clearly defined roles is critical to prevent your website redesign from stalling. Carefully choose the right people for these roles:

• The champion. This senior leader secures funding, gains buy-in and ensures the project stays a priority.
• The project lead. The single point of contact with the external web development team, this person should be organized, connected to content creators and able to devote time to the project.
• The contributors. These team members, who provide content, expertise, and feedback, should be detail-oriented, responsive and collaborative.
• The decider. This individual (or small, collaborative group) has final approval authority.

Clear accountability keeps the project moving and prevents confusion.

3. Do Your Preparation

Before you begin soliciting proposals, do some prep work. First, allocate staff and budgetary resources for the project. Consider your content management needs and list any third-party systems that will integrate with or connect to your new website. 

Assess your photo and video assets and audit your content to determine what will be updated, rewritten or removed. Having a summary of this information will help you vet vendors and ensure you receive accurate proposals.

4. Collect and Review Proposals

Whether you issue a public request for proposal (RFP) or invite select vendors to bid, document your key selection criteria. Communicate your goals, required functionality, integrations, timeline, budget expectations and any other important requirements. 

Providing these details upfront help agencies provide tailored responses and reliable timelines. 

5. Understand the Process

Once you’ve selected your agency. Now what? Every firm has a slightly different approach, but most successful website projects follow a similar process with strategic points for input and approvals. Most projects begin with discovery and research, move through site architecture and content strategy, visual design, production, content creation/population, testing and finally, launch. Understanding these phases in advance helps you plan your team’s involvement and avoid surprises or delays.

Bonus: Top 10 Pitfalls to Avoid

Even well-planned projects can go off track when communication or scope slip between your team and your agency. Watch out for these common pitfalls.

1. Design by committee. Too many decision-makers dilute goals. If you need wide input, gather it before the redesign begins.
2. Lack of trust. You hired your vendor for their expertise. Constant second-guessing slows progress and weakens outcomes.
3. Rushing the steps. Skipping phases creates problems later. Trust the process.
4. Last-minute team additions. Adding voices midway leads to rework, delays and budget overruns.
5. Surprise rebrands. Launching a new brand identity mid-project derails timelines and design. Share plans upfront.
6. Low-quality images. Even strong design falls flat with poor imagery. Invest in professional photography.
7. Competing priorities. Without consensus, teams pull in different directions. Ask your vendor to help build alignment.
8. The relay race. Passing leadership to different staff causes delays and oversights. Keep one project lead throughout.
9. Hidden systems. Failing to disclose needed third-party integrations causes scope creep and budget overruns. Audit and disclose them early.
10. Unrealistic deadlines. Underestimating time for writing and approvals can stall the project. Audit content early and plan realistically.

A successful website redesign is less about rushing to launch and more about aligning purpose, people and process. By setting clear goals, building the right team, preparing thoroughly and trusting your chosen partners, you can avoid pitfalls and create a site that delivers meaningful results. With a thoughtful, well-managed approach, your new website can become a powerful tool to grow your nonprofit and advance its mission.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.