Dusting Off Your Online Clutter

I've been hanging around nonprofit websites quite a bit lately. After all, the dog days of summer are a perfect time to make sure your online presence is shiny and ready for the fall and holiday fundraising season.

It's usually easy to spot updates and changes needed on the homepage since that's what we see first, but of course, that's just the start. So, here's a to-do list for the next four weeks so you head into the post-Labor Day season with your online "face" gleaming like new.

Week 1: Check out the links

Click on every link, both those that take site visitors from one page to another on your website, as well as any that link to other sites. Are any no longer working? Are the ones linked to external sites opening in a new window, not taking people off your website (perhaps never to return)?

Also, look to see if where you are directing people is still current. Sending people to learn about an event that happened a year ago is not helpful, unless it's a photo review or something similar. Make sure all your links are moving site visitors into a deeper relationship with your organization, not leading them into territory best left uncharted.

Week 2: Look at all the photos

Are the photos on your website the very best you have? Are people in them making eye contact as much as possible, and are they cropped properly so they tell a clear story?

Throughout your website, look for places to add photos (when needed) or to update with more current images. Photos can be very memorable, so freshening them up is a small change that can make your website more compelling to repeat visitors.

Week 3: Read the copy