Through years of experience working with clients developing websites to overcome organizational obstacles we have refined a process for gathering critical information. By determining what the website needs to do, we can design a blueprint to build a website with measurable success.

1. How to Use Website
Strategy to Rise to New
Heights
Wednesday, July 20th
Drupal Gov Con 2016
David Minton @DH_David
@DH_Stephen
@DesignHammer
1

2. Overview
• Introduction
• Ten questions to start your strategic plan
• Conclusion
2

3. “Why, I just shake the buildings
out of my sleeves.”
Frank Lloyd Wright
3
Part 1: Introduction

4. Introduction
• Who are you?
• Why architecture?
• Different types of agencies
4

5. Who are you?
5

6. Introduction
• Site owner?
• In-house developer?
• External agency developer?
• Freelance developer?
6

7. Introduction
• Use strategy agency
• Perform strategic planning internally
• Don’t now, but need to
• What is strategic planning?
7

8. Why architecture?
Websites are often likened to the field of
architecture, whether in describing content
organization (i.e. site architecture) or the act of
“building a website” akin to that of a structure.
8

9. A tale of two architects
• Louis Henry Sullivan
• called the “father of skyscrapers” and
“father of modernism.”
• Frank Lloyd Wright
• arguably the greatest American architect
• also interior designer, writer, & educator
9

10. Isn’t it obvious?
“Form follows function.”
10

11. “Form ever follows function.”
— Louis Henry Sullivan
11

12. “Form follows function — that has been
misunderstood. Form and function should be
one, joined in a spiritual union.”
— Frank Lloyd Wright
12

13. “Far too often site owners focus exclusively on
the appearance of their website, and only
consider what problems the website needs to
solve as an afterthought, if at all.
This makes me sad :-(”
— David Minton
13

14. Two types of developers*
• Order takers
• Partners
*We’ll talk in terms of agencies & partners,
but this can apply to in-house staff as well.
14

15. Order takers
• Many agencies start, and some don’t change
• Follow client instructions without question
• Can lead to expensive rebuilds
• Only works well if site owner provides
instructions based on sound strategy
coupled with an understanding of possible
technological solutions
15

16. Order takers
Client Add more photos.
Why? Agency
Client Because we said so!
OK (I hope?) Agency
16

17. Order takers
Client Why didn’t donations increase?
You only told us to add photos! Agency
Client This is all your fault!Your fired!
Why? We did what you said! Agency
17

18. “An architect’s most useful tools are
an eraser at the drafting board,
and a wrecking bar at the site.”
— Frank Lloyd Wright
18

19. Partners
• Collaborate with client
• Identify organizational problems
• Propose technological solutions
19

20. Partners
What is your problem? Agency
Client We want to increase donations.
What motivates your donors? Agency
Client We don’t know. Maybe photos?
20

21. Partners
Why do you think this? Agency
Client Lucky guess?
How about doing user survey? Agency
Client We can do that? Let’s try it.
21

22. Partners
Donors:Where does $ go? Agency
Client We can write case studies.
We can build a searchable DB. Agency
Client Can we add photos to the DB?
22

23. 23
Part 2:Ten Questions
“Form and function should be one,
joined in a spiritual union.”
Frank Lloyd Wright

24. Questions
• Goals
• Obstacles
• Solutions
• Metrics
24

25. Do Gooder Network
• Our imaginary organization for this talk
25

26. Do Gooder Network
• Connects people who are interested in
volunteering with nonprofits that are
seeking volunteers
26

27. Goals
What are your
organization’s Mission
Statement andVision
Statement?
27

28. Goals
• Your Mission andVision statements guide
your organization and shape your
organizational goals
• Your website is an extension of your
organization, so start here!
28

29. Goals
We use this as a qualification question. If your
client contact can’t answer this question, they are
probably not the right person in the organization to
lead strategic planning.
29

30. Do Gooder Network
• Mission: To connect volunteers with
nonprofits who need their help.
• Vision: Fulfilled volunteers doing Good
Work.
30

31. Goals
What are your
organization’s goals for the
next 6–24 months as they
align with your Mission and
Vision Statements?
31

32. Goals
• Your organization’s Mission andVision
statements often are too broad to provide
explicit direction for a website redesign
• Focus on your organizations goals for the
next 6-24 month
• Keep in mind how these goals align with
the Mission andVision statements!
32

33. Do Gooder Network
• Connect new volunteers with nonprofits.
• Increase existing volunteer involvement.
• Establish new relationships with nonprofits.
• Increase donations.
33

34. Obstacles
What obstacles are
preventing your
organization for achieving
these goals?
34

35. Obstacles
• Think above and beyond specific problems
with your existing website.
• If there were no obstacles, you would
already have achieved your goals!
35

36. Do Gooder Network
• Nonprofits do not understand how we can
help them connect with new volunteers.
• Potential volunteers do not quickly grasp
they can find volunteer opportunities.
• Potential donors do not understand how
donating to DGN benefits many nonprofits.
• Donation process is difficult.
36

37. Obstacles
Who are the website
stakeholders?
37

38. Obstacles
• Chances are there will be several internal
and external groups that should be involved
in the process.
• Unsurprisingly, these groups may not all
agree on what is important and why.
• Maintain focus on your goals and obstacles
while considering input!
38

39. Do Gooder Network
• Participating nonprofits
• Participating volunteers
• Donors
• DGN board
• DGN staff
39

40. Obstacles
What are the audience
segments?
40

41. Obstacles
• Once you know your goals and obstacles,
you need to define who you expect will use
your site.
• Think of both your primary audiences and
any secondary audiences.
41

42. Do Gooder Network
• Participating volunteers
• Potential volunteers
• Nonprofit partners
• Potential nonprofit partners
• Media
42

43. Obstacles
What would each audience
segment like to do on the
website?
43

44. Do Gooder Network:
ParticipatingVolunteers
• Find nonprofit volunteer opportunities
• Share stories of volunteering
• Invite friends to volunteer through DGN
44

45. Do Gooder Network:
PotentialVolunteers
• Learn how to join DGN
• Learn about volunteer opportunities
available through DGN
• Sign up for DGN
45

46. Do Gooder Network:
Nonprofit Partners
• Advertise volunteer opportunities on DGN
46

47. Do Gooder Network:
Potential Partners
• Learn how to join DGN
• Learn how DGN has helped other
nonprofits
47

48. Do Gooder Network:
Media
• Learn about DGN
• Learn volunteer stories
• Learn nonprofit stories
48

49. Obstacles
What do you want each
audience segment to do on
the website?
49

50. Obstacles
• Often not identical to what each audience
segment may want to do on the website.
• Can even be contradictory to what you
want from that segment.
• Keep your goals in focus!
50

51. Do Gooder Network
ParticipatingVolunteers
• Find nonprofit volunteer opportunities
• Share stories of volunteering
• Invite friends to volunteer through DGN
• Share DGN on social media
51

52. Do Gooder Network:
PotentialVolunteers
• Sign up for DGN
52

53. Do Gooder Network:
Nonprofit Partners
• Advertise volunteer opportunities
• Share DGN on social media
53

54. Do Gooder Network:
Potential Partners
• Join DGN
54

55. Do Gooder Network:
Media
• Learn about DGN to write stories about
DGN
55

56. Solutions
How can we apply
technology to overcome
these obstacles?
56

57. Solutions
• If functionality is specified before obstacles
are identified, it is not really a solution.
• Don’t get fixated on the latest whiz-bang
technology.
• Expected ROI can guide choices.
• For long-term success, technology should
overcome obstacles to achieve goals!
57

58. Do Gooder Network
• Volunteer showcase optimized for social
• Gamification of volunteer system to
encourage projects/hours
• Automated system to communicate with
active/inactive volunteers
• Donation showcase with call-to-action
58

59. Metrics
How and what can be
measured to determine the
success of the technological
solutions proposed?
59

60. Metrics
• Define metrics used to measure site
success. If you don’t measure, you don’t
know.
• Positive metrics indicate that an obstacle is
being overcome. User transactions are a
good focus!
• Page views, sessions, bounce rate can be
deceptive. Decreases can be positive!
60

61. Do Gooder Network
• Increase in volunteers registering
• Increase in volunteer hours
• Increase in volunteer projects
• Increase in donations
61

62. Metrics
When do you expect to
see to see a measurable
change?
62

63. Metrics
• When will you check your metrics?
• Be sure to schedule reviews to document
your success or correct course!
63

64. Do Gooder Network
• Would like to see volunteer registration
increase 25% by Q2
• Would like to see donations increase 10%
by Q3
• Would like to see volunteer hours increase
10% by Q4
64

65. 65
“A proper building grows naturally, logically, and
poetically out of all its conditions”
Louis Henry Sullivan
Part 3: Conclusion

66. Conclusion
• Websites are tools for solving problems
• “Look and Feel” should be secondary to
functionality
• You must be able to measure to determine
success
66

67. Special thanks
67

68. 68

69. David Minton
Stephen Pashby
Follow us!
@DesignHammer
facebook.com/DesignHammer
www.designhammer.com
69