Free Lunch with Google - Google Analytics

So you've satisfied your visitors with the option to donate to your cause easily using Google Checkout, and you've made it easier than ever to make sure your visitors can find what they need by implementing Google Custom Search. Well, I've saved the best tool for last. This tool is not even for your visitors, but for you - the webmaster (and a favorite tool at onLine). Enter Google Analytics.

Google describes Analytics modestly as a tool that will help you "learn more about where your visitors come from and how they interact with your site". However, the way Analytics presents its data and the detail by which it does so makes the tool much more powerful. (Consider that ISPs hosting a site often offer the same information, but I've yet to see one that goes into the depth that Analytics does.)

Like the previous tools covered, implementation is fast. One Google account can manage several sites, and each produces a unique code that is inserted immediately before the page's </body> tag. Once that tag is inserted, you receive immediate feedback from your (highly customizable) Analytics dashboard that the code is being read correctly.

What can Analytics do. Well, in short, in can all answer these questions for you:

• What visitors are searching for within your site?
• What search engine is bringing in most of your visitors?
• What keywords in those search engines are bringing in your visitors?
• Track and compare all your partnership conversions. Are referrals from other sites working well compared to paid ads?
• Which pages result in lost conversions?
• Where are visitors staying the longest?
• GeoTargeting, find out where in the world are most of your donors coming from. Did a recent news piece on your foundation in Detroit produce an increase in visitors? Donors?
• Which links on your site get the most clicks?

Oh, and did I mention - it's all free.

Sign up to Analytics here.
Learn more, watch videos here.

Free Lunch with Google - Google Custom Search

[Part 2 in my "Free Lunch with Google" posts series]

Now that your website can accept donations and sell products to benefit your non profit, its now time to focus on your website's usability.

At onLine, we review a lot of non profit websites, so we're always on the look out for the elements every website should have, the large donate button, the non-pixelated logo, the mission statement, etc. One feature that surprisingly is not often available is the "search bar".

It use to be that for a site to be able to have a search bar, code more complicated than basic HTML was required. Or, if you're non profit that was built on a CMS platform, an additional fee was likely required to activate it. Well, Google is sharing their search expertise with everyone for free. Enter Google Custom Search.

From Google Search Engine product page:
With Custom Search Engine, you can harness the power of Google to create a search engine tailored to your needs.

With several pages of galleries, on the field stories, board members, and products on your website, inserting Google Custom Search will help make things easy for the visitor to your site find exactly what they are looking for. To view some examples, visit Google's Picks, a list of businesses and organizations using GCS [link].

Setting up is uber-easy. After you've created your account, your control panel lists several customization options including "Look and feel", "On demand indexing" (allows you to submit a select number of pages to be quickly indexed) and "Code" (includes the HTML code that you can insert into your site wherever you want the search bar to appear).

Typically, like most of Google's offerings, the tool displays advertisements that would appear along with your search result unless you upgrade to the paid version, Google Site Search. However, for non profits and educational institutions, Google allows you to disable advertisements. Which is great! In doing this, Google gives you the option to have a clean search results page, or if you want to bring in some additional funds to you non profit, you can keep the advertisements and make money on your searches (this requires signing up to Google's Adsense for Search program [link]).

Free Lunch with Google

The impact of Google on Internet browsing is evident and undeniable. By "simply" leveraging it's search tools into an advertising medium, Google has made it easy for anyone to sell something, buy something, or make money (just ONE example is by hosting ad space on your website/blog). In doing this, Google is in someways showing us the pen, selling us the pen and than holding the paper.

Their impact and presence in the technology industry is in line with that of Apple's, Microsoft's and David Pogue, but unlike Apple or Microsoft (and David Pogue really) Google offers it's tools to us for free - specifically, no money out of pocket is required. Yet, they still make lots of money. While there are many GTools out there, the tools I'm specifically referring to are those listed within the (often ignored) link below the search bar titled, "Business Solutions". 

Keeping with our mission at onLine, these tools are a godsend for the non-profit on a budget and passionately understands the importance of their site for promoting their mission and receiving donations. It's for this reason I will cover, in a three posts series, the tools a non-profit website should be making sure they are taking advantage of (if they're not already).

I cannot afford to waste my time making money. - Louis Agassiz

I. Income

Bringing in funds to your non-profit is tremendously important, but is probably a secondary thought to your mission (otherwise you'd be a for-profit). So it's important to make sure that you are using a reputable tool that offers security and ease of use. Enter Checkout.

 Tool: Google Checkout

"Google Checkout is a fast, convenient checkout process that brings you more customers and allows them to buy from you with a single login – and you can process their orders and charge their credit or debit cards for free."

Selling with Checkout requires no money out of your organization's pocket. For every sale, a 2% + $0.20/transaction is charged. For some this may seem like a lot, but given the ease of use and and security from Google's Payment Guarantee, which "protects 98% of Checkout orders on average  - [so] when an order is guaranteed, you get paid even if it results in a chargeback" - it seems very worth it. 

Implementing requires knowledge of basic HTML and can be completed within an hour. Beginning Checkout simply requires signing up and integrating the HTML code onto your site.

The kicker with using Checkout is that for non-profits (501(c)3), you can also accept donations online. This two-fold opportunity not only allows your non-profit to sell, but to accept donations- all for the benefit of your cause!

Learn more about Checkout here.

Learn about Checkout donation.

Accessibility Now

Beginning in 2006, Target, Inc. has been involved in a class action lawsuit with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and other plaintiffs, claiming that Target's website does not meet the minimal standards for web users browsing with screen readers. Specifically, the website does not allow blind customers to purchase or perform functions available to sighted customers. Its layout, lack of tab or cursor browsing, and inconsistent use of alt text tags apparently positioned the site in violation of the Americans Disabled Persons Act and California's Disabled Person Act- where the lawsuit was filed. As a result, Target will be re-working their website (view press release) to make it fully accessible by February 28, 2009. Unfortunately, Target will also be paying out upwards of $6 million to all individuals who submit valid claims, $3,500 per claimant, per incident (the maximum is set at $7,000 for 2 incidents per claimant).

An expensive lesson for Target, but a highly valuable one for web designers.

Target is now the example of why it's important to make your site accessible. The win for NFB was on the basis that the web (i.e., world wide web, web-o-sphere, the internet, etc.) is a "public" place - and in doing so violated an ADA 1990 law that requires "retailers" and other "public places" to accommodate people with disabilities. (Target argued that the law only covered physical spaces, but still lost.) Based on this ruling, all web sites not accommodating screen-readers are theoretically liable, and risk violating this same ADA law.

Initially, it may seem overhauling your website is the next step- but in fact,  small tweaks and good habits can go a long way. Also, free tools are available to help with testing your site.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international consortium that develops protocols and guidelines that help develop web standards, has a thorough section on accessibility. In their section on accessibility, there is a summarized version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (link) that list 10 quick tips and techniques that serve as good guidance when designing- paraphrased here:

1. Use alt text tag for images and animations.
2. For image maps, use client side and alt text for the hot spots.
3. Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions for video.
4. When creating a hyperlink, use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here."
5. Stick to a consistent structure, and use CSS for layout and style where possible.
6. Summarize graphs and charts with a longdesc attribute.
7. With respect to scripts and plug-ins, provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.
8. Use the noframes element and meaningful titles.
9. When using tables, make line-by-line reading sensible.
10. Use tools to check your work.

With respect to quick tip #10, W3C links to a list of tools to help you test your site. Three that I found were easy to use are listed below:

1. Functional Accessibility Evaluator, provided by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [link]
2. HERA 2.0, HERA is a tool to check the accessibility of Web pages according to the specification Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 1.0). HERA performs a preliminary set of tests on the page and identifies any automatically detectable errors or checkpoints met, and which checkpoints need further manual verification. [link]
3. TAW (Web Accessibility Test) is a tool for the analysis of Web sites, based on the W3C. It goes a little further than the others listed by providing an overlay on the inserted web address. [link]

To go even further, you can do your own hands on testing by downloading 2 free tools. The first is WebbIE [link], a web browser for the blind and visually-impaired people. The second is the Thunder Screen Reader [link], an award-winning talking software for the blind and visually impaired.

Browsing your site with both these tools activated (and your monitor off) can help you better understand the experience and the problems that may plague your site from a blind perspective.

Useful and relevant links:

• Section 508: www.section508.gov
• W3C Accessibility: www.w3.org/WAI
• NFB Target lawsuit site: www.nfbtargetlawsuit.com

Articles:

• Target Settles Website Accessibility Suit
• Target sued because of bad website
• Target Lawsuit Spotlights Web Access for the Blind

Keeping Up With Social Media

How many hours do you have in a day to work? How much of that time can you (or a staff person, if you're lucky) devote to updating your organization's Twitter posts ("tweets"), Facebook Causes items, MySpace page, blog posts, and other social media? OK, how much time can you devote without doing at midnight while in your pajamas or sitting in front of the television on Sunday night? How can you keep up with all social media?

Well, it's easier than you think. Just recently, I had to handle our tweets and do some updates here and there (including today's blog post, which was supposed to be done yesterday). Well, Avi Kaplan here at onLine advises 30 minutes a day to update your social networks. So, try it. Take 30 minutes every other day to see what you can do. Make a few updates, post a tweet or two every couple of hours. Take 20 minutes to write a a great blog post. Just remember to be fun, be social, and get people listening and engaging with your organization.

Here are some interesting topics about social media anxiety/resources to explore... when you have the time:

• Beth's Blog: Information Coping Skills
• Seven Deadly Sins of Social Networking
• Idealist: Add Facebook Friends for a Cause...Or a Living
• DIOSA: Get a volunteer

Budget Reality for a Redesign

“Budget” - I think this could be one of the most daunting and mysterious words in all of business, whether for-profit or nonprofit. And yes I chuckled at the idea of doing any web site for $300, but the Internet has come a long way and a lot more is possible for a lot less these days. You just have to remember, “you get what you pay for” still holds true.

Let’s just imagine that you’re the communications director, or marketing director, or even a nonprofit CEO and you know it’s time to upgrade your web site – redesign the art, branding, and content to reflect your most current programs, add or enhance online fundraising, expand your email communications, enable more of your constituents to interact online, and possibly even test the social networking waters to see if you can attract more volunteers or increase awareness for your cause.

Where do you even begin with budgeting? Here are some key questions that can affect the budget:

Do I need to hire a consultant or other vendor for this project? Obviously, if your volunteer or paid staff is not able to support a large redesign project, then a third-party will be needed.

Can your current web site technologies support all the features and functionality of the new site? If you’re considering adding or expanding online giving functions, increasing the content available on your site, or hoping to provide easier collection of email addresses, you should review your current publishing platform to see if it will support a larger effort. Based on your needs, you may need to upgrade to a more enhanced platform that integrates content publishing, donations, constituent management, and email into a single system. A new system could well be worth the additional fees if it increases donations and awareness.

Are you doing a complete redesign? A new look generally is not just a single page design. It can involve designing layouts for the home page, the subpages, landing pages, and email templates. And you may hate the first versions you see. Expect pricing to relate to the number of design choices you are initially shown, the number of revision cycles you might be requesting, and the number of individual layouts that will be needed to support one design (home page, subpages, landing pages, etc.).

Who will build it? Creating the design is just one piece. Putting all of the design pieces on the web in HTML or some content management system is an entirely different process. Pricing for this can also be affected by the volume of pages on your site and the technologies already in use – if you’re entire site is a collection of HTML pages that have to be updated individually, then the time it will take will increase publishing fees.

Who will manage it? So you’ll get a wonderful design that may even make you feel like a Nike or Apply-worthy web site, but do you have the resources needed to keep it updated or to manage it? Will current staff need training or will you need new staffing?

Who will come to it? If you’re going to make the effort on a redesign, you need to drive people to your new site to make it worth the investment. Whether it’s including a message in your next direct mail or starting a more concerted online marketing effort, these are fees that you will want to consider when setting the project budget.

As you can see, a redesign project could really mean training or hiring staff, licensing new technologies, and possibly increasing your marketing, all of which can really mean new or additional monthly fees, not a simple one-time fee.

So, it’s easy to see why $300 makes the cartoon so funny. $3,000 gets you a little closer to reality but depending on the overall scope of the project, even that could be worth a chuckle.

To come up with the most realistic pricing, ask any colleagues you have at other organizations who may have done web updates or look for a local consultant who can help you set realistic expectations on the scope of the project and the price.

Maybe the right answer is "Coal Miner"

Small talk with a web designer.

Source: Monster-Munch

Microsoft's NGO Connection

Microsoft has always participated in gifts-in-kind grants to pedal their software to organizations. This week, they announced the launch of NGO Connection, a resource for nonprofits and NGOs to apply for grants for software and hardware. The site also features information on training and certification and has a few examples of how organizations are using their products. Their "Forums" section is simply a link to boards and services on TechSoup, Devex, and TeleCentre. They have a pretty impressive list of technology partners and a good list of software and hardware products.

Why did Microsoft launch this now? Their press release says the website provides "a convenient and easy one-stop shop for technology resources, knowledge sharing, community building and real-life examples for nonprofit organizations."  The resources for refurbished desktops, laptop, and servers  can be immensely helpful to organizations. The software is good; you could theoretically build a site with their small business and event software. But, with Google's nonprofit resources generating a lot of buzz, it makes one wonder if this is just another Microsoft attack on Google on all fronts. There are a lot of free products already out there, such as OpenOffice, 30Boxes, and Blogger. 

Still, if your organization can apply and get free software, it's always worth it. Getting your IT staff certified will help keep you running better and you can create a nice suite of tools. Microsoft is still the big game in town (as I write this post using IE... occupational hazard). Visit their website and see if their game works for your organization.

NTC 08: A Few Updates

A few thoughts and announcements as NTC 08 wraps up here in New Orleans today:

* DoGooderTV has posted the winners in the 2008 Video Contest. Congratulations to the Humane Society of the United States for their Best Overall Video win.

* Best Overheard Quote and Overall Sentiment: "Don't judge ROI by donor dollars, judge it by the results of the lives you change and how you make your donors feel about this change." Well put.

* Best Treats: Coffee and beignets from Cafe du Monde and Jelly Bellies from GoLightly. Both were addictive.

* Check out the blog posts on Technorati for more feedback from NTC 08.

* Finally, one of the best sessions came from See3's Mike Hoffman on video for nonprofits. A great session and I'm glad they posted it:

2008 NTC Day Two Wrap-Up

Day two: Sessions, sessions, sessions!

NTC 08 Day Two started off with a hilarious plenary speaker, New York Times Tech guru David Pogue. Pogue spoke about the three trends for the future: cell phone technologies, television and movies whenever you want them, and Web 2.0 user content. The most interesting example he gave was Google's Grand Central, a service where one phone number will ring or text any phone in your life, which means you are always accessible, whether you like it or not! Pogue ended his talk with a grand piano performance of his famous (at least for NYTimes site junkies like me) iPhone song (And yes, I held up my iPhone for the ballad). Here's the video of Pogue in action:

There were plenty of breakout sessions today ranging from communications, IT, fundraising, and community building. The morning sessions focused heavily on e-mail campaigns, mobile phone fundraising, analytics and social networking. The afternoon sessions continued the Web 2.0 discussions and discussions built on analyzing campaigns. The key question that seems to be on a lot of minds is understand the value of social networking. Does it work? Does it build awareness? Does it raise money? How do you measure the ROI of social networks? Should your organization be doing social networks? How will it affect your organization?

A lot of organizations were quick to share their stories and curious to hear feedback from what other have done. It's a bit unruly and uneven to navigate, but the social network gurus gave strong advice for sticking to your guns and pursuing new audiences with these tools, even though the ROI was difficult to measure. Of course, onLine always says go for it! If you can build an online with social networks, social bookmarks, or any micro-group, you should pursue it. You never know when a channel could open a very big door. It's all trial-and-error and even the best experts can't predict which organization will have a groundswell.

The evening wrap-up featured afternoon ice cream and a Network For Good-sponsored reception, followed by a night out on the town in New Orleans. I have a feeling I may be one of the few people at the morning sessions.