The Nonprofit Website Insider

My most popular articles

The Prioritization Dance | The Nonprofit Website Insider
Your favorite issue of the Nonprofit Website Insider: from October, talking through a surefire method to tame your tasks, make clearer decisions, and align stakeholder priorities. I’m excited you all found this useful – stay tuned for a more detailed article and template to use priorities and estimates to define the scope of a project.

Turning Your Metrics Into a Nonprofit Website Measurement Plan | Laura S. Quinn Consulting

My own most popular article from 2024 (updated just a few weeks ago)! A solid measurement plan provides a straightforward way for your nonprofit to integrate metric reviews into a busy schedule, ensuring your website moves consistently in the right direction. It pinpoints exactly which metrics matter for your goals, and then how you’ll collect and use them to decide what to change. In this article, I outline the seven questions you’ll need to address to develop your plan.

A Nonprofits’ Guide to Google Search Console: Troubleshooting Technical SEO | Laura S. Quinn Consulting

My second most popular article from 2024. Google Search Console (GSC) is an important tool for nonprofits to understand. It’s free, easy to set up, and provides real insight into how Google perceives your web presence. From understanding how to read the key GSC reports to resolving common technical SEO issues to ensuring your pages are properly indexed, my article gives you practical strategies to tackle the critical first step towards improving your nonprofit's online discoverability.

10 Credibility Guidelines for Nonprofit Websites | Laura S. Quinn Consulting

I’ll call this the most overlooked gem from 2024 (again, just updated a few weeks ago). Give it a look – I think many would find this very useful! This checklist helps you evaluate and enhance your website's trustworthiness, based on Stanford University's influential web credibility guidelines. I've updated these time-tested principles specifically for nonprofits, adding current best practices and sector-specific considerations. Whether you're refreshing your site or building trust with new audiences, this practical guide can help ensure your website conveys the credibility your organization deserves.

Best of the Web 2024

Homepage design: 4 common mistakes | Nielsen Norman Group (5 minute video)

This great, straightforward video from one of the best general UX educators on the web talks about some key best practices: making it clear that your homepage scrolls down and that your carousel scrolls sideways, following familiar web standards, and creating a distinct visual hierarchy to focus user attention.

What Is Active Listening? | Harvard Business Review

We all need to work with other people – and sometimes what seems like a difficult person is just someone with a different communication style. Active listening is key, but it goes far beyond just staying quiet or repeating points back. Amy Gallo breaks down the essential skills: reading body language, maintaining genuine attention, managing your emotional responses, and more. Even if you think you're a good listener, there are likely valuable techniques here to strengthen your collaboration skills.

The Biggest Branding Mistakes Nonprofits Make: 3 Essential Fixes | NPTech for Good

This popular link from a past Insider newsletter provides some great tips on how to talk about yourself and your mission.

2024 Generational Giving Report | QGiv (Free registration required)

A comprehensive look at how different generations find and connect with nonprofits. Based on substantial survey data, this report explores how donors discover organizations, maintain relationships with them, engage with fundraising events, and prefer to be retained as supporters. Essential reading for understanding the evolving landscape of donor behavior across age groups.

Mental Models and User Experience Design | Nielsen Norman Group
I’ll slip in another Nielsen Norman Group article because I can’t help myself. Understanding mental models is key to better website design. This article explains how visitors form expectations about how your website should work based on their past experiences – and why matching those expectations leads to more intuitive, user-friendly websites.

Healing Trauma in Systems Opens Up New Pathways to Social Change | Stanford Social Innovation Review

SSIR's most-viewed article of 2024 goes beyond websites to something that affects everything we do. It explores how unaddressed trauma – whether individual, historical, or created by current systems – shapes our organizations and communities. When left unhealed, this trauma can damage relationships, drain collective energy, and weaken community bonds. Essential reading for understanding how trauma affects team dynamics, communication, and program design – including how we approach digital projects.