Any website developers in the house?

[12thMan]

I'm sure there's a website thread buried somewhere around here. I'm in the process of launching a non-profit and wanted to put out some feelers to see who among us is experienced in building websites and content from the ground up. I basically know that Wordpress has been presented as an option, but I think I'm leaning towards html coding instead.

Let me know.

[That Guy]

what exactly are you looking to do?

php forums vs webstores vs blogs vs CRM solutions etc etc are all very different things.

[mbedner3420]

What is the purpose of the nonprofit; I'm in a similar state right now as well.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

I'm sure people here can tell you whether it's worth it or not, but have you looked into Squarespace? A lot of podcasts are sponsored by this site so they frequently run deals. I've never actually used the service so I can't really recommend it other than to say I know it exists.

That was probably not helpful.

[That Guy]

also are you looking to hire someone or get advice? are you looking for marketing/listing too? (getting links etc to actually show up on google).

[12thMan]

The organization's primary focus is raising awareness around kidney disease through early detection prevention screenings. The org is named after my deceased mother who suffered from kidney failure. We recently and successfully screened 40 attendees at a health fair here in D.C.

In a nutshell, we don't have website yet and I'm looking to hire someone who builds/designs websites. I have a few professionals in mind, but wanted to see if there are any Warpathers who might have a web design portfolio or freelance on the side.

[12thMan]

Also, we're a legally incorporated entity. Our application for tax exempt status (501c3) is pending with IRS. I anticipate being approved in a couple of months. Hopefully.

[Dirtbag59]

Not a web designer but I would advise you to make sure that whoever you get to design the website has a basic understanding of search engine optimization. Lots of web designers know how to make great looking pages, unfortunately sometimes the way they design them sometime makes it hard for Google to crawl through your site.

Particularly if they make it flash based, which obviously can make a site look real cool, but Googles web crawlers, which basically serve as the scouts for Google search, don't really know how to index those types of pages.

Wordpress actually isn't that bad of an idea. At the very least you can use it to link to your main web page.

Other random tips for SEO

- Googles top priority is content. Make sure you update semi-regularly at the very least.

- Use the keyword planner tool to find keywords that are relatively low in competition but have a decent amount of searches.

- Don't shove keywords into articles. Ironically enough using words that relate to keywords will actually help you rank more for a particular search query. For example if you're writing about Starbuck coupons you shouldn't write:

"Starbuck coupons are in high demand. Many people want Starbuck coupons. With Starbuck coupons you can get discounts on starbucks coffee by using Starbuck coupons."

- Make sure all pictures are labeled properly. This will help you show up in Google images as well as help your page rank

- Make and maintain Facebook and Twitter pages and make sure they all link to each other. You can use these to post links to content you write for your website and get a decent amount of link backs, which is basically Googles version of street cred.

And whatever you do, DO NOT PAY FOR LINKBACKS. DO NOT PAY FOR LINKBACKS. DO NOT PAY FOR LINKBACKS. The websites these services use to linkback to your site are usually not trusted by Google and can easily get you blacklisted to the point where, at the very least you don't show up temporarily on any search query. (Research Google Penguin and Panda to make sure you're not using what Google calls "black hat SEO.")

[That Guy]

^^ what db said. 100%.

[12thMan]

Thanks for the db! Yes, SEO is critical.

[EARTHQUAKE2689]

PM me, I have a friend who does it

[12thMan]

Thanks, Quake.

[BDBohnzie]

I am a Web Developer who's starting to transition from Web to Java via Android. DB has given some great advise, so here's what I can add.

I've set up sites using Drupal, WordPress and Umbraco, as well as coded my own sites. The nice thing about WordPress is the ease in which anyone can update content. Consider who will be doing the updating and whether they have any HTML experience at all. If so, then coding a site or not using CMS is an option. If the person(s) updating the site don't know their P tag from their DIV tag, then go the CMS route.

When developing the site, keep the mobile experience in mind. There are plenty of themes and front-end frameworks that make it easy to have your site show up nicely on a desktop as well as a smartphone and tablet.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to PM me or dump them into this thread.

[12thMan]

BD, mind shooting me your email?

[BDBohnzie]

12th, check your PMs...