YOU ARE HERE:
Documentation toolkit info card: websites
A website is a documentation and communication product that shares a wide variety of images and written information about an organisation and its work via the Internet.
A website:
- Can be used to provide historical and/or up-to-date information about an organisation, project or campaign.
- Combines factual data with other information - such as photographs and video clips - that illustrate an organisation's work.
- Can be used to promote an organisation and to attract new support and resources.
- Is a quick and cost-effective way of disseminating information and publications, potentially to many millions of people throughout the world.
- Can enable two-way communication - by offering the user a chance to respond by e-mail.
- Requires technical equipment (namely a computer, telephone line and access to the Internet) to be able to use it.
Key questions
Key questions to ask before developing a website are:
? What exactly does your organisation want to communicate and to whom? Is a website the best and easiest way to do it?
? Who will design your website and how will it be done? What type of image do you want your website to communicate? For example, is it more important that the website looks impressive or that people can easily download information from it?
? How will you maintain your website? Who will find the information, edit it and keep it up to date? Who will respond to users' requests for information?
Structure and content
These pages show an example of a structure and content outline for a website about an NGO/CBO involved in HIV prevention. The outline shows what the product will contain and in what order. The boxes around it provide some key "dos and don'ts" about how to make a website as effective as possible.
1. Homepage • Title of website. • Welcome message. • Search engine. • Links to other pages on the website.
DO think of your website as being like a publication with many pages. For example, your homepage is the equivalent of your front cover and list of contents.
DO consider including a search engine - which enables users to type in key words and find relevant information on your website.
2. Introduction to the NGO/CBO • Organisation's name and logo. • Organisation's mission statement. • How, where and with whom the organisation works. • Who funds the organisation.
3. Activities • Organisation's main activities - each illustrated with a case study, photo and/or video clip.
DO gain approval from the organisations and individuals that you include on your website.
4. Publications and materials • Publications and materials policy • Resources - such as training manuals and workshop reports - that users can download or order.
DO offer a choice of formats for users to use to download your publications and materials. Common ones include Word, Rich Text Format and Acrobat PDF. This will make it easier for people to use your information - whether they have a simple or sophisticated computer.
DO include a publications policy that states how your materials may and may not be used by others.
5. Links • Links to other relevant websites.
6. Contact details • Contact name and e-mail address. • Postal address, telephone and fax numbers.
DO make it clear whether you can or cannot respond to requests for information.
DO use flowcharts to plan the structure of your website on paper before you begin to build it on the computer.
DON'T offer too much information. Instead, keep the content concise - by writing only one third of what you would usually include in written publications.
DO ask for feedback on your website from people who are internal and external to your organisation. This will help you improve it in the future.
Style
This page looks at the style of websites - meaning how they are designed. It provides some ideas about how to make them as interesting and attractive as possible.
Make your website is easy to use for people with different levels of computer experience. For example, have a "home" button on every page so that people can easily get back to the beginning.
Develop a style for your website that will broadly suit the many different types of audiences that might access it.
Make sure that the navigation of your website is effective - so that users can easily move from one page to another.
Use an attractive design for your website, but keep it as simple as possible - so that users can find the information they need as quickly and easily as possible.
Aim to achieve a balance with your website between being attractive and practical. For example, the SAFAIDS (Southern African AIDS Information Dissemination Service) homepage combines clear headings with an appealing image.
Source: Documenting and communicating HIV/AIDS work
This is an extract from Documenting and communicating HIV/AIDS work: a toolkit to support NGOs/CBOs, published by the International HIV/AIDS
Alliance in October 2001.
To view the whole toolkit follow this link.
To download this card and three others, complete with graphics, in pdf format (which requires Adobe Acrobat software to read it) follow this link (file size 482kb).