Do you need a new website? Take this test!

We have come a long was from the first pages built and shared on the internet. Remember when you had to type in “Click Here” to guide users to clicking on a link if they wanted to open and read a report? Now everyone knows what underlined text means on a website.

Design for the web continues to evolve, which means that eventually in the cycle of every organization there comes a time when the website needs to be revisited. Don’t worry! We can help you with that!

You should first figure out what is and is not working on your current website, and not from the perspective of a dedicated Board Member, who, for example, has an affinity for a terrible shade of green, or navigation ideas that are not in sync with your audience.

Here’s what you need to do. First draft some questions like the user experience exercise below. You’ll want to run a few tests to make sure that the tasks you want site visitors to accomplish can be completed quickly and intuitively.

1. Look around this page and tell me what you make of it? Just think out loud a little.
2. Who do you think owns this site?
3. Who is the target audience for this site?
4. What do you think you can do on this site?
5. What do you think is the purpose of this website?
6. How would you donate to this organization? (go through the steps on the site to see how long it takes; mark down the time)
7. Where would you go to read this organization’s latest content?
8. How would you find information about a particular staff member?
9. Where would you go to take action on a campaign or read a recent report?
10. How would you RSVP to an upcoming event?
11. What social media channels is this organization operating on? How do you know?

Then, invite three to six volunteers to be your testers. Lure them with cookies, gift cards, gratitude, or donuts—all of the above work. These volunteers, either non-website staff members or entirely external volunteers (your mom, your best friend, your uncle) will take the brief test of your site while you observe them.

As you run through the questions with your volunteers, you’ll begin to see what may not be working for current site users. On top of that you have data to show your Board Member, helping her to see that people think the color green means you’re an environmental group, and that they didn’t know you had a Facebook page so they couldn’t RSVP for your annual fundraiser. Tons of potential donors missed teachers singing karaoke to help purchase new books for students (they didn’t even know you had events or lobbied Congress on education reform).

Armed with this information, you are ready to take the first step in redesigning your website, or you have learned that your website works really well for visitors and you have succeeded in your quest to communicate your mission online. Either way congrats, and let us know how you did!

Training Can Help Creatives Advance Their Skills for Today’s Market

Technology is advancing at a fast pace, and with increasing competition for creative jobs, everyone in the industry has to work constantly to advance their skills and to keep pace with the evolving marketplace.

While designers might be comfortable designing for print, they will need to upgrade their skills to include HTML, CSS and PHP programming and perhaps more advanced courses in content management systems, such as WordPress, to fit the needs of most agencies.  A good foundation in the theories of online design and user experience are also a necessity in many work environments.

Writers are now called on to not only produce copy for the Web, but also to create content for social media sites. If you have been a writer for other media for many years, a quick refresher course on how to write for online venues may be all you need.

To keep up with job requirements in your creative field, it’s not necessary to pursue another academic degree. Many of the courses offered locally and online will give you the flexibility to work while you learn. Some are one-off classes and others are more extensive certificate programs. All will help you become more employable!

Here are just a few schools and training companies that we’ve heard offer very good programs:

>Local Classes
-Thomas Piwowar & Associates (Washington, D.C.) – Offers courses in HTML, CSS, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, ePubs, Acrobat and digital audio and video from a digital media perspective. TJPA also offers a full Digital Publishing Series for those interested in more comprehensive ePub training.

>Academic Certificate Programs
-Georgetown University’s Certificate in Digital Media Management – Provides best practices for distribution and promotion of content through social media channels, including mobile devices, Web 2.0, banner/display ads and SMS.

-Georgetown University’s Certificate in Interactive Marketing – Focuses on the characteristics and benefits of marketing for the Web, as well as integration of interactive marketing with broader marketing efforts.

-Georgetown University’s Certificate in Professional Writing for the Digital Age – Examines current research on how social and new media affect the way people read and how writers should write for online media.

>Online Classes
- Lynda.com – Offers software training via videos that are accessible 24/7. A monthly subscription is required for access to most full-length videos.

-MediaBistro.com – A good source of online courses covering new/social media and writing for these media.