You'll need to purchase rights to your domain name (i.e., "helpsharenvc.com") to be able to host a site with a specific web site address. To purchase your domain name, we recommend GoDaddy.com — follow their instructions to search for the domain you want (to see if it's available), and to purchase rights to the domain. Costs are typically around $20.00 (US) for 2-years of rights.
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Select a host and set up an account — If you're working with a professional web site designer, ask them to recommend the host they prefer. If you're building your site yourself, do a google search and research the host that meets your needs.
Select a turnkey content management system site development service or account — If you need to create a site yourself and you have little or no site design expertise, a content management solution may be your most affordable option. A CMS solution offers a web-based interface to create your website, typically using their templated site designs. This interface also allows you to easily make copy changes as the need arises. Here are two we've used that tend to be quite user friendly:
Redirect your domain — Once you've found your host and have created an account, you'll need to redirect your domain name to the site host (unless you purchased your domain name from the same company that will host your site.) Contact your site host customer service department if you're not sure how to do this.
- Price — Hosting services typically charge a monthly rate, though some offer discounts when you pay for the entire year at a time. Rates can really vary from about $10.00 per month all the way up to $200.00 per month, depending on your site's complexity and technical needs.
- Space size — If you're building a fairly complex site, you may need more than the average server space.
- Functional capabilities — Do you need extra services with your site host, such as ecommerce capabilities, blogging, search engine marketing, PHP database-driven forms, site visit statistics? Check out what extra features your host includes with their package, and weigh those against what you really need. If you need to run certain forms on your site, be sure to confirm if your host supports this functionality as well.
- Reputation / stability and customer service — Is the host reputable, or is there system down for repairs a lot? Check out the company's reputation, the quality of their customer service, and options for technical support, especially if you're putting the site together yourself.
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Some site hosts offer templates and step-by-step guides for non-designers to create a web site. See if your host offers such a service.
If you (or your team) would like professional support developing your site design and/or copy and search engine optimization, consider our affordable web design packages offered only through the Help Share NVC Project. Learn more about these packages now >>
If you (or your team) are planning your own site without the support of a template or designer, we suggest using our Web site Planning Worksheet to get started:
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Most people now expect to be able to pay for training, books and events online with their credit card. They also expect to be able to make donations via the web using their credit card. You may want to consider adding this feature to your web site. As there are many things to consider to affordably add this functionality to your web site, we suggest consulting with a web site designer experienced with ecommerce. To find a reduced-rate or pro-bono web site designer, visit our Consultant Directory
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In some countries, people now have an expectation to be able to register for a training, conference or workshop on the web. The benefits of doing so include email confirmations and reminders, and the ease of registering quickly. Luckily, there are many automated services out there to support organizations in setting up user-friendly event registration forms and payment processing on their web site without having to hire a programmer.
For individuals or groups who offer several events throughout the year, or even one large event, we recommend RegOnline for this purpose, as we've had a great experience with them, and find their rates very affordable and very low-risk. Once you create an account and pay modest activation fees, they charge a per-registrant fee for using their system. Because you can automate the forms, and set up automated email communications to registrants with reminders, requests to make a donation, or even pre-workshop NVC book promotions, we've found this system to pay for itself in saved administrative time, increased workshop attendance, and increased book sales. No more manual registration entry, manual follow-up on bad checks or credit card information taken by hand, and the ease of automated communications.
Setting up your first event on RegOnline's system may take a few hours. If you offer similar workshops or events on a regular basis, set up on the next events will be a breeze. You can simply duplicate your last event forms and email communication, make minor modifications, and you're ready to go.
There are many other options available in addition to RegOnline — and we recommend you research the best option for you.
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Do you want to give visitors to your web site the option to add their name to your electronic mailing list — such as to receive a monthly e-newsletter? Than add an "opt-in" form to your web site. ("Opt-in" refers to individuals who have "opted" to join your list voluntarily. These individuals should always have the option to remove themselves from your list at any time.).
We recommend creating an account with one of several reputable email marketing vendors (such as those identified below). These vendors charge a modest monthly fee to provide the HTML code to add an opt-in form to your web site, manage your database for you, and provide an easy-to-use web-based interface to distribute email broadcasts to this list.
Each of the vendors linked below follow stringent protocols to ensure your list is permission-based. Fees are usually determined based on how many people are on your list and how many broadcasts you distribute monthly.
Most of the vendors below offer templates for those with little to no HTML experience, making it very easy to send professional-looking HTML emails to your list. While we don't formally endorse any of these vendors, we have had positive experiences with each and encourage you to check them out:
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