how-to
How-to: Put Technology to Use (July 2008)
Your guide to the resources that will help you put technology to work for your cause.Use Google Analytics
> If you read our blog, you know that you can track clickthroughs and landing page performance from your messaging campaigns through Google Analytics. With a little export-to-spreadsheet trickery, you can also do some pretty cool tracking of your blog posts.
> Of course, if you don't have Google Analytics, that's kinda moot. Okay, totally moot. (Actually, we just like to say "moot". Moot moot moot.) If you're not using GA because you don't know how to set it up, not to fear: Ian Lurie has produced a series of videos on Google Analytics, and the Google Team itself made an overview of the interface. Prefer to read? Nicole Gustas has written a very detailed step-by-step tutorial.
> Once you've got the basics, turn to the experts, like Google's Analytics evangelist, Avinash Kaushik, for a few tricks. (If you haven't seen the Ask the Expert session on GA we hosted with Avinash, you really should: it's free for NTEN members!) The Official Analytics blog has a bunch of great tips, as well. And did you know that you can track results from your site's internal search?
Update Your Website
> If you haven't updated your web site since 1995, it may be time to start thinking about a change. Consider the example of the Autism Society of America (which went from this to this). Of course, plowing forward without a good understanding of what you're doing often ends poorly. To help you decide whether it's time, check out some advice from "Notes on Design" or try using MIT's nerdily thorough checklist.
> Unless you've got a big IT department, though, you'll probably need to outsource some of the redesign work. The Independent Computer Consultants Association lets you search their directory, as does Elance. And don't forget the NTEN Member Directory: we've collected a lot of smart people (just like you).
> We've also got you covered when you're ready to choose a consultant. NTEN Member Seth Schneider wrote up a great list of things to consider when hiring a consultant. You might also want to read the ScamBusters article on avoiding outrageous prices for poor results. (As a bonus, there's a list of the "Best Kept Secrets about Chocolate" at the bottom. Mmmmmm.)
Heard Around the NTEN Water Cooler: Tips for Coordinating Online Communications and Fundraising Strategies
Flickr Photo: _ES NTEN doesn't really have a water cooler, but we like to think the NTEN Discuss group serves a similar purpose for folks working with nonprofits and technology, except that instead of gossip about the boss, we share tips, resources, and anecdotes.
Yesterday there was a great discussion about how to get the Communications department to coordinate with the Fundraising department on online and email campaigns. The discussion was spurred on by a question from Michael Hoffman, from See3:
". . . how [do] other organizations create a balance between the Communications and the Fundraising departments when it comes to online initiatives. How should Communications and Fundraising interact without having turf battles?"
Even if your nonprofit's "departments" are just comprised of single staff persons -- like here at NTEN -- getting these folks on the same page is important and often tough. Here's what the NTEN Discuss group had to say:
I'm a total snob when it comes to MySpace. My house is pretty much always spotless, and that's the way I like my interface design, too: clean.