what should a website cost

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talk s! How Much Should a Website Cost? December 17, 2009 Audio is only available by calling this number: Conference Call: 866-740-1260; Access Code: 6339392 Sponsored by

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Page 1: What Should A Website Cost

talks!

How Much Should a Website Cost? December 17, 2009Audio is only available by calling this number:Conference Call: 866-740-1260; Access Code: 6339392

Sponsored by

Page 2: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Using ReadyTalk

• Chat & raise hand • Mute = *6,

Unmute = *7• If you lose your

internet connection, reconnect using the link emailed to you.

• If you lose your phone connection, re-dial the phone number and re-join.

• ReadyTalk support: 800-843-9166

Page 3: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

You are being recorded…

• This seminar will be available on the TechSoup website along with past webinar presentations:– www.techsoup.org/go/webinars

• You will receive a link to this presentation, material and links.

• After the webinar, you can ask follow-up questions in the Web Building Forum:– tinyurl.com/ycsb7nx

• Twitter hashtags: #techsoup

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talks!

How Much Should a Website Cost?

Presenter: Allen Gunn, Executive DirectorAspiration

Sponsored by

Page 5: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Today’s Speakers

Kami GriffithsTechSoup

Assisting with chat questions: Becky Wiegand, TechSoup & Suzi Grishpul, Radical Designs

All presentation content is Creative Commons licensed :)

Allen Gunn (Gunner)

Aspiration

Page 6: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Agenda

• What are you trying to accomplish?• Who do you include in the process?• Where to start and what to do?• How to engage implementors?• What are the relevant technologies?• What should you expect to pay?• What is the staff time commitment?

Page 7: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

About Aspiration

• Mission: Better software for nonprofits– We work with all stakeholders in the

nonprofit software ecosystem

• In our work, we:– Provide strategic consulting– Coach orgs on sustainable processes– Train and mentor in effective use of tools– Run user-driven collaborative tech events

• www.aspirationtech.org

Page 8: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What are You Trying to Get Done?• Creating and redesigning web sites

are different tasks; do you want to:– Build a site from scratch?– Layer new look onto existing content?– Completely overhaul existing site?

• Costing will depend on the task– Graphic design is a large determinant– Overhauls can be more expensive than

whole new sites

Page 9: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Who Do You Include in the Process?• Web projects are organizational

development opportunities in disguise– Follow transparent process for whole org– Have an internal communication strategy

• Include all stakeholders from the start– Don't “leave it to the techies” - ever– Interview each stakeholder to understand

how the site should support their work– Think in terms of “publishing workflows”

Page 10: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What to Discuss?

• Answer fundamental questions first– How do we describe our organization?– How do we explain our work?– Who is empowered to speak on behalf of

the organization?– What is the process for approving

externally published content?

• Addressing these before starting a web project drives down costs

Page 11: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What to Discuss?

• Answer external questions next– Who are primary and secondary

audiences for the intended site?– What value/benefit will you provide each

audience to draw them to the site?– What are your goals for what they do on

the site and take away from the site?– What content needs to exist to support

answers to all the above?

• Engage external audience members!

Page 12: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Where to Start?

• Idealized web site pre-process– Answer internal and external questions

• Know your overall goals for the site

– Sketch out “information architecture”• Marshall content to support that vision

– Draft “user stories”• Describe how audiences and staff will use site

– Sketch out “wireframes”• Approximate how pages might look

– At some point above you need help

Page 13: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What to Do Next

• When you reach the extent of your organizational capacity, write an RFP– Provide essential information :

• Background on organization and work• Explicit definition of project goal(s)• Distillation of “what we know so far”• Explicit enumeration of desired deliverables

and needed services

– Keep it short and clean

Page 14: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Where Should the RFP Go?

• Seek review by peers with experience• Ask allies for suggested vendors

– Ask the same on relevant mailing lists and social networks

• Select 2-4 vendors to engage– Ask for short clean responses– Good vendors respond first with questions– Look for experience with “orgs like you”

• Pick a relationship, not a platform

Page 15: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What Does the Process Look Like?• Project milestones

– System architecture• Not needed for “typical” nonprofit sites

– Creative design• Largest cost variant at low end

– Site design– Implementation and deployment– Content placement and/or migration– Training and support

Page 16: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

How to Manage the Relationship?• Follow a well-defined change process

– “Verbal” is not such a one– Get time, cost estimates on new features– Get immediate notification on overruns

• Do Ask, Do Tell– Talk it before walking it

• Request granular billing and invoicing– Know what you're getting charged for as

it is happening, not at the end

Page 17: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What are Appropriate Technologies?• Nonprofits should “ALWAYS” use an

open source CMS– WordPress, Drupal, Joomla!, Plone are

state-of-the-art publishing tools– Correctly used, they maximize flexibility

• Plan for breakup or divorce– Minimize custom code creation– Avoid technologies with lock-in contracts– Know your migration options in advance

Page 18: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What Should You Expect to Pay?• What kind of site are we talkin'

about?– Let's say:

• 25-50 pages of content• Email sign-up feature• Online donation support• Minimal additional interactivity• Maintainable by staff using web browsers• Site traffic statistics produced

– “Brochure-ware with a growth path”

Page 19: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What Should You Expect to Pay?• Costs vary widely, BUT

– Rudimentary (non-ugly) Wordpress sites can be had for $500-1000

– Excellent state-of-the-art sites can be had for $2K - $10K

– Above $10K, make sure you know why– Above $20K, raise red flags– Graphic design is biggest cost variant

Page 20: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What Should You Expect to Pay?• Cost escalators

– Integration, integration, integration• 3rd party and custom applications

– Legacy databases• Older sites and systems

– Additional features• CRM (connect to DIA, Salesforce, CiviCRM)• Forums, chat, events calendar, Google, ...

Page 21: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What Should You Expect to Pay?• Consultant hourly rates vary widely but

– Plenty of great shops in $75-$120/hr range• Good shops have multi-tiered rates

– Above $150, usually paying for reputation• Strategy services are an exception

– Check references, check references, ...

• Costing models– Graphic design can often be flat-rated– Approach flat-rated sites with caution

Page 22: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What Are the Ongoing Costs?

• Fixed hosting costs– Monthly hosting for most orgs is

$10-20/mo– For high-volume sites, $100-$200/mo– Domain name no more than $10/year– Hosted tools (CRM, newsletters, action, ...)

• Variable maintenance– Budget to upgrade CMS in timely fashion– Anticipate need to add features– New graphic assets can be expensive

Page 23: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

What is the Staff Time Commitment?• What is your communication strategy?

– Regular site updates can be done in just a few hours per week• Frequency, complexity of updates correlates

to required staff time• Content development is larger cost

– Interactive community features up costs• Responding to comments • Managing discussion boards• Allowing other user participation

Page 24: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Resources

• Aspiration provides coaching on all nonprofit technology processes– Web site planning– RFP design– Proposal review

• Join us for “Managing Nonprofit Technology Projects – DC”– Two days of collaborative learning– February 8-9, 2010

Page 25: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Resources

• Implementors we (heart)– Radical Designs (radicaldesigns.org)

• Best-of-breed campaign, event, social media• SF Bay Area

– FloatLeft (floatleft.org)• Consummate Drupal professionals • Washington, DC

– PICNet (picnet.net)• Best Joomla! sites, Nonprofit Soapbox• SF and DC

Page 26: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Resources

• Implementors we (heart)– Happy Snowman

(happysnowmantech.com)• Excellent Drupal shop• SF Bay Area

– OpenFlows (www.openflows.org)• Drupal and CiviCRM• NYC

Page 27: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Resources

• Design shops we (heart)– Design Action (designaction.org)

• Excellent activist art and design collective• Values-driven and passionate• Oakland-based

– Quilted (quilted.coop)• Innovative and creative design cooperative• Values-driven and passionate• Bi-coastal

Page 28: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Summary

• You CAN control your web destiny, and web site costs

• Know what you want before building• Process, process, process: have a plan• Less is more: when in doubt, leave it out• Avoid moving targets• Use existing code, avoid writing new• Talk to folks about what you're doing

Page 29: What Should A Website Cost

talks!

Questions?

Submit your questions using the chat box.

Page 30: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Continue the Discussion…

• Additional questions can be answered by posting in the Web Building Forum:– tinyurl.com/ycsb7nx

Page 31: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Get the Most Out of TechSoup

• At TechSoup, you’ll find a range of technology services to help your nonprofit:

– Read helpful articles in our Learning Center– Request donated software, hardware, and

online services– Join our community forums to learn from

your colleagues– Browse upcoming events and conferences

Page 32: What Should A Website Cost

How Much Should a Website Cost? Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

Thank you to our Webinar Sponsor!

ReadyTalk offers dedicated product demos for TechSoup organizations 4 times per week.

For more information: pages.readytalk.com/techsoup.html

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talks!

Thank you! Please complete the post event survey!

Kami Griffiths, [email protected], 415-633-9392