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Module 1


Module 2

Do You Already Have a Website?

Tip: Even an out-of-date, poorly designed website may have a few items that are worth salvaging
for the new site.

Your community may or may not have a website. If you do, take the time now to review it. Discuss the pros/cons, likes/dislikes, and list the things the committee would definitely like to retain (text, data, photos, graphics, tools, design elements, etc.).

This is also a good time to revisit the work you did in Module 1 on how people learn about your community. Have those answers at hand while you consider the following:

  • What is the current website status?
    • Is the site online? Offline? When was the last time the site was updated?
  • How does your community perceive your website?
    • If there are local end users, what is their feedback about the site? How do you know? Should the committee seek additional feedback?
  • How do “outsiders” perceive your website?
    • If there are end users outside of the local community, what is their feedback about the site? How do you know? Should the committee seek additional feedback?
  • What is the current usage of your website (i.e. web traffic statistics)?
  • Are you currently using software to track site usage (i.e. Google Analytics)?
  • How are people currently using the site? When? What pages or files are they viewing/downloading? Where are they from? How do they get there?
  • Who designed your current site?
    • Is this person available in case you need to discuss something or obtain files? Does the committee wish to retain these services again?
  • Who maintains your current website(s)?
    • Is this person different from the person who designed the site? Does the committee wish to retain their services?
  • Do you have access to all of the content files associated with the current site?
    • Note: It is not uncommon for the designer to retain all of the files generated to develop a site. This will be important if there is content that the committee wants to transfer to the new site.

All of this information can guide the group as they determine what to keep and what to delete off the site. It can also guide the committee as to what people are looking for when they seek information about your community or what they found particularly useful.