The next major release of Drupal is just around the corner: December 2022 is the target release date.

Drupal 10 will bring with it some significant changes that could potentially affect your website. As such, it’s important to be prepared and take the necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition. There are some major benefits to upgrading to Drupal 10, including improved security, performance, and accessibility. And, because Drupal 10 uses the same overall structure as Drupal 9, the transition shouldn’t be too difficult for most developers. 

But what does this mean for CMOs and marketing managers who are using or considering using Drupal?  Let’s review what you need to do to get ready for Drupal 10 and make sure your website is up to date.

What’s New in Drupal 10?

Drupal 10 includes several major new features and improvements, including:

  • A new default administration theme called Claro that is mobile-responsive and optimized for accessibility, replacing D7 which was over 10 years old.
  • A new default frontend theme called Olivero that replaces Bartik.
  • Initial upgrades to CKEditor from version 4 to version 5, introducing more modern content editing functionality and a better author experience.
  • Ongoing modernization of the JavaScript stack, replacing the large jQuery library with smaller, more performant solutions 
  • Leveraging our technology partner’s improvements and upgrading from Symfony 4 to Symfony 6 and making the minimum version of PHP 8.1 to keep the whole stack secure and more performant.

These changes will be welcome additions that improve the overall experience for both users and administrators. 

Preparing for the Upgrade 

If you’re currently on Drupal 7 (as almost 54% of Drupal sites still are), you have some time as end of life is scheduled for November 2023. But it is recommended to upgrade to 9 as soon as possible; by upgrading, you ensure your website stays updated with the latest features and security measures. Our guide to transitioning from Drupal 7 to 9 provides additional insight into this process, or you can go straight to D10.

If you’re currently on Drupal 8, it’s time to upgrade asap. D8 was end of life in November 2021, and most Drupal sites have upgraded. You need to as well.

If you’re currently using Drupal 9, congrats! Because Drupal 10 uses the same overall structure as Drupal 9, the transition shouldn’t be too difficult for most developers. But here are a few steps to consider: 

1) Check Your Version of PHP

One of the first things you’ll need to do is check what version of PHP your website is running on. As of Drupal 10, the minimum supported version of PHP will be 8.1. You can check your website’s PHP version by logging into your hosting account and checking the settings in your control panel. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact your hosting provider for assistance.

2) Update Your Modules and Themes

It’s important to make sure that all of the modules and themes on your website are up to date. While many modules and themes are already compatible with Drupal 10, there may be some that aren’t. Checking for updates is easy enough: head over to the “Updates” page in your Drupal admin panel and install any available updates. Once you’ve done this, it’s a good idea to clear your website’s cache so that the changes can take effect.

3) Test, Test, Test

Once you’ve updated your website for Drupal 10, it’s important to test everything thoroughly before taking your site live. The Kanopi support team uses tools like PHPstan and Drupal Rector to perform automated code checks to verify your codebase works as expected on the upgraded versions on PHP, Symfony, and Drupal.

We also recommend manually testing.  This includes testing all forms, pages, links, etc. to ensure that they’re working as intended. It’s always better to catch any potential problems before they cause issues for your live website visitors.

You have time to upgrade.  

While December is fast-approaching, upgrading to Drupal 10 is a decision that should be made on a case-by-case basis. If your website or application is already running smoothly on Drupal 9 (or earlier), there may not be enough incentive to justify the time and expense to do this immediately. However, if you’re starting from scratch or looking for an excuse to make a big change, migrating to Drupal 10 could be the perfect opportunity. 


And if you need assistance, Kanopi is here to help as always.

Over the shoulder view of individual using assistive technology to operate a keyboard.

Accessibility Overlays: Buyer Beware

Faye
Faye Polson

Uh oh. It’s come to your attention that your website needs to be accessible.

Whether it’s the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508, the Accessible Canada Act, or the governing legislation in your area, the reality is your site has to be compliant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines or risk legal ramifications.

What is website accessibility, also known as A11y? Accessibility is “the quality of being able to be reached,” or, basically the idea that every part of your website can be accessed and used by anyone. So how do you achieve that? Well, on one hand you can spend the time, effort, and money having your website audited and remediated, then set up an ongoing process to ensure your site stays current with accessibility needs and requirements. Or you can install an accessibility overlay and call it a day.

The question is, do you feel lucky?

First, what is an accessibility overlay?

Accessibility overlays (including widgets and toolbars) are automated software solutions that serve third-party scripts intended to resolve accessibility problems on websites and applications. 

Firstly, they usually apply a series of controls to a website that allow the user to adjust aspects of their viewing experience, such as colors, text size, and contrast.

Secondly, they use JavaScript to alter the code and content of your website on the fly to try and make up for existing accessibility errors with automated “repairs.”

Thirdly, they are really, really, really, really, really, really bad.

Wait, what? Why are accessibility overlays so bad?

Overlays may run into conflicts with user privacy.

Because users of assistive technologies often have specific settings on their devices and browsers, some overlays automatically detect those settings and attempt to utilize them for their configuration. To maintain this, it stores a cookie on the user’s machine, saving info about their disability settings without any kind of opt-in from the user. 

To make matters worse, any other website using the same overlay can access that same cookie to apply the same configuration. Information about an individual’s disability is incredibly personal, and this is essentially a privacy breach the user never opted into. Having an accessibility overlay on your site could risk noncompliance with GDPR, CCPA, and the like.

They increase your site’s security risk.

Anytime you load a third-party script onto your site, you are putting part of your site’s safety in the hands of the vendor. If their server is insecure, then you could be directly impacted.

Your website performance will suffer.

This is a tale as old as time; the longer it takes for your site to load, the more likely it is that the user is going to leave. JavaScript always increases page load, and third-party scripts are even worse because it’s the vendor’s server dictating the speed of that script. It’s a known fact that Google and other high priority search engines monitor site speed and that metric is utilized in your SEO ranking. Slowing down your site with an accessibility overlay will directly impact your search ranking with Google.

Website creators may become reliant on them.

Overlays are insufficient bandaids to problems that designers and developers will continue to make if they are not required to solve them. This gives the team a false sense of security and no motivation to create inclusive, accessible websites.

The “repairs” made by overlays may not be reflected in the source code. 

If you were to “view source” on a webpage, what’s reflected there may not match up with what you see being delivered by the overlay JavaScript. This means anyone using assistive technologies that rely on the source code would not be served the accessibility changes.

Overlays may be blocked by the intended audience.

Extensions designed to block ads are known to also block overlays, but ad blockers are a common tool users employ to ensure their assistive technologies are working properly. Instead those users will be served your existing inaccessible website without the overlay.

They actually create barriers to accessibility.

This is the big one. Most users of assistive technologies agree that overlays are ineffective at best, and detrimental at worst. These widgets often require activation via buttons or toolbars which of themselves may not be accessible to the user. Remember, not everyone is using their eyes and a mouse to navigate the page. Just because you can see and click on them doesn’t mean everyone can.

Moreover, users requiring assistive technologies already have solutions which impact the experience across their entire device and web browsers. An overlay can override or conflict with these settings, or even adapt unreliably (if at all), creating a frustrating experience for the user.

Companies using accessibility overlays are subject to brand damage.

Yeah. They are regarded that badly by the A11y community and those who use assistive technology. Companies caught using overlays have been called out for it on social media, and it is not a good look. The general feeling is that those organizations care more about their legal obligations than the actual end user.

  1. They require no actual accessibility knowledge or expertise.
  2. They provide controls that seem very helpful, like color contrast and text size.
  3. They promise fast and easy accessibility compliance.

It’s that last one that draws in companies and organizations looking to meet regulations. Accessibility overlays look like a temptingly cheap and quick fix for a big, expensive problem.

But accessibility overlays do fix accessibility problems, right?

No. A thousand times, no. 

There is currently no way for a single automated tool to detect all accessibility issues on a website. This is widely known in the A11y community. When we do accessibility audits at Kanopi, we use a minimum of four different automated tools, in addition to manually testing via keyboard and screen reader. Most automated tools can only detect up to 30% of potential problems, leaving up to 70% undetected. It takes a human user with training, additional tools, and a good chunk of time to find the remaining items. How then could an overlay possibly identify all accessibility issues on a webpage?

Unfortunately, they can’t. And therefore, they cannot meet the WCAG 2.1 Success Criteria. Conformance is defined as meeting all of the requirements of the standard; partial compliance is not sufficient. Any accessibility overlay provider claiming conformance is misrepresenting their product.

Just a few examples of issues an overlay is not going to be able to address, but are basic A11y requirements:

  • Detect / repair missing headings, or misused headings
  • Fill in missing alt text with appropriate content
  • Add missing labels on form fields or submit buttons
  • Fix missing or incorrect error management and handling
  • Provide reliable focus control on form inputs
  • Provide reliable keyboard access
  • Correct JavaScript content injected independently of the overlay
  • Enable zoom
  • Correct the usage of layout tables
  • Reliably correct focus order
  • Prevent keyboard traps

There’s more, but these are areas that are known to be big problems for users of assistive technologies and can make your site completely unusable for part of your audience.

What’s the worst that could happen?

In 2020, more than 250 lawsuits were filed against companies using overlays to solve accessibility issues on their sites. In fact, around 70% of accessibility cases are brought by the same ten law firms who are actively seeking websites using overlays. These law firms specialize in accessibility lawsuits and are looking for easy targets

Hunt Huey (PLLC) confirms this is a known strategy, stating: “The law firms who file website accessibility lawsuits and their pet clients start the process of finding a target using automated tools that scan for compliance with the technical requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 or 2.1.”

“The conclusion is simple. If avoiding litigation is your goal, an overlay or widget won’t do the trick.” 

Hunt Huey

The reality is, if you want to avoid legal action then you need to reach WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance.

So, back to the original question: Do you feel lucky? 

How do you become compliant?

It takes time, it takes expertise, it takes commitment. It takes caring about real people who use assistive technologies. Folks with disabilities are worthy of respect and inclusion. Design and build your website with inclusion and accessibility in mind, so that your site can be ‘reached’ by all. Dedicate resources to ongoing automated and manual A11y audits of your site, addressing issues at the root of the problem instead of applying bandaids.

Kanopi can help. If you’d like to know more about our A11y audits, or our dedication to building Level AA websites, get in touch with us.

Why do we need to make accessible websites?

Because it’s the right thing to do. 

Forget the legal ramifications. Forget the fact that there’s a strong business case for it. Consider for a moment the ethical responsibility to ensure your site is barrier free to anyone regardless of who they are. Consider that your clients and customers are people to respect, not problems to solve.

It’s time to make your website accessible.

Kanopi Team

4 reasons for choosing an all-in-one design and development agency

When designing and developing your website, partnering with one agency that handles both offers advantages that are hard to ignore.

Whether for your higher education institution, nonprofit, or your software as a service (SaaS) firm, a website build is often thought of as a two-phase process during its construction. 

Firstly, you need a platform design and strategy. You’ll want to study your typical website visitors, organize and audit your pages and content, and create an information architecture while thoughtfully choosing fonts and colors for your user interface. The UX design process is a crucial part of every platform build, ensuring your site will be a pleasure to navigate while meeting website visitors’ needs.

Website development naturally follows once you have your design. Engineers code, test, debug, and retest every component of your site to ensure it’s functional, accessible, and secure before it’s ready to go live. 

It’s not uncommon for companies to think of each of these vital phases — design and development — as two distinct and separate entities. Because of this, folks often consider partnering with one agency to design their platform and another to develop it. 

We don’t deny this strategy can produce fantastic websites. In some instances, choosing a specialized agency to focus on a single phase of your site build makes sense. However, we’d like to highlight how design and development are not as independent as some think, and there are advantages to having the two phases connected. 

Working with one agency that’s mastered both design and development can save you time and money while ensuring your site is a joy to use and will be for many years to come. We’ve pulled together our top four reasons firms should consider choosing one agency for designing and developing their website.

Four reasons for choosing an all-in-one design and development agency: 

1) You’ll launch faster.

When gaining both design and development from the same agency, your project life cycle is more efficient, meaning your website is able to go live faster. This valuable time-saving is the result of consistent alignment between designers and engineers.

Whenever Kanopi inherits a platform designed elsewhere, we ensure the strategic thinking isn’t lost in the transition as this is one of the most common blockages when your platform moves from the design agency to a development agency. Accessibility issues, missed content requirements, and an unworkable CMS can also crop up when working with separate design and development firms.

One agency can ensure your site is accessible.

Design agencies that don’t offer website development in-house can sometimes create design specs that don’t meet accessibility and usability guidelines. When it comes time to build your site, engineers may need to do extra work or modify your agreed-upon design to meet the needs of everyone who uses your website. 

With design and development working together, accessibility isn’t an afterthought and can be included in the strategy and design of your website from the very beginning. 

Understanding your content requirements is more seamless.

Another challenge that can extend project timelines are missed content requirements, as design agencies can occasionally overlook your company’s content requirements due to focusing on aesthetics. Unfortunately, we’ve seen designs break when it comes time to migrate a company’s actual content over to the platform design. Without a technical review of the actual content that needs migrating, designers might miss any number of needs, including not taking image size requirements into consideration, ensuring that content isn’t being broken up into multiple components, or creating space for headlines that are too short to accommodate actual headline length. 

Conversely, what if the designers create visuals around content that doesn’t yet exist? It can look great having all the bells and whistles in the design, but if the content doesn’t exist, someone has to make it, or the design may look flat.  Make sure things like images, videos, and content fields exist or can be created before signing off on that design.

With development and design working hand-in-hand, engineers are able to provide expertise on content needs while designers are beginning to craft a beautiful website that’s functional. 

You’ll get a CMS that’s easier to use. 

Lastly, disjointed design and development can sometimes leave behind the unique needs of content managers. Busy content teams need a content management system (CMS) that’s a breeze to use. With a focus on front-end design, design-only firms sometimes provide designs that do not lend well to editing specific assets in the CMS (for example, image sizes that require Photoshop or another outside tool to crop to proper sizes). Development can lean into the design process to help integrate a CMS that’s user-friendly, no matter the skill level of your content team members. 

Additionally, having a pattern library within your CMS is crucial to keep your site’s design consistent over time. Design firms tend to design each of your web pages, but rarely design full pattern libraries that work across an entire site that help maintain a smooth workflow between design and code when it’s time for development. Creating every web page in isolation leads to multiple ways to display content, slowing down your project.

When Kanopi develops websites, we look for patterns we can apply site-wide to eliminate gaps that commonly appear through separate page design. Without pattern libraries, numerous patterns may be created for similar content, which can lead to increased complexity, longer development time, and the need for additional project management support with a heftier price tag.

2) Feature development is easier.

When you decide to partner with an agency providing both design and development, designers and engineers work in tandem and are able to understand the nuances of the features necessary to make your website the best it can be. 

When the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Institute of Golden Gate partnered with Kanopi, we were able to take a strategic approach to their visual design, factoring in their complex infrastructure and functionality requirements. 

Mapping, in particular, is a complex feature for the park and one that needs to look great while providing an intuitive user experience and a CMS behind the scenes that’s fit for purpose. Kanopi created a content administration experience, allowing for polygon drawing and mapping files to direct intricate paths for hiking in the park: 

An example of one of the many available maps of the trails managed by Parks Conservancy. This one overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge.

3) Project management is more cohesive.

When you partner with an all-in-one agency, you ensure the smoothest transition possible as your platform passes from the designers to the engineers.

Designers within an all-in-one agency understand the skillsets, workflow, and limitations of the engineers with whom they work. They’re familiar with what design practices are going to make the job of the developers as smooth as possible, and which ones might come up against issues in the build phase. Those built-in efficiencies make a huge impact on time and budget.

Working with separate design and development agencies can lead to numerous layers of project management with a costly transfer (in terms of both time and money) between them all. 

Working with an all-in-one agency can also help your internal project management go more smoothly. You can avoid misaligned team expectations with the help of the agency, which will work to meet with senior-level stakeholders regularly and keep them up to date on your web strategy. Learn more about this process in our guide to avoiding the “Swoop and Poop.”

4) Your designs will have more longevity. 

The final reason for choosing the same agency for both design and development comes down to the sustainability of your site. Websites designed and developed by the same team prove the test of time because designers, engineers, and project managers can collectively gain a deep understanding of your company’s mission and long-term goals. They are able to strategize a plan for your website post-launch, so it continues to support your business goals and remain a great site to interact with next year and the year after next.   

With design files at the ready, simple navigation enhancements and tweaks to key elements can be made quickly and easily, keeping your website looking sharp and delightful to navigate.

Weeks can stretch into months for design updates that need to go back to an original contractor that crafted your initial platform design. An all-in-one agency becomes an expert in your business, armed with a thorough understanding of your history and unique growth plans.

Build a better, more sustainable platform with Kanopi.

Kanopi is a close-knit team of designers, engineers, and project managers, who are all working towards the same mission of pairing creative solutions with solid and sustainable architecture while keeping our client’s entire ecosystem in mind.

We’re incredibly proud of the award-winning websites we’ve designed and built for our clients. In addition to design and development, we provide robust support after your website goes live, going above and beyond basic bug fixes and security updates. 

‘When I describe Kanopi to others, I talk about customer service, great services, a sustainable site, and a relationship that gets better over time. Every project we have done with Kanopi has improved our site and made it work harder and better for us.’

Laura H, Digital Marketing Manager, Stratford Schools

Are you interested in partnering with us? Reach out if you want a better, more sustainable site. 

Drupal 10 is Coming Soon. Here’s Everything You Should Know

Is your website ready for Drupal 10?

Hot on the heels of Drupal 9 (D9) comes its successor, Drupal 10 (D10). D10 is set to be released in December 2022, a mere two years after the release of D9. For current Drupal 9 users, this won’t be a major overhaul of your current system, but it’s still important to review the details of the upgrade to prepare for this new version. 

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Drupal 10 release, from what’s included in the update to how to prepare your website effectively. Remember, you can stay in the loop regarding all Drupal updates by signing up for the Drupal newsletter and keeping an eye on industry resources like Kanopi’s blog

Kanopi's here to help you prepare for the Drupal 10 release. Contact us today for assistance.

Drupal 10 FAQs

This Drupal timeline shows the EOL dates for D7, 8, and 9 as well as the Drupal 10 release date.

When will Drupal 10 be released?

Drupal 10 is set to be released on December 14, 2022.

What is the latest Drupal version?

Drupal 9 is the latest version of Drupal, released in June 2020. 

How long will Drupal 9 be supported?

Drupal 9 will be supported until November 2023. This coincides with the EOL (end of life) for Symfony 4, which is the framework upon which Drupal 9 is built. 

What’s Included in Drupal 10

Unlike previous releases (like the transition from D7 to D8), Drupal 10 will not be a comprehensive overhaul. Instead, it will provide a variety of new or enhanced features, including:

  • Improvements to the Layout Builder and Media Library features, offering greater out-of-the-box functionality. 
  • Enhanced decoupled developer and site builder experiences, with particular attention made to menus and URL handling.
  • Replacing CKEditor 4 with CKEditor 5, facilitating a better authoring experience and modern editing tools.
  • Swapping out jQuery components with more modern and performant JavaScript elements.
  • Replacing Symfony 4 with Symfony 5 or 6 and upgrading PHP from 7 to 8. PHP 8 is a significant update to the PHP scripting language.

These updates will make the Drupal platform easier to use while providing more advanced, state-of-the-art tools for developers to explore. 

How to Prepare for the Drupal 10 Release Date

Depending on what version of Drupal you’re currently using, the process will vary when upgrading to Drupal 10: 

  • Drupal 7 users: Drupal 7 will reach its end of life in November 2023. While Drupal 10 will feature some tools to help upgrade from D7 to D10, it’s highly recommended to upgrade to D9 as soon as possible. By upgrading at the earliest possible time, you ensure your website stays updated with the latest features and security measures. Our guide to transitioning from Drupal 7 to 9 provides additional insight into this process.
  • Drupal 8 users: Drupal 8’s end of life occurred on November 2, 2021. You’ll have to upgrade to Drupal 9 to be able to upgrade to Drupal 10 next year. The migration from D8 to D9 is generally straightforward, so it’s in your best interest to initiate this upgrade as soon as possible.  
  • Drupal 9 users: If you’re currently using Drupal 9, you’re in a strong position to start preparing for the release of D10. To position your site for a successful upgrade, keep your code updated and conduct ongoing site maintenance. For instance, with Kanopi’s ongoing support process, we run automated tests and checks on every code change, ensuring that we keep our code up to date with Drupal 10 development.

All Drupal users can join the dedicated Slack channel where the Drupal 10 readiness team hosts meetings every Monday at 6 p.m. GMT in the #d10readiness channel. If you’d like to stay updated on the latest D10 news, you can join the conversation and get your questions answered. 

Working with a Technology Consultant

You might be doing all you can to keep your site updated and secure, but when it comes time to conduct a version upgrade, things can get more complicated. Plenty of web development and design firms (like Kanopi!) can help manage your website upgrades and ensure you’re in a strong position ahead of Drupal 10’s release. 

Whether you’re currently working on D7, 8, or 9, technology consultants can help enhance your website with a variety of services. These professionals can:

  • Conduct a technology assessment to determine the effectiveness of your website and digital strategies.
  • Take your Drupal web design to the next level with enhanced visual and interactive design, improved accessibility, and streamlined page structures. 
  • Perform website maintenance and provide ongoing support. 
  • Manage your website’s upgrade to Drupal 9 and eventually Drupal 10.

Here at Kanopi, no project is too large or complex for our team of Drupal experts. Whether you’re looking to upgrade to Drupal 9, better maintain your site, or ensure you’re doing everything you can to prepare for Drupal 10, we’re here to help. 

Each of our team members has, on average, 11 years of experience in Drupal Development, and several of them are Acquia-certified. We also are a supporting partner to the Drupal Association, regular contributors to the Drupal Project, and one of the main organizers of BADCamp, a Drupal-focused community event.

Additional Resources:

Interested in working with Kanopi to prepare your Drupal website for D10? Contact us today.
Kanopi Team

Time to update your website? You need a website transition plan

Why a website transition plan is crucial, and how to get the most out of it.

At some point in your website’s lifespan, it’s time to do an update. Every few years, your site’s code gets outdated, old features may not be available, and security and performance improvements are released. The average website lifecycle is around 2 years, but many companies go well beyond that, leaving them with a site that’s in dire need of a refresh.

Also, new CMS versions tend to be released on a regular cycle, making it necessary to upgrade. You might be facing that if, say, your current site is built on Drupal 7 (D7). As D7 reaches end-of-life, you’ll need to decide how and when to move to Drupal 9

Whatever the reason, this is an excellent time to create a comprehensive website transition plan, rather than simply doing a barebones update to your site. 

A website transition plan looks at the site update process from a strategic standpoint and with a holistic view, covering the following aspects: 

  • Reviewing design and user experience. Can visitors interact with your website effectively to find the information they’re looking for? During your website transition, you can take the time to review and enhance your user experience. 
  • Determining how/why things are built the way they are on your site. Which design or functionality elements need to remain the same, and which can be updated to improve efficiency or user experience? A website transition plan can illuminate opportunities for improvement. 

Let’s think about your website like a house…

Imagine you’ve been in that house for several years. Over the years you’ve added additions, done some small renos, maybe updated the paint job. Perhaps you ambitiously added a second story and a suite for the in-laws. And, you most definitely have accumulated a lot of “stuff” you’re storing there.

Okay, we’re still talking about websites here, I promise…

Like a house you’ve been in for years, an old website can become cluttered. As your business has expanded, you may have made additions quickly, without taking a step back and looking at it from a bird’s-eye view. 

When it’s time to upgrade your site (just like if you were updating your home), you need a blueprint to help make decisions that consider every site element, your goals, and how you can give your site as much longevity as possible.

A website transition plan is like the blueprint for the “house.” It can include key elements like:  

  • A deep-dive review of your website’s current infrastructure and design
  • An assessment of your site’s URLs, using a visual representation or sitemap
  • An analysis of why visitors are using your site and how you can better appeal to their needs and preferences
  • High-level design and user experience recommendations
  • Recommendations for how to rebuild your site better

When you’re armed with your blueprints and recommendations for your future build, you can use them to decide what you’re going to do to build the best version of your new “house.”

Are you going to knock the entire old house down and start from scratch? Or, are there strategic changes you can make that will be impactful without needing to do an entire rebuild? 

We like to call these “small bites for big wins,” and there are a couple of ways you can approach this:

1. The Lift-and-Shift

You can leave your design and UX as is and do a lift-and-shift. With this approach, you keep the same look and feel of your current site but perform a replatform. 

This is a good option if your design is good overall and you only need to make minor tweaks. It’s a chance to improve your accessibility, performance, and design best practices without starting from scratch.

PROS: 

  • This approach can save time. You likely won’t need a lot of internal stakeholder engagement, so you can move fairly quickly.
  • You can adjust portions of your site with partial migrations of different sections rather than a massive overhaul. This can help spread the cost of your redesigns out over time and avoid surprising site visitors with a major and unexpected rebrand. 

CONS:

  • If you have to rebuild your entire house anyway, why would you only paint the walls? If your site is in need of a major upgrade, this piecemeal approach may end up being more costly over time.
  • After you conduct a lift-and-shift, your site might look similar or exactly the same as when you started. This approach might not offer the visible improvements you (and your stakeholders) are looking to implement.

2. The Reimagine 

A website reimagine is a full rebuild, taking a fresh look at your design, user experience, content, and conversion strategy.

Websites are the #1 marketing tool an organization has. If you go this route, take this opportunity to design a visually stunning website design that gives your audiences the information they want in a way that positively enhances their interaction with your brand.

To execute this successfully you’ll need stakeholder buy-in, end-user data, and a clear creative vision, paired with technical mapping.

PROS: 

  • You’ll get the heavier lifting over with upfront, rather than just applying a coat of paint.
  • You’ll be able to incorporate the most modern components available.
  • Your site will have a longer shelf life since design and development is fresh.

CONS:

  • You might spend more.
  • Since this is a more major overhaul, there will be more stakeholders involved. 
  • This approach will take more time.

We recently created a website transition plan for one of our clients, the Centre for Digital Media (CDM), whose goal is to move from a Drupal 7 site to Drupal 9. Rather than simply planning for that upgrade, we dug deeper into their website to create a plan that includes improvements to the site and will future-proof the site long after the update.

We did a deep dive into the technical side of how the site was built and why the site was built that way (The “why” is just as important as the “how”). We met with CDM bi-weekly, shared our findings, and ultimately came up with a technical plan as well as suggestions on how to move forward with content restructuring, migration, performance, design, and security improvements. Ultimately, they were able to determine that they needed a Reimagine” of the site. By going through the process of creating a website transition plan, they were empowered with the information they needed to make decisions with confidence and buy-in from the right people. 

A good website transition plan should be customized to support the goals of your specific site. Your website and business are unique, and a successful transition plan will keep this in mind. Ultimately, the plan acts as a blueprint that allows you to understand the scope of your build, so you can make the best decisions for your site’s update. 


We’d love to help create the blueprint for your site and map your next steps! Contact us to get started on your website transition plan.

Drupal 8 End-of-Life and Support: What’s Next?

This post was last updated in September 2024 to incorporate information about the recent release of Drupal 11. 

Kanopi is a Drupal Certified Partner and can help with your migration needs.

Drupal, one of the world’s most popular open-source content management systems (CMS), has continuously released new versions of its platform since its launch 20 years ago. Website developers were thrilled when Drupal 8 hit the scene in 2015, bringing with it a plethora of improvements and bug fixes. However, the system has now run its course and reached its end of life on November 2, 2021. 

This leaves groups like nonprofits, businesses, associations, and other organizations that rely on Drupal 8 at a crossroads. As an organizational leader or staff web developer, you may be wondering what Drupal 8’s end of life means for your organization, and how you should tackle upgrading your site to Drupal 11 (the latest version). 

In this guide, we’ll review what Drupal 8’s end of life means for organizations like yours and how you can best approach the migration to Drupal 11 if you haven’t already done so. 

Keep in mind that this guide is meant only for Drupal 8 users, not Drupal 7 users. If you are a Drupal 7 user, please review our resource dedicated to Drupal 7’s end of life

 

What Does Drupal 8 End-of-Life Mean?

Several different versions of Drupal are currently active and supported: Drupal 7, 10, and 11. Drupal 11 is the most recent version, launched in August 2024. 

If your site is currently running Drupal 8, it is built upon the Symfony 3 framework, which reached its end-of-life on November 2, 2021. This means that after November 2021, security issues in Symfony 3 (and therefore Drupal 8) will no longer be fixed, resulting in:

  • No new features added to Drupal 8 after this time. 
  • No minor releases or security updates. 
  • No long-term support for the platform. 

We can’t emphasize the last point enough—failing to migrate to a currently supported Drupal version will result in losing access to Symfony support, meaning your site’s code will no longer be updated by Symfony or Drupal. This could leave you exposed to a variety of security threats and vulnerabilities. 

To ensure that your Drupal 8 website remains secure, it should be upgraded to Drupal 11.

What Does This Mean for Drupal 7 End-of-Life?

Drupal 7, which was released a decade ago, does not use Symfony. Instead, it is built upon a PHP framework developed by the Drupal community. Drupal 7’s end of life was extended to January 2025 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning it will live on past Drupal 8’s EOL. So, if you’re a Drupal 7 user, there is still time to come up with a strategic plan for upgrading your website.

What Happens if Drupal 8 Users Don’t Upgrade?

Because Drupal 8 reached its end of life, no more security updates or bug fixes/improvements will be released for that version. 

Remaining on an unsupported version of Drupal leaves your website vulnerable to cyber attacks and lacking in new features. In addition, the plugins and tools you’ve added to your site over the years may not be compatible with your system anymore, causing you to lose functionality.

For all of these reasons, it’s best practice to update your Drupal version before its end-of-life date.

What is the Drupal 8 End of Life Process for Upgrading to Drupal 11?

To upgrade your website to the latest version of Drupal, D11, you must first migrate to Drupal 10.3. According to Drupal, “sites running 10.2.x or earlier versions must first update to 10.3.0 or later prior to updating to Drupal 11, because all core updates added prior to 10.3.0 have been removed. If any modules or themes have been removed you may use the respective contributed project instead.” 

Fortunately, the upgrade from Drupal 8 to later versions is much easier than other migrations because later versions are backward compatible with Drupal 8. If you were to switch from Drupal 7 to 10, for instance, it would require all of your site’s data to be transferred to a brand new Drupal website. In contrast, since you’re already a Drupal 8 user, you won’t have to take as big of a leap to transition to Drupal 10. 

To get your site ready for the upgrade, follow these steps:

  1. Update your site to the latest version of Drupal 8.
  2. Update any outdated modules and dependencies.
  3. Update your PHP and database versions on your hosting environment.
  4. Check if you have any deprecated code on your site and fix/remove it.

After completing these tasks, your site can be upgraded to Drupal version 10.3, and then to Drupal 11. 

Even though the migration from Drupal 8 to later versions is relatively straightforward, you may still encounter roadblocks or obstacles that slow down the process. Our website professionals at Kanopi are experts in Drupal planning and development and can aid you in your migration journey.

Each of our team members has, on average, 11 years of experience in Drupal Development, and several of them are Acquia-certified. We are also a supporting partner of the Drupal Association, regularly contribute to the Drupal Project, and are one of the main organizers of BADCamp, a Drupal-focused community event.


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Improving Collaboration Between Web Designers & Copywriters

If you’re a marketer, you know that working on a cohesive team is the foundation of any marketing campaign. Stellar work can’t happen if you don’t have strong collaboration and clear communication. 

Still, fostering seamless collaboration between teams can be a struggle. When communication breaks down or systems don’t work properly, people become frustrated and relationships begin to fray. 

As a copywriter myself, I know how crucial it is to develop a strong and stable working relationship with the web designers on my team. They are the ones who take my writing from black font on a page to a seemingly living and breathing page design. The better we work together, the better the final deliverables will be across any marketing project we tackle. 

Here are four tips I’ve picked up over the years that can help improve collaboration between web designers and copywriters. 

Find Ways to Automate Processes 

Nobody enjoys tedious, time consuming tasks. Manual work can add stress to an already taxing marketing job. One way to create better collaboration across web designers and copywriters is through automating processes performed across the roles on a daily basis. 

For instance, I’ve set up multiple automations within Formstack’s Monday board that automatically communicate project status with my web designer, Jason. When copy is done being reviewed by my editor, Jason is automatically alerted so he knows he can proceed with developing imagery and web designs. 

Adding in automations like this smooths processes, eliminates time-consuming manual work, and ensures everyone is on the same page. I don’t have to worry about remembering to tell him something is ready for development, and he doesn’t have to rely on me for constant status updates. This way, we can focus our time on important conversations that propel strategy forward and help us reach big milestones.

Leave Clear Notes 

It’s frustrating when someone doesn’t understand your vision. This pitfall has doomed many working relationships across the world. Whether you’re the copywriter sending copy to a designer or the designer showing a comp to a copywriter, it’s important to have clear notes available for review.

For copywriters, it’s important to provide context on how you see your words compiled on a page. Be clear on headlines, subheads, and sections. Want something to feature an image or video? Make a note. Want a blog post to be highlighted or a stat pulled out of the copy? Make a note. The clearer you can communicate your vision to the designer, the more likely they can execute correctly. 

But don’t go overboard. Your designer should be able to make most of the design decisions and have full control of the design direction. Consider your notes as suggestions, not set-in-stone instructions. My comment example here is from our most recent report, The Rise of the No-Code Economy, to provide some guidance on a special section of copy. 

For web designers, if something will look different between comp and final design, make that clear. If something is a working draft, be sure everyone knows this before asking for feedback. If something needs to be cut, adapted, or edited between copy and final design, make the change clear and provide the reasoning to ensure everyone understands why a change is necessary. 

Get Personal 

You spend a lot of time with your coworkers, even if you’re in a completely virtual environment, like Jason and I are. We are constantly slacking each other, in Zoom meetings, and commenting back and forth on drafts. If we didn’t enjoy working together, my job would suck. 

One way to ensure interactions go well is by developing a personal relationship with the people you work with. This tip works for anyone, not just copywriters and designers. The more you know someone, the better you will be at interpreting their comments, actions, and reactions. Getting to know someone better helps improve communication and can even improve productivity

Meet Before Copywriting Begins  

If you’re working on a big project, like a report, it is very important for the designer and copywriter to discuss the project before copy begins. The last thing you want to do is go into a large project with the wrong expectations of what the final product will be. 

When I began writing Formstack’s The New Digital (Transformation) Divide, I made sure to touch base with Jason and the rest of our digital and design team to ensure we all went into the project with the same expectations. This helps avoid bottlenecks, miscommunications, and misunderstandings further down the road. 

By aligning the copywriter’s and designer’s visions before a project begins, you can set yourself up for success knowing that each party understands—and agrees upon—the final outcome. 

Did you know? 50% of all big projects fail, including websites. A big contributor: stakeholder misalignment. 

Communication is Key 

As with almost all working relationships, the key to sustaining great collaboration between a copywriter and designer all comes down to communication. Many of the most common workplace frustrations, delays, and mishaps can be avoided by ensuring open, clear, and consistent communication. I hope the tips above help you! 


Want to learn more about improving collaboration? Check out the article How to Improve Cross-Departmental Collaboration for even more tried and true tips. 

Lindsay is the Content Marketing Manager at Formstack, splitting her time between creating blog content and producing Formstack’s Ripple Effect podcast. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and enjoys all facets of marketing.

What Is A Nonprofit Technology Assessment?

As we grow more and more dependent on technology, the tools we use can either catapult our efforts further or hinder them completely.

How is your current tech solution serving your organization and mission? For nonprofits like yours, the online donation solution, content management system (CMS), and other essential tools you use all contribute to the overall success of your fundraising and supporter engagements.

If you’ve noticed your efforts aren’t quite yielding the expected results, or you’re just not sure if your tech investments are bringing genuine value, this is where a nonprofit technology assessment can help.

A nonprofit tech assessment takes a top-down view of your entire organization and the tools you depend on. It reveals what resources you currently utilize, which solutions are actively helping complete your mission, and which tech you might not need.

With the assessment results, you can better revitalize your digital nonprofit strategy and ensure you take advantage of every fundraising and engagement opportunity.

If this is something that interests you, you’ve come to the right place. Continue reading to learn more about the basic components of a nonprofit tech assessment and how you can conduct one.

Table of Contents

Considering launching a nonprofit tech assessment? Contact Kanopi Studios for help.

Nonprofit Technology Assessment: An Overview

A nonprofit technology assessment is the key to getting a comprehensive outlook on your current digital solution. The assessment showcases your nonprofit staff, their skills, your budget, donor relationships, and all internal procedures in terms of the tech solution you have.

In particular, a nonprofit tech assessment can bring the following benefits:

  • Ensures you avoid duplicated efforts or investing in something that your organization already has
  • Lets you know if your organization is missing out on any critical procedures, policies, or tools
  • Gives you insight into where you should be spending your tech revenue

If your own organization is undergoing a digital transformation, a tech assessment is a critical step to help guide that journey. On top of that, it’s recommended that you consistently conduct these assessments as your organization and tech solutions continue to expand.

With modern solutions popping up every day and the volatility of the internet, assessing your nonprofit solutions on a regular basis is an extremely beneficial practice. Doing so can ensure that you’re aware of current solutions and any gaps in your existing infrastructure. Plus, you’ll be more prepared for future opportunities and sustainable growth.

Basic Components of a Nonprofit Technology Assessment

So, how can you conduct a nonprofit technology assessment? The process may differ depending on your situation and the resources you have, but these are some of the common steps you’ll likely follow:

  1. Create an asset/technology inventory. This is a working inventory of the tech that your nonprofit currently has and uses on a daily basis. Make sure to also note the age, name, manufacturer, and other key details within the inventory. You might even get an official tech audit from an experienced nonprofit tech service.
  2. Determine future needs. With your organization’s other leaders and stakeholders, brainstorm some short-term and long-term goals. These goals should actively drive your mission forward. Then, rank each goal based on priority and end date to get a sense of your future needs and to develop a timeline for what needs to be accomplished.
  3. Consider your financial budget. How much does your organization invest in tech annually? How much additional revenue can you and are you willing to put in? As you’re figuring this out, make sure that your budget accounts for upgrades and fixes, like if you undergo nonprofit website maintenance.

Along with the above, it’s a good idea to ask yourself several self-assessment questions. These will further help you determine where your organization stands and if your current solution is working for your needs.

Questions to Ask During Your Nonprofit Tech Assessment

  • What technology skills do your staff possess?  This will vary depending on the size of your organization, but if you have an expert coder on staff, this is worth noting. How much your staff knows about the tools and software you use is also important.
  • What are your policies for data backup, computer security, tech support, and so on? If there’s an area that you feel is lacking or could use a refresh, this is crucial to take note of. Upgrading your tech processes to be more secure is always your best bet.
  • What’s the current state of your website? If you haven’t updated your website in the past 6 months, it’s likely due for some maintenance.
  • What are the roles and responsibilities in your organization that relate to technology? Documenting this can be helpful for when you’ve completed the assessment and are working on incorporating its insights.
  • Who are your technology vendors? If you pay any monthly fees to a vendor, both the name and the price should be jotted down.
  • What are the major technology services you provide to your staff, volunteers, donors, and other constituents? Consider every online or technological process you offer. This can include online donation tools, event registration, payment processing, email or texting, and more. Have there been any instances where a tool has malfunctioned?
  • Do you provide training opportunities for your staff, volunteers, and others who use your technology resources? While this may be something you have to account for in your budget, ensuring that your entire team has the proper training and knowledge to use the tools you’ve invested in is more than just advice. It will prevent any confusion down the line and make sure that each process is as efficient as possible.
  • Who do you turn to for advice on technology? Often, nonprofit organizations will have tech consultants or other services that can help them with tech support and audits.

With your tech inventory, a list of needs, and your current budget, you can gain a better sense of where your organization currently stands. The above questions can further ensure that you’re not missing out on any critical gaps.

How Kanopi Can Help With Your Nonprofit Technology Assessment

We at Kanopi Studios know just how important your tech stack is to your organization’s fundraising efforts and overall success. As a top partner for nonprofits like yours, we’ve helped our clients develop over 150 active sites and optimize their digital strategy.

Here are some of the services we offer that can help when it comes to conducting a nonprofit technology assessment:

  • Perform tech audits for new clients across the board. Our expert team can evaluate public-facing websites and any connected services, like donation platforms and CRMs.
  • Provide support and advice on how your nonprofit website fits into your tech assessment. Is your current CMS helping or hindering your online efforts? We can also make recommendations and suggestions on how to improve your website and ensure it’s doing all it can for your mission.
  • Conduct research on your nonprofit’s online audience and develop user personas. This can clue you into the best ways to engage and reach out to your supporters with the tools at your disposal.
  • Keep updated on industry standards and current nonprofit website and UX best practices. Whether you need information regarding the new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and how it affects your organization or are unsure if your website meets current accessibility guidelines, we are here to help.

On top of these services, the Kanopi team will put together a Website Growth Plan (WGP) using the insights from your nonprofit tech assessment. This WGP will outline an actionable roadmap of content, features, and tactics that nonprofit leaders can implement.

The plan covers the overarching web strategy, as well as includes all brands across all channels. We’ll review your nonprofit’s current state, update audience personas as their journey relates to the website, and come up with a list of recommendations to set you up for continuous improvement and growth.

The Kanopi team knows that each nonprofit is unique, so this process is completely customized. We have different types and levels of WGPs depending on the customer’s needs.

Contact us for your own personalized Website Growth Plan.

We know that each nonprofit is unique. Our nonprofit tech assessment process is fully customized to each organization.
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Charity Microsites: The What, Why, Where, When, and How

Imagine a scenario: You’re planning for your annual fundraising event. This is your biggest event of the year, helping you raise the bulk of your revenue in order to reach your goals. As you’re planning your marketing campaign and outreach strategy, you hear that creating a charity microsite, a separate website still associated with your core organization, might be your best bet.

Even if you haven’t created a microsite before, you’ve probably already encountered numerous ones without realizing it. Many businesses (and increasingly more nonprofits) are using microsites as a creative and engaging marketing strategy. 

Take Adobe’s Creative Types microsite as an example. This microsite is a “What Creative Type Are You?” quiz, which encourages visitors to figure out the type of creator they are and provides specific advice on how to flourish with the Adobe Creative platform. It exists as its own site but ultimately stems from Adobe and promotes its services.

So, how can you leverage microsites as a charitable nonprofit organization? At Kanopi, we often help nonprofits with developing, designing, and supporting their websites. Drawing on our experiences, we’ve written this dedicated guide to help you answer this question and many more. 

Table of contents

Contact Kanopi to see if a charity microsite would benefit your organization!

What Is A Charity Microsite?

In the simplest terms, a charity microsite is an individual web page or a small cluster of pages that function as a separate site either within or to complement an existing nonprofit’s website. 

What Is A Charity Microsite Used For?

Microsites are often used as a focused marketing strategy to reach a specific audience or meet a specific need. Having the power to design and customize a separate site enables nonprofit leaders to:

  • Target specific audiences and individuals who require specific messaging
  • Experiment with different media formats (e.g. blogs, video, audio)
  • Create another platform to gain online visibility
  • Bring attention to a new event or program they are launching
  • Create an alternative way to grow their email lists or gain social media followers
  • Show another side of the nonprofit organization (this can include a change in tone of voice)
  • Provide a platform that functions as one part of a whole service they provide (e.g. specific nonprofit campaigns, webinars)

But a microsite won’t perform all of these functions unless you develop it with a few key qualities and factors in mind.

What Makes A Good Charity Microsite?

While you can probably quickly create a microsite using your dedicated content management system (CMS), that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s actually contributing to your organization. Without upkeep and careful planning, a microsite can end up being pushed to the wayside.

To ensure that your charity microsite will effectively reach your target audience, it needs the following qualities:

  • Flexibility. Once you create your charity microsite, that doesn’t mean your work is done. As people interact and engage with your site, you’ll learn a little more about how to best reach them and meet their needs. Your site should be flexible, and able to pivot if circumstances or your focus changes.
  • Unique content. The microsite should have content that’s as unique as possible, standing alone and distinguishing itself from your regular website. Since it is independent of your core site, your content should be more focused and direct, focusing on what furthers the purpose and mission of the microsite. For example, if your microsite is dedicated to a blog roll, don’t repeat the same content from your core site. Your microsite’s audience doesn’t necessarily need to know about your fundraising initiatives or your organization’s history.
  • Intuitive navigation. If a microsite has more than one page, it should be easy and intuitive to navigate, directing users to key areas. This is the same as your regular organization’s website. The more you streamline your navigation, the better your user experience (UX) will be and the more likely supporters will continue engaging with the microsite.
  • Shareability. Because of its unique nature, your microsite should be easy to share on social media, mobile apps, email, and more. As a key marketing tool, this shareability is key if you want to expand your target audience. This is especially critical if the charity microsite is for a nonprofit campaign/event.
  • Clear and actionable CTA. Microsites don’t exist for no reason — there is always a purpose. Ensure that your microsite has a clear call-to-action so that as soon as users land on it, they immediately know what they should do. If your microsite is for an event, display your event registration button and form clearly.
  • Analytic capabilities. A huge benefit of microsites is the ability to develop very specific reports targeted to specific campaigns and projects. Ensure your microsite is integrated with your nonprofit CRM and performance analysis tool to track any key performance indicators (KPIs). This way, you can have an accurate and comprehensive view of who accesses your site, what pages are most popular, and more.
  • Optimized URL name. Since you want your microsite to stand on its own, it definitely needs an optimized URL name. The URL should be a direct reflection of the mission and purpose of the microsite, whether it’s the slogan, campaign name, or target keyword.

Why Are Charity Microsites Beneficial?

Oftentimes, nonprofit leaders grapple with whether making a charity microsite is truly worth it. After all, it’s going to take a bit of time to plan out its purpose, develop, and design it.

However, adding a charity microsite to your digital nonprofit strategy brings multiple benefits that other marketing efforts might struggle more to achieve.

Here are a couple of unique benefits to keep in mind:

  • Increased brand visibility. Because there’s another whole site representing your nonprofit brand, this means more opportunities for people to find and engage with you.
  • New lead generation. Your charity microsite can often be one of your largest lead drivers. Because of its unique quality to target a key audience, there’s a good chance that many of your new supporters will find out about your organization through the microsite.
  • Seamless part of the donor journey. The donor journey describes how a supporter engages with your organization before they ultimately make a gift. Your microsite can be an intuitive step in this journey. Prospects can learn about your organization through the microsite, and then with key CTAs become introduced to your other online offerings.
  • Boosted supporter engagement. Because you can host unique content that strays from your normal brand on your charity microsite, there’s a huge opportunity to increase supporter engagement. Elements like interactive slides, videos, or even a fun quiz can engage your audience in a fun and interesting way, while still introducing them to your brand.
  • Improved SEO performance. If your microsite has genuinely valuable content that differs from your main site, it can potentially drive your SEO ranking with carefully chosen and placed backlinks. However, that doesn’t mean you should be creating microsites for the sole purpose of SEO. Search engines favor sites with high-quality content, and if that is spread thinly between too many microsites, you won’t be driving as much value to your core website.
  • Help with measuring success. As mentioned earlier, a microsite is great for analysis reasons. Because it is dedicated to a specific project or purpose, you can easily determine its success with KPIs. Get a better sense of the number of leads you’re getting and how people are finding out about the microsite.

Further, microsites are generally pretty affordable to create. You don’t have to break your budget; all you need is your capable CMS. You can even use the one you already depend on for your main site. And, the time and effort you put into your charity microsite will surely pay off once you meet your fundraising targets and notice an increase in conversions.

Where Are Charity Microsites?

As you already know by now, a charity microsite exists outside your main nonprofit website. It is not a landing page on your website or in any way a part of your page structure and navigation. However, it is still branded to your organization.

When you think about where to find your charity microsite, you’ll have to understand the key differences between a microsite and your regular one:

  • Different domain or subdomain name. Your microsite shouldn’t just be your regular domain name and a page title. Make sure your domain or subdomain is different so that it stands out.
  • Microsites are usually temporary.  Once that is over, the microsite no longer needs to exist. It’s common for microsites to only be temporary. However, in special cases like a microsite for a blogroll, you might keep the site around and regularly update it so that it is continuously having a purpose.
  • Microsites hold different content. You already know this, but it’s crucial that your microsite doesn’t host the same content as your regular site. It should be able to stand alone as an entity, without visitors needing to be familiar with your original brand to meaningfully engage.
  • Microsites require their own strategy. Your website marketing and outreach strategy should not be the same as your microsite. After all, they are serving very different purposes. Your microsite strategy should be much more targeted to meet the needs of a very specific audience.

Where you might find a charity microsite will depend on its purpose and role in your digital strategy. If you want to make it easier for supporters to find, add clear links to it within your regular site.

When Should You Develop A Charity Microsite?

Now that you know the purpose and benefits of a charity microsite, it’s time to consider why and when you might create one.

Here are some of the common scenarios in which nonprofits will develop a charity microsite:

  • Campaign-based microsite.
  • Large events or conferences microsite.
  • Published media (blog or webinar) microsite.
  • Online donation microsite.

However, just because these are great opportunities for a charity microsite, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth creating one. Remember, only a good and valuable microsite will bring any of the benefits you’d want. Before creating a microsite, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Will you be reusing content from your main website?
  • How long will you have the microsite up? Is it worth the time and resources to maintain it?
  • Do you struggle to support your existing site?
  • Does the microsite’s purpose stray from your nonprofit’s brand? 
  • Is your microsite audience different from your primary audience?
  • Do you have enough content to create a microsite?

If you answered yes to the first three questions, you might want to rethink creating a charity microsite. You might be better off developing a new page within your regular site. If you answered yes to the last three, then a microsite is something you should seriously consider.

For more in-depth help on whether a microsite is best for your nonprofit, consider speaking to a nonprofit tech consultant.

How Can You Develop A Charity Microsite?

If you’ve decided that a charity microsite is in your future, it’s time to start planning and developing. A microsite will require some thoughtful consideration, especially if you want it to be genuinely successful and valuable to your organization.

Here are the general steps you might follow:

  1. Set the purpose of your microsite. Are you promoting a fundraising campaign or hosting another nonprofit project? What do you want your microsite to accomplish?
  2. Research your target audience. This way you have a clear understanding of how to best reach them and meet their needs.
  3. Decide on a domain or subdomain name and take the necessary steps to own it. This might require purchasing a domain.
  4. Implement an SEO strategy with keyword research. This ensures that your microsite will show up on relevant internet searches and increase accessibility.
  5. Think about microsite design and structure. What do you want your microsite to look like? Should it have multiple pages?
  6. Use a CMS to start creating content. Popular CMS platforms that you might use are WordPress and Drupal. WordPress is great for smaller builds with more compressed timelines, while Drupal might be better for more complex microsites that plan to grow over time.

Creating a microsite is similar to your regular website. It just requires a much more specific and targeted marketing strategy, especially if you want it to accomplish the goals you set in place.

To ensure that your charity microsite is leveraging all opportunities and reaching your target audience, consider partnering with a nonprofit tech consultant like Kanopi.

Partner With Kanopi For Your Charity Microsite

We at Kanopi Studios are passionate about taking websites to the next level. As a top partner for nonprofits, we’ve developed more than 150 sites with our thorough research and a continuous improvement approach.

If you’re looking for help in development, maintenance, and support for your microsite, Kanopi has the perfect services to meet those needs:

  • Research to evaluate your nonprofit’s internal needs and ensure your charity microsite is helping reach major goals, improving your overall website UX.
  • User persona discovery to become familiar with your target audience and design your microsite in a way that invites them in and leads them to the target action in an intuitive manner.
  • Microsite design, development, and support. Kanopi even offers a website growth plan to ensure that your site is sustainable for as long as possible.
  • Staff augmentation thanks to our talented team members. If you need additional help when it comes to designing or developing your microsite, we’re here to help.

The Kanopi Studio team has an average of 11 years of experience for both the Drupal and WordPress platforms and is ready to help you begin your microsite journey. Explore our portfolio of nonprofit clients to see the great work we’ve done and the results we’ve helped to create.

Contact Kanopi to get started with your microsite today!