Choosing a Web Site Server (host) and URL

Revised with new information as of December 11, 2019

A free resource for nonprofit organizations, NGOs, civil society organizations,
charities, schools, public sector agencies & other mission-based agencies
by Jayne Cravens
via coyotecommunications.com & coyoteboard.com (same web site)

Choosing a Web Site Server (host) & URL
associated costs, "free" web sites, domain names, etc.

This advice is written with small nonprofits in the USA, Europe, etc., and tiny NGOs and government programs in developing countries, in mind.

Forget trying to find a free place to host your web site. Later on this page I note all of the reasons a nonprofit, NGO, government agency, school or other mission-based organization should NOT go with a free web host.

My own web site is hosted by Hostgator, for about $5 a month, and I'm a very satisfied customer. In addition to lots of web space, I get lots of online reference information and online tutorials, great customer service, and "pop" accounts (allowing me to have email addresses using my own domain name). I highly recommend it to mission-based organizations. In addition, no one at HostGator has ever slaughtered an elephant and the company does not use a sexist advertising campaign to promote itself, something that cannot be said of another popular web hosting company. I've used Network Solutions and Dotster as well for domain registration, but they also offer web hosting.

The URL (web address) you choose, if it is your own, is YOURS, and can be pointed to whatever server where your web site resides. My web site, coyotecommunications.com, has had two different web hosts over the years, but my web address never changes. So don't worry if you choose a web host now and, in a year or two, want to move it. Just make sure, before you pay a web host, that you ask, "Do I own the URL, or do you?"

If your nonprofit absolutely cannot afford five bucks a month, and your Internet provider doesn't include web space in the package you are already paying for, then find a board member, volunteer or other supporter willing to pay this fee for you with a reputable web host. This is an excellent thing to create a crowdfunding campaign around - raising $100 to cover your web hosting for more than a year.

I do NOT recommend free web site hosts, EVER, because:

free web site hosts usually require you to host a myriad of advertisements on your web site. You have no control over these advertisements. That means services that you really don't want to be associated with may appear on your web site, and many users will have a very bad impression of your organization as a result.
the advertisements that are usually required of a free web host to be put on your web site give visitors every reason to click away from your web site.
free web sites can go away with no warning, leaving you with no web site at all.
free web site hosts offer little or no customer support.
free web space offered by, say, the company one of your board members represent, may not allow you to make changes directly; you may have to submit your changes to someone at the company and hope that they eventually get around to making the change eventually. And that web site can go away in an instant if the company is sold, if the staff member that secured the free hosting quits the company, etc.

Be careful in using platforms like WordPress, Wix, Weebly or other drag-and-drop web development platforms - the templates they provide are NOT made to meet accessibility guidelines. If you are going to use such a platform, use it only for your first, initial, basic website, and have a plan (and budget accordingly) to replace that initial, basic website entirely with a more robust and more accessible site.

Your organization deserves better than what a free web site host can offer!

If you want your organization's Web site to have advanced functions, like interactive databases, dynamic content (that automatically updates itself), etc., you will need a server that can provide you with these functions. Ask the web hosting company you want to choose if they can host these functions (they will NOT build such for you, however).

DON'T attempt to buy your own server! The cost of staff time to keep the server up and functional is TREMENDOUS. Most web hosting sites offer packages where you can use advanced functions.

Choosing your web address

When considering your Web address (also called a domain name or URL), your Web address should be:

not use an "underscore" (my_nonprofit) or a "tilde" (my~nonprofit) or a hypen (my-nonprofit); it's difficult to say such addresses over the phone, and many people will get your address VERBALLY from a staff member
as short as possible
easy to say over the phone (sometimes, this is more important than keeping it short)
easy to spell
easy to remember
avoid a word that has a plural or singular version - people may think your web address is "geek" instead of "geeks", or vice versa. Sometimes it's unavoidable, if it is part of your organization's name.

Most web hosting companies will, for an additional fee, get you the domain name you want, if its available. I use dotster.com to see what domain names are available (as well as to see who owns what domain name).

How to choose your URL? First, look at your company name. Is it short? Then it's a good candidate as a URL. For instance, here are nonprofit URLs that are the full names of nonprofits:

If your formal name is too long, is there a nickname or acronym your organization goes by, that people use as much as your full name? For instance:

unicef.org
msf.org (Médecins Sans Frontières - MSF)
girlscouts.org (Girl Scouts of the USA)
habitatwest.org (Willamette West Habitat for Humanity - Oregon)
wtfestival.org (Williamstown Theater Festival)

Don't create awkward, hard-to-remember shortened versions of words that are in your organization's name - for instance, don't make International into Intnl, or Management into mnge - no one will remember those. If the abbreviation you have come up with isn't commonly said, don't put it in your URL!

You can also choose a URL based on what your nonprofit does. For instance, Uplift Family Services in California, bought the URL helpkids.org

If the URL you want is taken (helpgoats.org), consider adding a location to your URL, if it's short and easy to spell and remember - helpgoatsoregon.org - or, if your organization is international, add the word global after the URL you want - such as helpgoatsglobal.org (none of these were real URLs at the time of this page's publication - but I am fond of goats).

If you are having trouble identifying the best URL, this is a great thing to crowdsource: ask your volunteers, including your board members, for ideas.

You may want to also buy the .com version of your web address, if it's available and people might mistakenly remember it as your web address. Your web hosting company can help you point this additional URL to your .org web address.

Also see:

Monetizing a Web Site - Should Nonprofits, NGOs or Government Agencies Ever Do It?
Many nonprofits and NGOs are tempted put ads on their web pages as a way to generate much-needed revenue. But is it appropriate for a nonprofit or NGO to put ads on a web page? This page explores the issue and offers recommendations.

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