If you're on the board of a volunteer fire company, or just the person who ended up in charge of "the website," you've probably wondered whether yours is good enough. Maybe it was built years ago and nobody has logged in since.
I'm Taylor Pace, a web designer in Richmond, Virginia. I've been building websites for 11 years, including for community organizations like school PTAs and athletic boosters. I haven't seen your site, so I can't tell you whether yours needs replacing. But I can tell you what I'd look at, and how to decide.
What your website is actually for
A fire company website doesn't need to be fancy. It needs to do a handful of jobs well:
- Tell people who you are and who you serve. Your company name, the area you cover, and a short history or about section.
- Make clear that the website is not for emergencies. If someone lands on your site in a crisis, the first thing they should see is a plain line telling them to call 911. Put it where nobody can miss it.
- Recruit volunteers. If you need new members, your site should say so, explain what's involved, and give people an easy way to ask questions or apply.
- Support fundraising. Many volunteer companies depend on community support. Visitors should be able to find out how to give, and what upcoming events or drives are happening.
- Share news and events. Training nights, community events, fire prevention tips, and station updates all belong in one findable place.
- Give contact information. A non-emergency phone number or email, a mailing address, and a map or directions to the station.
If your site does those six things clearly, it's doing its job. If it doesn't, that's the gap to close.
Signs it might be time for a new site
Here are the warning signs I'd look for:
- It looks wrong on a phone. Pull it up on your own phone. If you have to pinch and zoom to read it, that's a problem. Most people will look at it on their phones.
- Your browser says "Not secure." A site without HTTPS (the padlock in the address bar) makes visitors uneasy, especially if you ask for donations or applications.
- The information is out of date. Old events, a former chief listed as current, an expired phone number. Wrong information is worse than none.
- Nobody knows how to update it. If changing one line means calling someone who may not answer, the site will go stale.
- You don't know who controls it. If you can't say who owns the domain name or has the login, sort that out first. It's easy to fix now and painful to fix later.
- Visitors can't find the basics. If the volunteer page, donation info, or contact details take more than a click or two to find, people give up.
If a few of these sound familiar, a refresh is worth considering. Some don't need a full rebuild; updating content and fixing a few settings may get you most of the way there.
Build it so volunteers can maintain it
Volunteer boards turn over. The person who set up the website may not be around in three years. So whatever you choose, ask these questions:
- Can a non-technical person update it? I build on Squarespace, which lets people edit text, photos, and events without writing code.
- Is the account owned by the organization, not by one person's personal email?
- Is there a written list of logins kept somewhere the board can access?
- Is there someone to call when something breaks?
A simple site that gets updated beats an impressive one that gets abandoned.
Keep it simple
Histories, apparatus lists, and photo albums are nice, but start with the essentials: a clean homepage, a volunteer page, a way to give, an events calendar, and contact information. Add more later.
What I'd suggest as a next step
Before you spend any money, do three things:
- Look at your site on your phone, and ask someone outside the company to find your phone number, the volunteer information, and how to donate.
- Find out who owns your domain and website account.
- Make a list of what's out of date.
That will tell you whether you need a quick cleanup or a new site. If you'd like a second set of eyes, I'm happy to look.
Get a Free Website Audit
I offer a free audit of your current site. I'll go through what's working, what isn't, and what I'd fix first, and I'll tell you honestly whether you need a new site or just some updates.
Request your Free Website Audit →
You can also reach me directly at (804) 426-1226 or taylorpace@gmail.com.
— Taylor Pace, Richmond, VA
