Everyone wants a website. “You need a website,” everyone says. “If you don’t have a website,” everyone says, “you’re non-existent.”
“Everyone” is wrong.
Web sites are cumbersome. Even the simplest website is technically intimidating not to mention time-consuming to maintain. Consider the fact that if I don’t set aside time to come to see it then I’ll never know what is on it! If you don’t have a website already, spare yourself the headache.
The widely used but oft misused Facebook Fan Page is the solution for the organization with limited resources (both time and human):
- They have more functionality than any traditional website (add photos, video, events, schedule, online donation button, discussion forum etc).
- They are free and anyone with the minimal technical know-how can maintain one.
- Anyone (even the aforementioned “everyone”) can view it with or without a Facebook account
- Get a custom domain name (www.your-organization.com) for it
Post an update on a traditional site and, like the proverbial tree in the woods, you can wonder if it actually makes a noise. Post it on your Facebook Fan Page and all of your fans will see it, can share it and comment on it.
Make life easier. Ignore everyone.