Using A SWOT Analysis To Inform A Website Redesign
Lisa Hirst Carnes | October 2023
When redesigning your website or creating a marketing strategy, conducting an internal SWOT analysis is wise. We’ve done it many times! Understanding your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats helps you set realistic goals.
While a SWOT analysis can certainly be valuable, they are often less prevalent in the nonprofit sector for a few reasons; plus, it sounds pretty business-y, right?
Many nonprofits have resource constraints, which limits time for anything that isn’t urgent. Also, the complexity of the nonprofit sector can make a SWOT analysis feel simplistic. Unlike their for-profit counterparts, nonprofits deal with fluctuating funding, social issues, and stakeholder groups. While these factors can be difficult to encapsulate, the analysis is still beneficial.
SWOT Analysis Benefits
SWOT analyses help organizations understand their current landscape, which is critical for planning.
Identifying strengths can help nonprofits leverage their impact, funding, or reputation. Recognizing weaknesses allows the organization to address resources, skills, or operations gaps.
Opportunities include potential partnerships, funding sources, or emerging needs in the community. But, threats could range from funding cuts to policy changes. A SWOT analysis equips nonprofits with the knowledge to navigate their mission-driven landscape.
SWOT for Businesses vs. Nonprofits
While the elements of a SWOT analysis remain the same for businesses and nonprofits alike, the context differs.
For businesses, strengths and weaknesses often center around commercial capabilities. Opportunities and threats stem from market trends, customer needs, or competitive activities. The primary focus is on maximizing profits and shareholder value.
For nonprofits, strengths include the quality of services, volunteers’ dedication, or community reputation. Weaknesses might revolve around resource limitations, donation dependency, or staff turnover.
Opportunities often present themselves as societal needs, policy changes, or potential partnerships. At the same time, threats could be changes in funding, policy, or social attitudes. The primary focus is often on fulfilling their mission and maximizing social impact.
Getting Started on a SWOT Analysis
To create a SWOT analysis, assemble a diverse team from different areas of the organization. This ensures that the analysis includes many perspectives and opinions.
The team should identify the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. This should focus on internal factors such as resources or skills. Open-ended questions like “What are we good at?” or “Where do we lack resources?” can stimulate productive discussions.
If you have quiet people on the team, consider new collaboration methods. For example, smaller groups or shared documents can encourage people to contribute.
Pragmatic SWOT Analysis Applications
Programs and Service Development and Enhancements
The insights from a SWOT analysis can inform new programs and services. A nonprofit can leverage its unique capabilities or resources to create impactful initiatives.
For instance, a network of volunteers might enable a new community outreach program. Weaknesses can highlight areas that need new programs or services. For example, a nonprofit lacking programs for a particular demographic could prompt the development of one.
Opportunities can reveal emerging trends or unmet needs within the community. This could inform new programs. This might include changes in governmental policies, social trends, or technological advancements.
Finally, awareness of threats enables nonprofits to design resilient programs against potential challenges. For instance, anticipated funding cuts could steer the design of cost-effective services.
Marketing Strategy Guidance
A SWOT analysis is a powerful tool that should guide a nonprofit’s marketing strategy.
Strengths can inform the design of marketing materials to highlight unique values. For example, if your nonprofit has an excellent reputation, leverage this in campaigns.
Weaknesses can inform areas where an organization needs to improve its image.
Opportunities can guide targeting, such as looking at demographic trends to identify potential donors.
Last, threats can inform the development of contingency plans, such as diversifying funding sources to mitigate risks.
Insight into Financial Viability
A SWOT analysis can also evaluate an organization’s financial stability. An organization can identify ways to diversify its revenue streams by examining funding weaknesses. Potential weaknesses may include overreliance on government grants or unsteady donor support. The analysis can uncover growth opportunities, such as new partnerships or grants.
Informing and Guiding a Website Redesign
A nonprofit can leverage a SWOT analysis to guide a website redesign. Strengths include a well-established and trusted brand identity or vital content. Weaknesses may include outdated design, branding, or poor user experience.
Opportunities could include unexplored digital outreach channels or underserved audience segments. Threats include evolving web standards or increased competition in the digital space.
SWOT analyses equip nonprofits with insights that enable them to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities.
Check out our SWOT example.
Whether it’s financial sustainability, marketing strategy, or a website redesign, a SWOT analysis provides a comprehensive view that can guide decisions.
