1. How do you handle URL redirects during a website redesign?
Perhaps an unexpected first question to ask, but this can save you from losing years of SEO work.
According to BrightEdge, 68% of all online experiences begin with a search engine, which is why protecting your search visibility during a redesign is so important. When pages move or URLs change, visitors and search engines need to be redirected to the correct page. A good agency plans redirects before development is finished, not during launch week. They should have a documented redirect map and a process for testing it before the new site goes live.
If the answer is vague or sounds like an afterthought, that’s worth paying attention to.
Read Next: How to Redesign Your Nonprofit Website Without Losing Your SEO or Traffic
2. Will you audit our existing website content before recommending changes?
A program page, blog post, or resource library may bring in steady search traffic even if it looks outdated. Before recommending pages to remove, combine, or rewrite, an agency should review your analytics, search rankings, and user behavior.
Companies that prioritize blogging are 13 times more likely to see positive ROI, according to HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing Report. Even if your nonprofit isn’t focused on marketing, your existing articles and resource pages may already be bringing in qualified visitors through search.
Good content decisions start with data, not assumptions.
3. How will you measure SEO success before and after launch?
Google processes billions of searches every day, making organic search one of the most valuable long-term traffic sources for nonprofits. An experienced nonprofit web design agency will establish SEO benchmarks before any work begins. That typically includes measuring organic traffic, keyword rankings, page performance, and conversions.
After launch, those same metrics should be reviewed so you can see whether the redesign improved your results. Without a baseline, it’s difficult to know whether the project was successful.
4. Do you have experience building websites for nonprofits?
According to the 2024 M+R Benchmarks Study, online revenue continues to grow for many nonprofits, and donors increasingly expect fast, intuitive digital experiences. Agencies with nonprofit experience understand how donation pages, volunteer signups, accessibility, and storytelling all work together to support your mission.
Donation pages, volunteer forms, event registration, grant requirements, accessibility, and mission-focused storytelling all require thoughtful planning. Ask for examples of nonprofit clients and what challenges they helped solve.
5. What does your discovery process include before design begins?
A nonprofit website shouldn’t start with design. It should start with understanding your mission.
Before any decisions are made, your agency should invest time learning about who you are: particularly your audience and your goals. That includes reviewing your current website, evaluating what’s working, identifying opportunities for growth, and understanding how your website fits into your broader fundraising and marketing strategy.
At Embark, we call this The Foundation. Before we build a proposal, we do a deep dive auditing your website and reviewing your data. We work with your team to understand where you are today and where you want to go. Only then do we recommend a strategy and scope of work that’s tailored to your organization instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all proposal.
If an agency jumps straight from an introductory call to a quote, they’re making recommendations without first understanding what your nonprofit actually needs.
What Good Answers Should Sound Like
The best nonprofit web design agencies have clear, repeatable processes.
At Embark, every project begins with discovery before design. We audit existing content, establish SEO benchmarks, review site performance, and build redirect plans before development starts. That process helps protect your search visibility while creating a website that’s easier for donors, volunteers, and the communities you serve to use.
Good web design is about building a strong foundation for long-term growth, not just launching a beautiful site.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring a Nonprofit Web Design Agency
How do I choose the best nonprofit web design agency?
Look for an agency with nonprofit experience, a defined discovery process, and a clear plan for SEO and content strategy. Ask how they protect existing search traffic during a redesign and how they’ll measure success after launch.
What should a nonprofit website redesign include?
A successful nonprofit website redesign should include a content audit, SEO analysis, redirect planning, accessibility considerations, performance testing, and a strategy for preserving high-performing pages. Design is important, but long-term visibility depends on the planning that happens before the new website launches.
Read more about if your nonprofit needs a redesign or just a refresh here.
Ready to Find the Right Nonprofit Web Design Agency?
Choosing a web design partner is a big decision, and the right questions can save your organization time, money, and missed opportunities down the road.
At Embark, we believe every successful website starts with understanding your mission. That’s why we begin every project with building a relationship and creating a lucrative long term strategy before recommending a single deliverable.
If you’re considering a nonprofit website redesign or simply want an expert opinion on your current site, we’d love to talk.
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Embark to see whether we’re the right fit for your organization.
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