“I just wish our book club had a real home online,” Anna vented to her co-leader Jen. “Somewhere all the members could connect outside our monthly meetups.”
Jen nodded, thinking about their group’s only Facebook page. “You’re so right – we need our own space that brings everything together. Our own identity. But I have no clue how even to build a website!”
Sound familiar? If your in-person community craves an online home, a custom website is just the thing to bring you together. But tackling the tech side can feel daunting if you’re not a coder.
Today, many passionate creators find it challenging to bridge their real-life communities to the digital realm effectively. Social media platforms have been a boon, but the power they grant is limited by algorithms and a lack of personalization.
Luckily, with the right tools, anyone can create a community site without technical expertise.
This post will explore multiple routes on how to build a community website, from using specific platforms like Nas.io to hiring professionals or going the DIY route with WordPress.
By the end, you’ll have a clear roadmap to building a community website armed with the tools and strategies that suit your needs and budget. Let’s dive in!
Why Does Your Community Need Its Own Website?
Taking your community from real-life gatherings (IRL) to a digital platform (URL) allows you to bypass the unpredictable tides of social media algorithms.
In 2023 and beyond, your community needs a dedicated digital home for several key reasons:
You Have Full Control: Dictate the layout, features, and interactions without platform-imposed limitations. Share updates, host events, sell merchandise, and more on your terms.
Strengthen Connections: Offer unique ways for members to communicate, collaborate, and contribute. These deepened bonds strengthen the fabric of your community, both online and offline.
Open New Monetization Avenues: Sell premium content, courses, virtual events access, and merchandise within your community. Diversify income streams and pursue your passions.
Build Credibility: A professional website lends legitimacy and shows the world you mean business. Increase trust to boost membership over time.
In short, having your own tailored website takes your community to the next level! But what exactly should that website include?
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Elements Your Community Website Should Have
While each community differs, most websites include
A Welcome Page – Make a stellar first impression by explaining who you are and what you offer.
About Section – Share your origin story and introduce the team. Build transparency.
Discussion Forum – Give members a central place to communicate asynchronously.
Blog – Post long-form stories, tutorials, and news to educate and update your audience.
Events Calendar – Publicize virtual and in-person events in one place.
Photo/Video Galleries – Display memories and moments through visual content.
Shop – Generate revenue by selling merchandise or premium access.
Contact Page – Make it easy for visitors to get in touch.
Of course, not every feature may be crucial for your particular community. Think strategically about which features will become your pillars. Prioritize must-haves before nice-to-haves.
Nas.io’s templates make it simple to customize and even start minimalist if desired. Grow your site over time alongside your membership. Pick and choose elements tailored to your community’s needs.
- Communication Tools: Regular updates foster engagement. With Nas.io, community leaders can:
- Send unlimited emails.
- Create a feed without the inconsistencies seen on platforms like Instagram or Facebook.
- Allow direct reach-out via DMs, ensuring personalized touchpoints.
- Engagement Metrics: With Nas.io you can:
- Gauge who’s active and who’s passive.
- Understand your community’s dynamics to tailor content and activities better.
- Customizable Landing Pages: Nas.io offers:
- Tools that let you tailor the look and feel of your site, resonating with your community’s identity and ethos.
- Interactive Content: With Nas.io, you can:
- Start with bite-sized content—like a PDF or slideshow.
- Gradually scale with more in-depth content like courses, ensuring your community grows at its own pace.
- Monetization Options: Nas.io empowers creators with:
- Multiple monetization routes, from subscription models to events.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Nas.io ensures:
- A seamless experience across devices, which is vital in our mobile-first world.
- A mobile app to make sure you reach your audience wherever they are.
Nas.io eliminates the need for developers by equipping community builders with powerful yet user-friendly tools in one unified platform. But let us understand how you can build a community website with all the options out there.
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How To Build A Community Website
Use Nas.io
Why is Nas.io the frontrunner? Tailored for community-building, it promises:
User-centric Design:
Everything about your community, from updates to events, is collated seamlessly. This ensures members have a one-click overview presented in a well-optimized and structured manner.
Ease of Use:
Simplicity is at its core. There’s no need to wait for a vast amount of content. Start small, learn, and grow – all on the same platform.
Community-Centric Amenities:
Nas.io doesn’t just give you a website; it gives your community a digital home. This distinction makes all the difference.
Nas.io lets you build a fully-featured community website without ever needing to code. And their specialized platform is designed specifically with community needs in mind.
Use Online Platforms
Platforms like WordPress and Wix work for basic websites. But their generic templates aren’t community-focused. You’ll still need plugins, widgets, and customization to optimize for your members.
The learning curve is steeper, but with time you can adapt these for your community. Just be prepared to stitch together add-ons to get the features you need.
Platforms like Wix have their merits but lack the community-centric design of Nas.io. The effort to monitor and engage can often overshadow the community-building aspect.
Hire A Developer and Designer
While professionals bring unique design insights, the costs can be prohibitive. For complete customization, you can hire web developers and designers to build your community site from scratch. Be ready for high costs and extended timelines. Plus, relying on third parties for updates can stifle agility.
While you’ll get the expertise to match your exact vision, the process requires patience. This route is best for large communities with big budgets.
Use WordPress
WordPress offers vast flexibility but can be daunting for newcomers. The learning curve is steep, and the community-centric features might require a patchwork of plugins.
Self-hosted open-source options like phpBB and Vanilla Forums offer more flexibility for developers willing to install, configure, and customize the code.
For non-technical folks, this option is quite complex. But the open-source code means more innovation power.
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Bring Your Community’s New Digital Home to Life
At the end of the day, nothing fosters loyalty and connection like having a place to call home. For modern communities, that home must have an online presence.
Luckily, with the right tools and mindset, you can build a custom community website tailored exactly to your members’ needs.
Platforms like Nas.io make the process intuitive and accessible, even for non-technical folks. And the ability to truly customize the look, feel, and features gives communities ownership over their digital space.
Of course, do-it-yourself site builders or hiring a professional are potential options too. Evaluate your time, budget, and willingness to learn new skills.
But for most community leaders, Nas.io strikes that perfect balance of powerful yet easy-to-use tools explicitly designed with engaged online communities in mind.
Stop trying to force-fit your community into generic social platforms. Instead, create your own corner of the internet with the features, functionality, and branding that resonate most with your members.
The time is now to make the leap from real-life gatherings to a tailored website your community can proudly call home. The connections and growth will surely follow.
Ready to build your community website in a few clicks? Start with Nas.io today—for free!
