Five Ways to Get Your Website Ready for #GivingTuesday
Guest post by Firespring, a Nonprofit Connect Business Premium Member.
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Did you know that 82% of donors visit a nonprofit’s website before they decide to donate?
As we head into arguably the busiest time of the year—which includes #GivingTuesday, the biggest giving day of the year—it’s especially important to get your website ready now for all the donors who will be knocking on your online door. You have one chance to make a great impression, and it’s up to your website to do the heavy lifting.
Why is your website so important? Simply put, it’s your prime piece of online real estate. Social media may get a lot of attention, but unlike Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social networks you may use, you own your website. Social networks can change the rules at any time and you’re subject to their decisions; with your website, you’re the one in charge. It’s the center of your nonprofit’s universe. And because people prefer web-based communication two-to-one over all other forms of communication, it should also be the hub of your communication efforts.
What can you do now to get ready for #GivingTuesday and a busy giving season? Optimize your most-visited webpages so they’re user-friendly and set up to welcome a new audience of donors interested in your cause. Here are five ways to start:
1. Be sure your story is clear. When visitors land on your website, is it immediately obvious what your organization does? It should be—within seconds. The message you communicate and the connection you create through your site is fundamentally important if you want to engage in a meaningful way with your audience. And when I say “tell your story,” I’m not referring to writing a big block of text. Telling your organization’s story through your website is about good design. If people come to your site and understand your cause and your mission through a thoughtful combination of images, headlines, video, text and other elements, you’ve told your story well.
2. Write with the end user in mind. Get rid of insider language and nonprofit lingo and speak human. Also, write as if you’re having a one-on-one conversation. Appeal to the user’s emotions. Your language should benefits-focused—how does your organization make a difference, both for the people you serve and your donors?
3. Provide clear calls to action. What do you want visitors to do? Each of your webpages should have a specific goal with a clear call to action. Be sure that all of your call to action buttons are obvious and tell your visitors exactly what action you want to them take. Spell it out: Instead of Submit, use words like Donate Now, Give Today, Subscribe to Our Newsletter or Register. Be specific about what you want them to do, and make each button prominent on the page.
4. Make your content is easy to read. Most people don’t read website copy word for word—they skim and scan through information. Make it easy for your visitors to digest your website content by breaking it up with bullet points, using subheads and keeping your message compelling but succinct.
5. On forms, don’t ask for what you don’t need. With your online forms, only ask for what you need in order for your visitor to complete the desired action. Every field you require chips away at your conversion rate, so if all you need is a name and an email address, don’t ask for more. Keep it short and simple.
Once you have your website up to snuff, you can focus on other aspects of your fundraising efforts, knowing that you’ve established a strong foundation. For example, how ready are you for #GivingTuesday? A successful campaign on November 28 can propel your organization into a great end-of-year run and significantly expand your reach and awareness.
Don’t wait till the holidays are near to get ready; you can start doing things now that will set you up for your most successful #GivingTuesday and end-of-year campaign ever. Download our free guide and learn how to create a compelling campaign page, enlist your online street team and plan a marketing strategy that’ll help you kick butt and take names this #GivingTuesday.
