Non-profit organizations usually operate on shoe-string budgets, which leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to marketing.
However, having a well-designed website optimized for search engines plays an important role when it comes to attracting potential donors and making a great first impression. And since you’re expecting people to donate, you should make sure your website comes off as credible and trustworthy, and its visual appeal can help with that. As a matter of fact, 46.1% of people assess the credibility of a website based on how aesthetically pleasing it is.
Here are some tips regarding the must-have elements of every successful non-profit website.
About Us
This page should contain details about your non-profit, explain your mission, vision, and values, as well as introduce the founder and board members.
Try to tell a compelling story of your organization and present your cause in more detail. People want to know what prompted you to start raising money for that particular cause and how their donation can make a change.
That can be supported by including some important milestones and your organization’s accomplishments and successful fundraisers.
Homepage
This is the place where your potential donors will land first, so make sure to make the most of this real estate.
The trick is to find the right balance – you don’t want to overwhelm your visitors with too much information, but at the same time, you shouldn’t drop something important.
Your homepage should feature news, upcoming events, notable members, as well as a call-to-action, placed above the fold where visitors can easily spot it without having to scroll down.
It’s worth mentioning that your call-to-action button should be present on every page of your website, not just the home page. Use the color that contrasts the rest of the page in order to make it stand out.
Responsive Design
More than 50% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices. This stat perfectly illustrates the importance of having a responsive website that will display properly on screens of all sizes. It’s crucial to ensure that your website can be easily navigated on all kinds of devices.
If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, visitors who access it from their smartphones will have a poor user experience, and that can significantly reduce your chances of getting them to donate. In addition to that, Google prioritizes responsive websites, which means that this step plays an important role when it comes to improving your rankings.
Social Media Buttons
By including buttons to your organization’s social media channels in your website footer or sidebar, you’ll prompt your visitors to check out your Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or any other platform you use.
This is important for several reasons, some of which are expanding your reach and boosting your social media presence. Social media buttons will encourage your potential donors to start following you and stay in touch.
It’s also a good idea to allow your visitors to share your content on their social media channels as that way they will spread the word about your non-profit and perhaps interest their friends and family in making a donation.
Testimonials
Social proof is crucial for convincing your potential donors that their money will help the right cause.
Instead of sharing only your own opinion on the matter, allow your existing donors and volunteers to have their say. These testimonials should include their personal stories and experiences and offer a realistic view of your organization’s achievements.
It’s important for these testimonials to be genuine and authentic, so don’t make them up.
Blog
Having a blog on your website is an excellent way of improving engagement and keeping your visitors posted about the latest goings-on. Another benefit of blogging lies in the fact that it’s an effective strategy for attracting a lot of organic traffic.
Given that transparency is of great importance to your donors, it’s crucial to talk about the impact your organization makes and share the stories about your activities.
If you aren’t sure how to structure your blog, you can create photo essays from the events you organized, updates relevant to your sector or region, impact stories, and behind-the-scenes videos.
Event Calendar
Events, both online and virtual, are a central part of a non-profit strategy. That’s where most donations are collected, which is why you should use a widget or tool to enable online event registration and payments.
In order to inform your website visitors about the upcoming events, place a calendar in the sidebar or footer, and allow them to click on the event they’re interested in, register for it, and purchase a ticket.
Your potential donor will find it convenient if they can easily register online.
This article covers some of the basic elements of an effective non-profit website, and it will point you in the right direction. However, you should know that this list could go on as there are numerous other tweaks that you can make and improve your website.
