It goes without saying that, nowadays, having a website for your business is not only crucial, but a fundamental business practice. For a nonprofit organization, it’s important to create a website that connects possible donors to your cause. Whether these online visitors decide to donate online or off, they will depend on your nonprofit website to show them more information about your mission, how your organization started, and how their donation will help.
Because of this, your nonprofit organization needs to make sure its website is creating the best setting to inspire giving. Keep the following tips in mind when building your nonprofit website’s key pages that will leave a lasting, positive impression with your supporters.
The Home Page
The home page serves as the “front door” for your organization’s website. It will probably receive more traffic than the rest of your website, so the messaging here needs to drive visitors to explore the rest of your site. Create a clear statement about what your nonprofit does, why this cause matters, and how online visitors can get involved. The goal for the home page’s message isn’t to beat people over the head with your mission statement; strive to make your nonprofit’s brand message clear for visitors who are coming to your website for the first time.
Also, don’t forget to add at least two large “Donate Now” buttons to drive online donations. Be sure there are other clear calls-to-action for anything else you want your nonprofit website to accomplish, such as “Volunteer Today” if you’re looking for more volunteers.
About Us Page
Before people donate to your cause, most of them want to get to know whoever is behind the organization. Keep this one tip in mind when writing the website content for your About Us page: People are more likely to give to people, not a business. While your nonprofit is an organization, your content should not not read like a “business.”
Give plenty of information about your organization on the About Us page, but talk to the visitor casually enough to sound human. Finally, let prospective donors see the passion of your staff, volunteers and donations so far.
Donation Page
This might be the most important page on your nonprofit’s website, and many nonprofits’ donation pages are missing the mark with getting donations. Why? There are too many donation webpages out there that are unresponsive, lengthy, cluttered and even spammy. Transform your organization’s donation page into something that drives donations with the following features:
- Branding and Design – A strong donation page is consistent with its branding. Carry over your organization’s branding elements and hide your website’s navigation elements so your donors don’t get distracted from your goal of a donation.
- Multi-Step Forms – While a single-step form sounds more user-friendly and simpler, a multi-step form will break up the donation process into smaller chunks. This will result in a better user experience and even higher conversions. Multi-step forms are also more mobile-friendly and visually appealing than long, single-step forms.
- Mobile-Friendly – Mobile searches have surpassed desktop searches, so your donation page needs to be mobility-responsive. No matter which device your donors use to visit your website, your donation page needs to appeal to their preference.
A nonprofit website serves as the all-in-one tool for people to learn more about your cause and feel inspired to donate; don’t let your nonprofit organization drive away new supporters because of your digital presence. With the right amount of effort and message tailoring, your nonprofit will see well-deserved attention and be well on its way to fighting for its cause.
Are you planning on creating or revamping your nonprofit organization’s website? Contact GreenMellen Media today and let us help you in building a strong website for your cause!
