The first thing you need to consider is the overall size and layout of your website. Mobile phones are a lot smaller, which means your website needs to be able to change based on the device that’s being used to access it. You can either create different versions of your website for different resolutions, or you can use responsive web design to make sure your website adapts to the device of the user.
Screen size is important, but you also have to remember that people don’t have a standard keyboard and mouse when using a mobile phone. Mobile phone users tap to interact with things, so you need to make sure all your links and buttons are large enough that they’re easy to tap. You should also avoid including too much clutter on the mobile (or desktop) version of your website, as mobile phones can have a hard time loading slower web pages — especially with a weak internet connection.
Now that you’ve got the basics out of the way, it’s time to focus on one of the single most important aspects of your nonprofit website: the donation button. This is the button people click when they’re ready to make a donation to your organization.
The biggest thing to remember with your donation button is that you want it to be large and clearly visible. People who want to donate as soon as they visit your website should be able to easily do that. You can make it easy to donate by placing your donation button near the top of your website on the home page. Choosing the right colors is also important, particularly when you’re dealing with people who may have some sort of vision impairment.
You should also make sure to include your donation button on each page of your website. It doesn’t have to be especially prominent on every page, but you should at least make sure it’s there. That way, people can simply click the donate button as soon as they decide to donate, whether they’re learning more about your organization or checking out the photos or videos of the great work you’ve done.
Social media is an essential part of the internet today, and that’s even true for nonprofit organizations. When you’re building your nonprofit website, make sure you include links to all the social media accounts you’ve created for your organization.
You can include social media links at the top or bottom of your website, and they don’t have to be particularly intrusive. Simply using the icon of a particular social media site next to your name on that social media site is good enough. Alternatively, you can just include the icons for each site with a link to your profile for that site. As long as you make it easy to access your social media accounts, you’re good.
One of the biggest benefits of using social media to boost your nonprofit is the fact that it helps content spread. You can make a video, an infographic, or a quick text post about your organization or cause, and people can simply click a button and share it with their followers. You can also interact with people on Twitter and Instagram to let them know about your organization, your cause, and how people can help. As your social media accounts grow, your online presence will too.
Call-to-action
As silly as it might sound, sometimes people need a little nudge to inspire them to take action. In the world of web design and marketing, this nudge is known as a call-to-action. According to email marketing statistics, including a call-to-action can make a big difference in the success of your email marketing campaign. A call-to-action is a brief message that encourages somebody to take action, whether that’s learning more about your cause, donating, or following you on social media.
When you’re building your nonprofit website, make sure you’re using a call-to-action on each page. This call-to-action helps inspire people to find out more about your nonprofit and do what they can to help, and that’s a cornerstone of building a successful nonprofit. You can also use a call-to-action for the button on your website or include one in the images you use on your website.
Organizational impact statement
Impact statements are essentially written statements that tell your donors about your nonprofit, its goals, and how you achieve those goals. This is a crucial part of showing people your value as an organization and how you’re working to improve a particular problem.
The best nonprofit websites include all the information potential donors might want to know, that way people can decide which nonprofit organization they want to donate to. Your impact statement should be short and to the point — around 70 characters is a good starting point. Simply let people know what their donations allow you to do and you’re good to go.
While you don’t have a lot of room to go into detail with your organizational impact statement, it’s good to strike a balance between being somewhat vague and talking about specific initiatives you support through your nonprofit. The goal is to provide easily digestible information in a short paragraph, that way people can learn a little bit more about your nonprofit and whether they might be interested in donating.
