Today, we’re going to take a look at a handful of do’s and don’ts for your website that will help you create a donor-friendly experience. The more user-friendly your site is, the more likely donors are to return again in the future!<\/p>\n
To skip down to either section, click on the navigation below:<\/strong><\/p>\n Now let’s get started!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n While your website shouldn\u2019t scream, \u201cGIVE US MONEY!\u201d, your donation button should be readily apparent to anyone who arrives on your website, whether it\u2019s for the first time or the hundredth.<\/p>\n Include a \u201cDonate Now\u201d button above the fold on every single page of your website and blog.<\/strong><\/p>\n The fold is the part of the webpage that stays at the top of the page, even when a visitor is scrolling up and down.<\/p>\n Keeping your donation button above the fold ensures that no matter where someone is on your website, they can immediately make a contribution if the fancy strikes.<\/strong><\/p>\n Many websites do this by placing the donation button in the top navigation so that it’s always visible. As an added bonus, your nonprofit won’t have to manually add the donation button to every page!<\/p>\n Once upon a time, Flash ruled the web. It became popular through its use of video, animation, audio, and movement to make websites more interesting.<\/p>\n Today, Flash is not supported on many mobile devices, so lots of donors won’t even be able to see your site if they visit from a phone or tablet.<\/strong><\/p>\n Most online fundraising software<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and open source platforms will use HTML or CSS (quick, easy alternatives to Flash) instead.<\/p>\n If your nonprofit is building your own website, it\u2019s important that you make it as donor-friendly as possible, which means leaving Flash in the past.<\/p>\n A splash page is a page that a user sees before they can access a website. Splash pages usually feature a \u201ccontinue\u201d button that then takes the donor to the homepage.<\/p>\n Splash pages create one more unnecessary step for donors to access your website’s content.<\/strong><\/p>\n If donors cannot access the content they need within a couple clicks after arriving on your site, they will most likely abandon it and look elsewhere.<\/p>\n One of the biggest pet peeves for donors is visiting a site and having audio or video play without knowing where it’s coming from or how to make it stop. Plus, sudden audio can be quite jarring for donors who aren\u2019t expecting it!<\/p>\n Audio and video content can be great assets for your nonprofit, but only if donors are in control of these features.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ensure that donors have the ability to press the play button when they want to. Otherwise, they may be deterred from visiting your site.<\/p>\n Additionally, allowing donors to click on your video or audio content adds an interactive element to your website, which can keep them on the page longer.<\/p>\n When donors get to your website, you want to make it an incredibly easy and pain-free process.<\/p>\n As a general rule, the homepage should display your most important information upfront.<\/p>\n That means your nonprofit\u2019s name and mission statement should be visible immediately. Additionally, a large, relevant image (called a hero image) should showcase your nonprofit\u2019s cause.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here’s an example of an effective landing page from Lakewood Service League<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n Burying this important information in your website can cause donors to bounce. After all, donors expect to see who your organization is and what you\u2019re trying to accomplish as soon as they click on your website.<\/p>\n To determine what information takes precedence, rank your content by its importance.<\/strong> Doing so creates a content hierarchy and helps you decide where and how the content should be displayed to create a great user experience.<\/p>\n Visits from mobile and tablet donors\u00a0have grown exponentially the past couple of years. Make sure your site is optimized for mobile and tablet devices so that on-the-go donors\u00a0get an equally friendly user experience.<\/p>\n Here are some strategies for optimizing the mobile experience:<\/strong><\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve talked about what not to do (and how to remedy those problems), let\u2019s discuss how you can create the best possible design for your nonprofit.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a> Website visitors should be able to find out exactly how to use your website\u2019s navigation within a few seconds of landing on the page.<\/p>\n To do so, include navigation at the top of your website or in a static menu on the side of the page.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here’s an example of an effective side menu from Our House<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n If you have subnavigation within your main menu, be sure that the most important pages are displayed on your main navigation. For example, you wouldn\u2019t want donors to have to click or hover their mouses to find your donation page. However, a subnavigation could be a great place to direct donors to your event calendar.<\/p>\n Additionally, ensure\u00a0that donors can clearly understand where each menu item will take them.<\/strong> Use short, concise, and accurate language when directing visitors to pages (i.e. Home, About Us, Donate).<\/p>\n One of the best advantages of being a nonprofit is that you have a story to tell. Telling a story can connect donors to your cause and encourage them to take action.<\/p>\n After all, donors are much more likely to give if they understand exactly who their donations will be helping and how their gifts further your cause. Stories make your cause tangible to donors, so it’s important that you leverage your online tools to tell them as effectively as possible.<\/p>\n Your website is the perfect place to host a variety of visual and textual content that can guide your donors through your mission. <\/strong>The more emotional impact you can create, the better.<\/p>\n Use different types of media to tell your story, such as:<\/p>\n The point is that your website should invite donors to stay on your site and engage with your content.<\/p>\n Additionally, it\u2019s important that your content is donor-centric.<\/strong> Show donors how they can be a part of your story by keeping the language focused on \u201cyou\u201d (the donor) instead of \u201cwe” (the nonprofit).<\/p>\n With so much interesting content online, your website needs to compete to grab donors’ attentions. Otherwise, they may bounce before they even learn\u00a0about your cause.<\/p>\n Using interesting visuals can not only keep donors on your site for longer (which ultimately increases their chances of giving), but it also allows you to showcase\u00a0your nonprofit’s story.<\/strong> A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words.<\/p>\n Your website is a canvas; it’s important that you take advantage of the visual opportunities that you have so that you can create an awesome online experience for your donors. In turn, your donors are more likely to return to your site in the future!<\/p>\n Many website builders\u00a0allow nonprofits to create pages without advanced knowledge of CSS or HTML.<\/strong> This advancement is great for nonprofit web design<\/a> because your organization can more easily play with your website\u2019s visual features.<\/p>\n Here are just a few elements that can add visual interest to your website:<\/strong><\/p>\n While all of these features can be used to enhance your design, it\u2019s important that you don\u2019t go overboard. Keep your donors focused on your cause by using these elements as supporting features only.<\/p>\n Your website’s speed is incredibly important. Donors\u00a0are more likely to abandon a site that doesn’t load within a few seconds.<\/p>\n Here are few things you can do to keep your site fast:<\/strong><\/p>\n Keeping your website fast will not only encourage donors to stay on your page, but it will also improve your ranking in search engine results.<\/p>\n One of the best things you can do to enhance the user experience on your website is to provide clear calls-to-action.<\/p>\n A call-to-action tells donors exactly how they can engage with your organization. Directing your website visitors gives them a stronger sense of purpose.<\/p>\n To really execute this step, you\u2019ll want to provide a call-to-action for every type of supporter at every step of the giving process.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are a few ways to do just that:<\/p>\n Consistent calls-to-action for different purposes can keep supporters focused and engaged no matter their reasons for visiting your site.<\/p>\n You may have heard another version of the KISS acronym, but we don’t think you’re stupid at all. In fact, keeping up with the most current nonprofit website design tips is one of the smartest things you can do to improve your online fundraising strategy.<\/p>\n Overall, keeping your site’s design simple will create more presentable, readable, and interesting content.<\/strong><\/p>\n Follow these tips to ensure that your site is as donor-friendly as possible:<\/p>\n A simple, effective page is your greatest asset for converting your visitors into online donors.<\/p>\n Further, a simple design keeps your website looking modern for longer. The more modern your website appears, the more credible it will seem to donors (especially as design trends change!).<\/p>\n As a final point, a simple, long-lasting website is more cost-effective in the long run, because you won’t need to spend as much time and resources on updating your look.<\/p>\n One of the most important considerations in your nonprofit\u2019s web design should be security. After all, donors want to know that their sensitive financial information will be safe with your organization.<\/p>\n Online giving requires that donors enter their credit card or bank account information; fulfilling these requirements in cyberspace can be intimidating to some donors!<\/p>\n Reassure donors by putting security logos on your online donation forms. <\/strong>A PCI-certified logo shows donors that your payment processor is PCI-compliant.<\/p>\n Here’s an example from Qgiv:<\/p>\n If your donors know that your website fits industry standards, then they\u2019ll be more likely to trust your nonprofit.<\/p>\n For comprehensive information on PCI-compliance, you can check out this resource<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Matching gifts are an easy way to raise twice as much as you would normally. With matching gifts, your nonprofit will receive the donor\u2019s gift, as well as an additional donation from the donor\u2019s employer. Matching gifts are usually given on a 1:1 ratio, but they can go as high as 4:1.<\/p>\n Matching gift tools allow you to easily integrate this additional opportunity to fundraise into your website design. <\/strong>Furthermore, adding this element can inform donors of the opportunity to seek out matching gifts in the first place!<\/p>\n Take a look at this donor-friendly design<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n Using matching gift tools can add an interesting, interactive feature that ultimately results in more money for your nonprofit!<\/p>\n Responsive design takes your existing site and optimizes it for mobile and tablet users, which eliminates the need for a separate mobile site.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you want a good example of what that looks like, resize your browser window and see how our website is optimized at smaller browser resolutions!<\/p>\n Or, read up on how Qgiv can help you create awesome, mobile-friendly websites with our comprehensive guide<\/a><\/span>!<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve covered these important nonprofit web design tips, it\u2019s time for your organization to apply what you\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n Check out more design tips with this helpful article<\/a><\/span>, or get started with Qgiv\u2019s responsive, comprehensive online fundraising software.<\/p>\n\n
![\"These](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Qgiv-NonprofitWebDesign-Donts.png\")
<\/h2>\nNonprofit Website Design Don’ts<\/h2>\n
1. Don’t Hide Your Donation Button.<\/h3>\n
2. Don’t Use Flash.<\/h3>\n
3. Skip The Splash Page.<\/h3>\n
4. Don’t Use Self-Playing Audio or Video.<\/h3>\n
5. Don\u2019t Bury Your Most Important Content.<\/h3>\n
![\"Lakewood](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Qgiv-NonprofitWebDesign-Landing-1.png\")
<\/p>\n6. Don’t Forget About Mobile!<\/h3>\n
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![\"These](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Qgiv-WebsiteDesign-Dos.png\")
<\/p>\nNonprofit Website Design\u00a0Do’s<\/h2>\n
1. Incorporate Easy-to-Use Navigation.<\/h3>\n
![\"Learn](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Qgiv-NonprofitWebDesign-Navigation-768x384-1.png\")
<\/p>\n2. Tell A Story.<\/h3>\n
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3. Keep It Visually Interesting.<\/h3>\n
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4. Make It Fast!<\/h3>\n
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5. Provide A Clear Call-To-Action.<\/h3>\n
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6. KISS: Keep It Simple and Straightforward.<\/h3>\n
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7. Make Your Donors Feel Secure.<\/h3>\n
![\"Use](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Qgiv-DonationPages-Northwest2.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n8. Highlight Matching Gifts<\/h3>\n
![\"Learn](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Qgiv-WebsiteDesign-DTD.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBonus: Consider Responsive Design.<\/h3>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/rectangular-CTA-graphic-for-demos2.jpg\")
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