As a non-profit organization, your website can be your best volunteer – it informs people about the specifics of your cause, encourages donations and pledges, keeps current donors up-to-date on the latest happenings, and reports on your progress. But nonprofit websites are notoriously spotty when it comes to delivering on all of these important areas. This is usually because volunteer time and commitment ebbs and flows, causing areas of the website to go stagnant for long periods of time or be abandoned altogether. So, if you’re wondering how you can improve your nonprofit website, here are 6 actionable tips:
1. Explain Why
You want to provide clean water to the most remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa. That’s great, but why do you want to do that? Is it because women and children in these areas must walk hours every day to get water, which means that they don’t have time to start businesses or go to school? If so, you’re not simply looking to provide people with water, you’re looking to give them opportunities for a better life. This is the story people want to hear – this is the “why” that will get them to get involved.
2. Make it Personal
Use true stories about specific subjects to make your website more engaging. Use faces of the people or animals that you’re trying to help to get people connected to your cause. Direct eye contact is the most compelling, so use images of subjects that are looking directly at the camera.
3. Include Numbers
Use social persuasion to get people involved by telling them how many people are volunteering, how many people are talking about your cause or event, how many countries/regions/towns you’re involved in right now. These specifics help to validate your cause.
4. Maintain a Blog REGULARLY
Set a schedule and stick to it when it comes to updating your nonprofit’s blog. The posts don’t have to be particularly long to be effective. In fact, shorter posts are better anyways because they’re more readable and shareable. Ask multiple volunteers to blog for you so that you rotate through the responsibility to avoid it becoming too much of a burden for any one person.
5. Be Transparent
Be honest about what percentage of donations is used for administrative and operational purposes and what percentage goes directly to the cause that you’re supporting. This makes people more confident about trusting you with their donations.
6. Report on Results
People like to be a part of something successful, so letting them know what kinds of results you’ve been able to achieve will go a long way in recruiting more people to donate their time and money to your cause.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Business Blogging and Web Copywriting. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and son and enjoys cooking, watching sports, and spending time together as a family. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about current marketing trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
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