In the most recent Dunham+Company generational study, one of the clear findings was the significant increase in online giving by all generations, especially using a smartphone.
This means one thing: Your donation page must be “friction free” and user friendly.
So knowing this increase in giving online is only going to increase, here are 8 tips to maximize your donation page…
1. Ensure Your Page is Mobile Responsive
This is a big one! Because we all know it’s true… we’re living on our phones. As mentioned above, our recent research shows that people are increasingly using their handheld devices to give, so optimizing for mobile is absolutely critical. We must meet our donors where they are.
Be sure your donation page form and copy populate correctly on a mobile device and that the copy is readable without someone having to pinch the screen. And again, the call to action or ‘give now’ button should be easy to find and clear to see.
2. Reduce Friction
Eliminate any distractions for the donor such as secondary calls to action, navigation options to click away from the page, and copy unrelated to a donation ask. The goal is to create a cul-de-sac for donors to keep them focused on the giving task at hand.
If you are telling a story, leave out details that are not pertinent to the cause and look for unnecessary words in the copy that can be removed. Your communication should be crystal clear with one cause, one mission, and one call to action.
3. Craft a Case for Support
Your donor is asking: Is this relevant to me?
That’s why it’s so important to create a strong headline and value proposition to tie into the mission of your organization. Why should donors invest in your ministry? What makes you special? Are you providing personal stories of impact?
Tie in relevant stats or data to support the need as necessary and highlight the “why” behind your ministry’s unique differentiator. Include a strong, clear call to action to ‘give today’ and ensure that your call to action is easy to find. Clearly articulating who you are, what you do, and what action you want the user to take is everything!
Lastly, avoid talking about what your organization has accomplished and instead, focus on making the donor the hero, placing their support at the center of your ministry. Try phrases like “Because of your support” and “Thanks to your gift today…”
4. Leverage Visuals
Take the donor on a journey by using impactful imagery or even relevant animations to assist with powerful storytelling.
When donors are moved by something they see visually, they are often compelled to action.
Next, pay attention to how your page looks from a visual standpoint. Is it branded to your ministry so that everything looks congruent? Are the colors, font, and style consistent? It makes a difference.
5. Provide a Rationale for Monthly Giving
While donors overwhelming prefer to give occasional gifts, there are those who will want to give monthly. So make sure it’s easy to sign up for monthly support and how this ongoing support impacts the ministry. And be sure to include those cases for support with stories of impact.
Our research shows younger donors, in particular, are more likely to prefer the option of monthly giving. And again, it’s so important that this option is clear, easy to find, and contains instructions that are simple to follow.
6. Offer Additional Payment Options
Times are changing. And the different avenues for donating to nonprofits and ministries are multiplying before our eyes.
Consider including payment options for Google Pay, Apple Pay, and/or cryptocurrency. It may seem overwhelming at first, but you’ll find the effort is well worth the payoff.
These new innovative methods are not going anywhere. In fact, they’re only expanding. So the sooner we adapt to them, the better.
7. Boost Credibility
To ease the mind of a first-time donor, consider including relevant certifications such as EFCA or Charity Navigator. This will put your donor at ease when it comes to your credibility and give them confidence in what you do.
In addition, another powerful tool is the use of testimonials to tell stories of impact through another lens. This allows your audience to put themselves in the story and imagine similar impact should they give to your organization.
8. Include Relevant Tracking
At a minimum, Meta and Google Analytics pixels should be included on the page to measure user behavior, page performance, and repopulate retargeting audiences for bottom-funnel advertising. These analytics will give you valuable insight you need in order to understand audience behavior.
And for new donors, it’s imperative to think through their next step with your ministry. Don’t forget to leverage the power of automations and lay out a new donor engagement series to cultivate a deeper relationship with your donors.
As you incorporate these strategic approaches and test what works best for your audience, you’ll go into the next fundraising campaign with confidence as you see your ministry’s vision come into effect.