Whether you’re running a company, community group or not-for-profit organisation there’s no getting around the fact that you need an effective, professional-looking website in 2022.
Even nonprofit websites need to be considered for user experience. After all, according to Hubspot, 42% of people will leave a website due to poor experience or functionality and there’s no reason why anyone would put up with a nonprofit website’s problems any longer than they would a for-profit company’s website.
So, how do you go about making your nonprofit the most effective and user friendly website as possible? Here are seven simple ways to get you started.
1. Be clear in your mission
This is a very good piece of advice for not just your website but your company’s branding and communications strategy as a whole. You and your team may know what the goal or mission of the organisation is, but would a visitor to your website know?
They should, and they should realise it instantly. Your website is likely the most public facing aspect of your business and so it really needs to reflect and capture who you are and what you’re doing.
From the content to the imagery, make sure that your identity and mission is clear from the very first second a visitor finds your homepage.
2. Focus on compelling copy and content
Professional copywriters are experts at selling with content that attracts, engages and converts website visitors. You might not be selling a widget or gimmick, but you are selling your cause and your role in achieving the mission of that cause. You only have a few key seconds to capture the attention of a browsing visitor so compelling copy is key.
But that’s not where engagement ends. Interactive graphs or maps are super effective ways for adding more to an otherwise static nonprofit website page.
3. Make supporting you easy
It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to solicit donors, subscribers or ambassadors, ensure that your website visitors and supporters can engage with your preferred “call to action” in just one click. The less friction and fewer obstacles in the way, the more likely people are to donate or sign up and get involved while they’re still engaged and motivated.
4. Direct visitors to find out more easily
Some visitors to your organisation may not be ready to recruit themselves as volunteers or donate. They may just want more information or very specific information. Or perhaps they just want to speak to someone in the organisation. Making sure the layout and menus of your nonprofit website easily highlight how visitors can find out more or get in touch with you will drastically reduce the bounce rate (i.e. the rate at which people leave your website).
5. Use visuals in your storytelling
All marketing, advertising and branding is, at its most basic level, storytelling. Your nonprofit website needs to tell the story of your organisation. While the copy goes a long way to encapsulate your vision and express it to newcomers, visual storytelling is the key to engaging people emotionally and saying a lot more with a lot less. From impactful photography to clearly displayed logos, keep your website visual and vibrant.
6. Consider speed and mobile-friendliness
People are in a rush nowadays and they just won’t stick around on a website that’s taking more than a few seconds to load. So make sure your website developers keep your website’s loading speed as quick as possible.
The same is true for mobile responsiveness. More and more people are browsing the internet, especially social media, on their smartphones. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you’re going to lose a lot of interest and attention.
7. Link to your social media channels
Social media is essential for community engagement and brand awareness for nonprofit companies. If your website isn’t linked to all of your social media accounts you’re losing out on converting one-time website visitors into active and engaged members of your online community. Make your social media buttons enticing, easy to find and just one click away to maximise engagement and follower growth.
Contact GO Creative today for a free quote
Luckily for you, you don’t have to set up your organisation’s website alone. The website development team at GO Creative are the experts in all things web design. With expert copywriters, website coders and graphic design staff, we’re uniquely positioned to offer you everything and anything you need to improve your online presence. Want a free quote for your nonprofit website? Book a call or email us today below!
