Are you part of a charity or nonprofit organization that does fundraising? If so, you understand how important it is to create a high-quality website that shares a variety of information with your audience (including potential donors). In this post, our good friend and SEO expert, Charlie Rose, shares the essential elements for a donation page that converts visitors to donors.
While your website can include anything and everything related to your organization, a simple to understand donation page is a must. Here’s why: you want to make it as simple as possible for visitors to learn more about your mission and make a donation.
If you’re looking to update your current donation page or interested in building one from scratch, here’s a checklist you can use to stay on track:
Content
- An attention-grabbing headline
- A compelling message that instills a sense of urgency in your audience
- The use of images (and maybe video)
- A call to action, such as a button with the words “Donate Now” or “Help Now”
- Suggested giving levels
- Opportunity to designate a donation for a particular purpose
Design
- Use of white space as to keep the visitor’s attention
- Responsive design, ensuring the page can be viewed on both desktop and mobile devices
- Limited and clear navigation
- Minimal fields, thus speeding up the donation process (and reducing the likelihood of abandoning the form)
Take a look at these 10 Great Nonprofit Donation Pages with good design.
Technical
- Trust logos to show security
- The use of an SSL certificate
For Potential Donors
- A simple form that can be filled out within a matter of minutes (if not shorter)
- Phone and email contact details in case the person has a question before donating
- A variety of payment methods, including check, PayPal, credit card, and invoice me
Thank You Screen
- Matching gift opportunities
- Social media sharing opportunities
- An automatic follow up email to thank the person for their contribution
- A printer friendly screen so the person can print information regarding their donation
Miscellaneous Items
- Email alert so key staff members know when new donations are received
- Easy export of data for efficient and streamlined reporting
- Ability to make changes to the donation page without much (or any) technical knowledge
- Integration with a variety of apps, such as Google Analytics and email marketing platforms
With all this in mind, you now know exactly what it takes to create the perfect donation page.
Charlie Rose is the founder of SEO Mechanic. He’s an entrepreneur and internet marketer based in Naples, Florida. Charlie and his team of search marketing veterans with real-world experience help nonprofit clients increase website traffic and brand awareness which drives donations.