The internet is still most people’s go-to place to get information. Unlike social media, you control your website. Therefore, yours needs to be in good shape. This means it’s up-to-date, easy to read and navigate, welcoming, and audience-centered.
How does your website fare? Use the checklist below to find out.
Home page
Your home page is often the first place a newcomer will visit. Make it an entryway to the rest of your website.
- Is it free of clutter and easy to navigate and read?
- Does it include an engaging photo and a small amount of text, such as a tagline or position statement?
- If you’re highlighting something such as an event, is the information up-to-date, and is it the most newsworthy item you can feature?
- Does it include a Donate Now button that’s prominent without being tacky?
- Does it include a newsletter sign-up box and social media icons?
- Does it include your organization’s contact information or a link to a Contact Us page?
- Is the navigation bar easy to use?
- Does it include a search feature?
Donation page
Many people donate online. This needs to be a good experience for your donors. You don’t want to stress them out with a cumbersome and confusing donation page.
- Is it easy to use?
- Does it include a strong call to action with the same messages as all your other fundraising appeals?
- Does it show how the donation will be used and what different amounts will fund?
- Does it include an option for monthly/recurring gifts?
- Does it have an engaging photo?
- After someone donates, does it take the person to a thank you landing page and generate a thank you email?
The rest of your pages
Be sure to take a look at the rest of your web pages, too.
- Are they easy to read/scan and navigate?
- Do all your pages have a consistent look?
- Is the content well written in a conversational style (no jargon!) and free of grammatical errors and typos?
- Are your pages audience-centered? Remember, some visitors know you well and others don’t. A person visiting your volunteer page may not know much about your organization, so you’ll need to include a compelling description of what you do.
- Do your pages contain a clear call to action? For example, your volunteer page should entice someone to volunteer.
- Does each page have one or two photos related to its subject matter? Going back to your volunteer page, you could include a photo of volunteers interacting with clients.
- Is all the content up-to-date?
- Do all your links work?
- Do all your pages include a Donate Now button, navigation bar, social media icons, a newsletter sign-up box, contact information, and a search feature, so your visitors don’t have to go back to the home page?
- Are you using analytics to see how often people visit your pages? If you have pages that aren’t generating a lot of interest, find out why that’s happening. You may need to make the page more engaging or take it down.
- Do you periodically survey your supporters to get feedback about your website?
- Is your website mobile-friendly? This is crucial. Using responsive design will help. 7 Steps To Ensure Your Nonprofit Has A Mobile-Friendly Website
- Is there other content you should include (or take out)?
After you’ve made all your changes, have someone who isn’t as familiar with your organization (maybe a friend or family member) look at your website to see if the content is clear and that it’s easy to navigate.
Your goal is to have a website that’s welcoming and audience-centered for everyone from first-time visitors to long-time donors.
Read on for more information to help you get your website in good shape.
Nonprofit Web Design: 6 User-Experience Best Practices
25 Best Practices for Nonprofit Websites
Image by Petr Sejba www.moneytoplist.com
