How to ensure your Web site lives up to its potential
Web sites have tremendous potential to help not-for-profits
expand both their reach and their revenues, so it's important not
to treat yours as an afterthought. How can you ensure your Web site
is as good as possible? Answer these questions to see if it contains
the features found in effective Web sites.
Does it further your mission
by advancing key goals?
Your organization may have strategic goals
relating to solicitation, volunteer recruitment, communication,
education and acquisition of resources. Your Web site should advance
them where possible. For instance, if a goal is to increase the number
of volunteers in the 65-plus age group, you might have a section
on volunteer opportunities for senior citizens.
Or if you're trying
to generate more in-kind donations, feature information about the
value of in-kind giving and the types of items your organization needs.
Does
it have a mechanism for taking action?
A 2004 survey of more than
10,000 Internet users by Network for Good, a nonprofit processor
of online donations for charities, underscored the importance of making
your Web site work for you. The survey found that 75% of respondents
had visited a charitable Web site. Among the half who said they had
taken some action as a result:
- 40% donated offline,
- 24% donated online,
- 11 % volunteered off line, and
- 9% volunteered online.
The same survey also found that online giving is
growing at a much faster rate than traditional forms of giving,
especially with donors in their 20s and 30s - a demographic not-for-profits
are striving to cultivate. The growing acceptance of Internet giving
was seen in the response to the tsunami disaster. According to
the Direct Marketing Association's Nonprofit Federation, 39% of
all tsunami gifts originated online.
Even if online donation processing
isn't feasible for your organization, a less sophisticated procedure
can be used that allows donors to fill out an on-screen commitment.
When you receive the information, you can process a credit card
transaction or bill the donor.
Does it encourage repeat visits?
Research by Network for Good also found that visitors
to charitable sites are most interested in information about an organization's
cause, followed by data on how donations are spent. You can
increase your site's appeal by:
- Changing content frequently,
- Using
photos and video clips
to bring your mission alive,
- Incorporating interactive features such as polls, message
boards and online communities, and
- Giving visitors an opportunity
to sign up for a mailing list.
Keep in mind, your Web site should
be designed with the user - not just your nonprofit - in mind.
Does
it increase transparency and accountability?
In the virtual world of
philanthropy, good disclosure is critical to establishing trust and
securing donations. You can demonstrate openness and responsibility
by prominently displaying information about how you spend donations.
It's also a good idea to put your
annual report and Form 990 on
I
your site (or provide a link to where individuals can access them). You should
also include detailed contact information, including a physical address.
Are you gaining the most you can?
The Internet continues
to gain power as a tool for philanthropy, something savvy nonprofits
recognize and strive to take advantage of. Take the time to review
your Web strategy to ensure you're getting the most from this medium.
What online users desire in a Web site
In its 2004 survey of
10,000 Internet users, Network for Good discovered what online
users want. Respondents indicated the top five hallmarks
of a good not-for-profit Web site are:
1. Significant content
on cause,
2. Information on how donations are spent,
3. Ease
of use,
4. Information about how to get involved, and
5.
Ability to become a member. |
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publications are distributed with the understanding that the author,
publisher and distributor are not rendering legal, accounting
or other professional advice or opinions on specific facts or matters,
and, accordingly, assume no liability whatsoever in connection
to its use.
