86. Making Your Website Irresistible to Donors and Raise More Money (Pt. 2) - Jonathan McCoy, CFRE and Becky Endicott, CFRE
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Overview
Our websites are the front door of our organizations, but how much effort and time are we spending optimizing them for our donors to fall more in love with our mission and make a gift? In today's world - you can't afford not to make your website irresistible to your donors.
In our second week of our two part series, we're completing the final five quick steps to take your website through a super fast refresher to seriously boost your traffic and online donations. Join us as we talk about selecting the right visuals, creating a welcome series and explore how to gather feedback. Even better, we’re going to unpack this course alongside our buddy Dana Snyder at Positive Equation in a FREE online challenge that started this week, so tune in!
“We know that our websites are so important. They’ve always been important, but more so today than ever before.”
Episode Overview
This topic of optimizing websites will never get old (2:00)
The last 5 tips to better optimize your website (3:00)
Join the March Challenge with Positive Equation, Fundraise Up, and our team!
Powerful quotes
“We know that our websites are so important. They’ve always been important, but more so today than ever before.” - Jon
“Your website is a front door to our organizations.” -Jon
“This topic of optimizing websites will never get old.” -Becky
“Digital is becoming a noisy and crowded place right now. If we get back to the heart of digital, it is the heartbeat and hub of who we are. Make sure you make time to make your website relevant, simple, and updated.” -Becky
“If you can use people in the context of real impact, you’re really getting somewhere. Focus on authenticity, relatability, and vulnerability.” -Becky
“Are you constantly evolving and asking yourself if you are doing things the best you could be?” -Jon
Jon & Becky’s Key Steps to Optimize Your Website
6. Focus on Your Visuals
If you’re trying to sell your house, you have to get your house ready to sell. The visual aspect is almost more important than what is inside the walls. That is what people are doing with your website. Be thoughtful about the visuals you are using. Invest in photography for your website and digital platforms. If you can use people in the context of real impact, you’re really getting somewhere. Focus on authenticity, relatability, and vulnerability. Find budding photographers that want to plug in in a way and activate them.
Hack: always choose people over buildings, human connection, and humans over graphics.
7. Optimize Your Giving Pages
We want to simply make the transaction easier for the end user. We want this to be so natural, because you don’t want someone to think about it. They’re already invested emotionally from the stories and imagery on your website. Are you putting a number and an impact in somebody’s mind? Translate what a $50 gift, monthly gift, etc. could do. Connect the dots and make this as easy and clear as possible.
Offer flexible options for how someone can pay quickly. Can you offer Apple Pay, Pay Pal, and other easy options?
Hack: Givebutter is integrating their platform with Venmo!
Ask your end user if they want to cover the credit card processing fee
8. Gather Feedback
Are you constantly evolving and asking yourself if you are doing things the best you could be? You are surrounded by a movement of people who believe in your mission. They want to connect with you in different ways other than just their giving. We can never assume what donors are needing or wanting to see.
The We Are For Good Community - come join us and discuss, suggest, and provide feedback on optimizing websites!
9. Create a Freebie or Welcome Series
You’re probably thinking, “I don’t know what I have to offer?” We ‘re challenging you to try to create a “value add” that you could use to help keep your donors engaged. Make it a goal to capture an email each time someone visits your website. It could be a carousel, a drip series, access to an expert, access to tips or a worksheet, and more.
Dana Snyder breaks down an example of a welcome series in Episode 70
Jess Campbell shares how to build a freebie for your website in Episode 20
10. Know What You’re Good at and What You’re Not Good At
Our front doors of our company are so critically important. Ideally someone on your team can live and breathe this, but don’t be afraid to hire a freelancer. Someone needs to speak to trends, data, and strategy and guide you.
Join the Challenge!
Want to increase your online donations?
Join our FREE March Challenge - Fill Your Pot of Gold to refine your online donation process and build a system for success. 🍀
4 weeks, 3 expert speakers & lots of gold at the end of the rainbow! 🌈
Join the Good Community!
The We are for good community
This is a safe place for deeper conversations. While we love this podcast, it is a very one-sided dialogue. It is great for starting conversations, but not continuing them. You can find friends, colleagues, and others to champion alongside. We believe community is everything and we wanted to create a place where people could learn and thrive and grow together (and also have a whole lot of fun).
