9 Super Scary Nonprofit Website Mistakes

Back by popular demand to help you get ready for #GivingTuesday and Year-End -enjoy!

Boo! That’s your website scaring you into reality. And the reality is that people’s short attention spans mean your website needs to provide visitors with easy access to everything in just three clicks. It must grab visitors’ attention, provide information, and spur visitors to action.

Here are nine super scary website mistakes you should address before the year-end giving season is here and donors are too frightened to use your website!  Don’t wait…these website mistakes can result in the biggest horror of all: missing out on donations in December!

1. Your website doesn’t have contact information.
   • Make sure it’s easy for website users (and potential donors) to find your organization’s phone number, email address, or contact form. Also, make sure staff members know how to handle donor inquiries.
2. Your website lacks details about your nonprofit’s mission and vision.
   • Why is your organization the nonprofit to support? What are you doing that’s different from others? Simply put, what makes your nonprofit stand out? It’s important that the answers to these questions are easy to find on your website! By spelling out your mission and vision, donors can easily understand what their donations will accomplish.
3. Your website doesn’t feature your nonprofit’s latest news.
   • Create (or maintain) a place on your organization’s to share your latest news and examples of your most recent content, such as interesting articles, upcoming events, and special projects. This type of content works well on a blog and you can also link to this content on social media and in your newsletter.
4. Your website’s navigation doesn’t make sense.
   • Your website should be organized according to the expectations of the people who come to your website. Instead of thinking how to present the information you want people to find, make it easy for your visitors to find the information they want.
5. Your website isn’t mobile-friendly.
   • Take a moment to evaluate your website’s usability for mobile users. Open your website on a mobile device. Are your donation page and website easy to navigate on a tablet or phone?
6. Your website doesn’t have a clear ask for donations.
   • Don’t be afraid to ask for donations on your website. Isn’t that the whole point of fundraising? Supporters will appreciate that you’ve made it easy for them to donate, so make that button shine! Network for Good always recommends you make the button big, bold and above “the scroll”. Plus, a smarter donation page will help you get donors to give, give big, and give again.
7. Your website doesn’t have social media links or a newsletter sign up.
   • Social media is a key way to connect and communicate with supporters. Be sure that all those hours tweeting and blogging don’t go to waste: Provide links to your social media profiles and make it easy for supporters to see your content and share on their social media channel of choice.  If a new fan isn’t the social media type, an email newsletter is a great way to help them keep in touch. That’s why it’s important that your newsletter sign-up process is simple and seamless.
8. Your website’s content uses too many words to demonstrate your work.
   • As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures of people who benefitted from your services or volunteers in action can demonstrate your mission, illustrate the impact of your work, and complement your website’s text. Again, people’s attention spans are short. A compelling image will capture visitors’ attention and tell a story in a better way than multiple paragraphs of text.
9. Your website doesn’t feature endorsements and third-party reviews.
   • Make sure your website includes ratings from GuideStar and Charity Navigator or a testimonial from a stakeholder. The effectiveness of your websites’ messages depends on the messenger. Let others help build your case and show that you are trustworthy.