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Make online giving quick and easy

Thanks to our digitised world, we apparently have an attention span of eight seconds – which is less than the goldfish’s nine-second stretch! It’s challenging enough to engage people with fleeting interest – so let’s ensure that these efforts aren’t wasted by dysfunctional donation pages.
 
You may have invested heavily and ensured that your site has fantastic images, intuitive design, great stories and, of course, shows the impact of your valuable work.
 
But what happens when people click on your 'Donate' button?
 
That is assuming, of course, that this all-important button appears prominently on every page – which it should.
 
Is the potential donor confronted by a wall of text and banking details?  Perhaps a wish list of things that are needed?
 
Confusing information?  Unfortunately, these types of pages do little to inspire giving. They can make it seem like giving a gift will take too much time or be a painful process – or both.

Where to start?
 
To plan the ideal donation page and process on your website, consider these top tips:

1. Place a ‘donate’ button in a prominent position on every page.
2. Include a giving motivator/call to action on the donate page.
3. Within the body – or at the end – of inspiring stories about your work, include a link straight to your donate page.
4. Ensure that your donate page also looks and feels like your NPO, not another site.  Branding needs to be consistent.
5. Ensure your donate page looks as great – and works as well – on mobile.
6. Images or examples of what specific gift amounts can make possible are motivational -but ensure that they are credible.
7. Offer various donate options: credit card, debit order, EFT.
8. Ensure immediate acknowledgement.
9. Acknowledgement of a gift is not necessarily equal to a thank you.  Ensure that the donor receives a proper thank you letter or email that is appropriate for the amount of the gift.
10. What about asking the donor to opt in for news from you in future? 

If your donate page communicates as well as the rest of your website; if it is easy to navigate, easy to understand and makes it seem simple to donate, you’re on the right track.
 
DMI offers website audits to non-profit organisations, which include recommendations for improvements where necessary. Call us on 031 584 5000.