Tips on Designing Successful Nonprofit Websites
Did you know that the number of visitors any website receives depends 100% on the quality of the site? Ever since the first website creation in 1991, there have been numerous steps taken to improve the quality and usability of websites. The nonprofit websites are no different from any others, but there are some extra factors you have to consider when making one. Here, is a checklist every designer should have when making a website meant for nonprofit.
1. Ensure that the purpose of the nonprofit websites are easy to understand
The heading of the website should clearly state the purpose of the site. Before designing the site, list down the reasons why you are setting it up. For instance, is it meant to:
a. Keep existing members up to date with the news?
b. Solicit for funds?
c. Recruit new members and get donations?
Ensure that the graphics used is creative enough to capture the attention of surfers. It is vital that the homepage has the objectives of the website and that visitors can clearly see what you hope to achieve with the site.
2. Make the nonprofit websites user friendly
Did you know that a person spends on average, less than a minute on a web page and reads 28% of the content there? Well, if you want to capture and retain the attention of potential visitors to your nonprofit website, you have to make it extremely easy to use. Here, are some tips how to:
a. Make a site that is easy to navigate: This is done by ensuring that all the links and back links are working at all times. The presence of a site map will also be an added advantage. It is crucial to have a link back to the homepage from any of the other pages.
b. Ensure the site is user friendly: The point here is to make the visitor have easy time accessing information. You can achieve this by:
• Making it donor friendly: If the nonprofit websites are meant to solicit donor funds, ensure that the ‘make a donation’ link or button works well. It is also crucial to have content that helps convince the donor to donate to your course and not the many others.
• Making it media friendly: As nonprofit organization and nonprofit websites, the media can be the best friend or worst enemy. Transparency is of utmost importance to secure positive reviews from the media. Avoid any content that can be deemed as controversial by the media because by the end of the day they influence public opinion the most.
3. Have a news section or a blog
Everyone enjoys being part of something. A blog or news section will enable visitors share their opinion on the issues you are aiming to tackle with your nonprofit websites. This ensures they return to the site often.
4. The importance of compelling content and back links
Did you know that most surfers only visit the websites that appear on the top page of any search engine they use? Well, to get traffic to your site, you will need expert SEO content.
a. Hiring an SEO professional who will help your site rank among the first in search results.
b. Having excellent content with useful information keeps readers interested in what you have to offer.
c. Making guest blog posts with links back to your site will help you increase the traffic you need to keep your site functional.
With all these factors in mind, creating successful nonprofit websites should be an extremely easy task.