08 May 2012 2 Comments

Donate Now Button series: Have an actionable homepage


It’s important to have an actionable website for your organization that encourages direct donations. 

Don’t make a potential donor dig for a place to donate

Supporters should be able to donate to your cause directly from your website’s homepage. Requiring individuals to dig around your website will make it hard for them to support you. So help them help you by making your donation prompt clear and actionable right from your nonprofit’s homepage. Ideally somewhere in the header so a potential donor doesn’t have to scroll to find it.

Call attention to your donation button

Your donation button should be as visual as possible. Keep text to a minimum till after they’ve clicked to donate to ensure follow through. For donors who want to do a little more research before donating, consider having a “Donate” tab in your navigation – where you can provide donors with more information about your donation preferences and the impact of funds before they make a donation action.

The Melanoma Research Foundation has been able to customize their own "Donate Now" button.

 

WalkBoston has been able to customize their own "Donate Now" button.

Keep your Donate Button on brand

We love this branding tip from Heather Mansfield, author of “Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits”:

“Studies have shown that “Donate Now” buttons that stand out from your website’s overall color scheme result in more online dollars raised because online donors can’t help but notice them. For example, if your website and your logo use two colors, pick a third color that coordinates well with them for your “Donate Now” button. Again, your “Donate Now” button should be visible and obvious on every page on your website. Design it into your website’s template or navigation bar.”

Don’t forget to keep your brand in mind when selecting a donation solution. Many third party applications provide limited custom branding options, or even require you to promote their brand above your own. FirstGiving Payments customizable “Donate Now” button allows you to keep donors within your brand experience, as well as inspire confidence that your organization is in full control of the donation process.

Build your own free, FirstGiving donation button now!

 

Photo Courtesy photofarmer 2011

by Dan Fonseca in Nonprofit Resources Tags: ,