What do visitors expect from your non-profit website?

Non-profits and charities need a strong online presence. It is necessary to build a professional website for your organization to establish credibility.

If you want your website to be effective and help you achieve your mission and goals, it should contain the features your visitors expect. Below are some important features your visitors expect from your website.

Easy ways to donate

Donations are always the most important feature for any non-profit, yet too many nonprofit websites do not have clear calls to action to donate. A donate button should be on each and ever page. You should also have a page dedication to making donations with options for your many visitor types.

Contact information

Visitors are most likely to abandon a website if it lacks contact information or that information is hard to find. For a non-profit, in particular, including contact information is essential in building credibility. The contact information should be included in a clear and straightforward manner, under the “Contact Us” section. It should include an address, email address, phone number, and social media links. You should also include the information in your website footer so that it is visible on all pages of your website.

A blog feature

It is very important to have high-quality and fresh content when it comes to digital marketing. Having a blog along with your website is one of the smartest and easiest ways to create relevant and timely content about your non-profit or charity. A blog is a great tool for displaying your expertise, sharing your knowledge, explaining your charity work, your intentions, or the changes that you wish to bring to society. Your blog will also be regarded as a sign of credibility and expertise by your website visitors.

About Us

When a website does not have an “About Us” page, it appears incomplete. This section is particularly important for non-profits. An organization’s about page or section provides information about its activities, mission, goals, members, location, milestones achieved, and other important points.

Social media icons

Visitors want to see what they’re interested in on social media. Visitors to your non-profit’s website may want the same. Adding social media links to your website is a great idea. Allowing the visitor to “share” links on their own social media is a way to passively get your word out. However, you need to update your social media on a regular basis.  Don’t use too many accounts if you don’t have time to devote to all of them.

Testimonials

Your non-profit’s website should include testimonials or case studies that express the outcomes your organization has when it comes to your cause. It will speak volumes about your relationships with your audiences and your achievements, while also adding to your organization’s credibility in the community. Reading the testimonials will encourage and convince prospective benefactors to support your mission.

Consider Live Chat

Visitors often seek immediate clarification of information. Live chat would be preferred over waiting for days for an email response. This does not require a live person but has a series of answers that appear when a common question is asked.  If no answer is found, a way to enter contact information is provided.  There are free options for this and paid.  It is a good thing to consider for your website if not now, in the future

One of the most valuable tools you have is your non-profit website. In order for people to quickly and easily find the information they need, the website must be well designed and easy to use. For any organization with good intentions, reducing the barriers to service is crucial. You will achieve your goals by building trust and transparency. You want your non-profit website to establish credibility and transparency by including all of the above features.

Does your nonprofit website need a makeover? I’d love to help you! Contact WebCami today!

RESOURCES: Classy – The Elements of Great Nonprofit Websites (Includes Examples)