Special Report: 10 Ways to Make Your Web Site ?Fundraising Friendly
? Image alt tags: Search engines cannot understand the contents of an image; this is where alternate text (alt="") comes in handy. Simply place a clear and concise description of every meaningful image inside the alt text declaration.
? Meta description: Make sure you fill out the meta description for every page on your Web site. This information provides the search-engine index a summary of the information on the page and is generally shown on a search-engine result page as part of the search result right underneath the title. Make sure you aren't placing the same description on every page of the site.
7. Content management. Follow the style guide for your Web site when creating content. If you use a Web-design agency and didn't receive a style guide from it, contact the agency and get one created. A well-written style guide contains all information related to maintaining the design and structure of your Web site during content management. Among other things related to online branding, it contains information such as maximum image sizes for content areas, font families and sizes, color palette, padding, and spacing. Follow your style guide to ensure a consistent user experience for your audience and to show your constituents that you take your Web site and messaging seriously. This inspires confidence that usually results in your audience taking action.
8. Out of sight, out of mind! E-mail communication is one of the most important tools in a nonprofit's arsenal. Keep in touch with your constituents, and send them regular updates with activities, events and milestones for your organization. And make sure all your e-mail messaging has clear and direct calls to action. Your e-mail recipients might not become donors right away, but when they do decide to give to an organization of interest, they'll think of you first. Make it easy for your audience to sign up for electronic communication at the time of giving, especially for first-time donors.
