37 Must-Have Strategies to Better Engage Website Visitors, Part 1

[Editor’s note: This is part 1 of a four-part series on the session “37 Must-Have Strategies to Better Engage Your Website Visitor” at the Bridge Conference.]

The central hub for any nonprofit organization in today’s world is its website. It is where donors go to learn more about your organization, research, sign up and even donate. That’s what makes having an engaging, user-friendly website so critical for fundraisers.

At the 7th Annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference last week in National Harbor, Md., three fundraising technology professionals shared some website best practices in their session “37 Must-Have Strategies to Better Engage Your Website Visitor.” Here are the first eight strategies from presenters Sue Anne Reed, account manager, online fundraising at The Engage Group; Allyson Kapin, founding partner of the RAD Campaign; and Rob Manix, director of marketing technology at Defenders of Wildlife.

1. Keep your design simple and clean
You don’t want your website to be cluttered and confusing when visitors get there. Keep it simple and clean, with a good balance of copy and imagery. A good example, said Reed, is Defenders of Wildlife’s website.

2. Keep your navigation easy to use
Reed provided the examples of the League of Conservation Voters and DoSomething.org. She said both organizations do a tremendous job of keeping the design very simple and making sure donors know what those organizations want them to do. That — making it clear what you want donors to do — is key, she said.

3. Put your important messages first
When visitors get to your website, they should see the most important messages you want to get across before anything else. More and more, organizations are using light boxes or overlay shades to put that main message they want to get across first, really making it stand out, Reed said.