Are You Turning Off Online Donors?

Examples of length friction:

• Steps friction — requiring too many steps in order to make a donation
• Fields friction — making donors complete too many fields in order to complete a donation

Examples of difficulty friction:

• Decision friction — requiring a gift designation code and/or having multiple options
• Confusion friction — using unclear copy or insider language/acronyms
• Error friction — asking donors to enter all of their data again when an error is submitted
• Device friction — forcing donors to pinch or zoom to complete a donation on a mobile device
• Registration friction — requiring donors to create an account prior to giving a gift
• Focus friction — making it unclear to donors where they need to go and/or click in order to make their donations

How much friction is in your online giving process?

Answer the questions in the charts at right to find out where friction may be causing your potential supporters to abandon their donations. Then add the total number of "Yes" responses from Section 1 to the total number of "No" responses from Section 2.

If your score is:

• Between 1 and 3: You are doing pretty well. Good for you! But remember that “good” is the enemy of “great.” It is probably time to do some A/B split testing and optimize your online giving process.
• Between 4 and 8: There is definitely some friction in your online giving process — revisit Section 1 and consider what you could do differently to turn some of the “yes” answers into “no” answers.
• More than 9: The good news is that there is a lot of opportunity to increase online revenue. Consider contacting an expert in this area who can quickly help reduce the friction in your giving process, making it easier for people to give.

Summary