Web Design

The Great Landing Page Debate
December 6, 2016 at 9:35 am

In the end, no matter how much you think you know (or someone else knows), it’s really easy to do some landing page testing these days. If you haven’t been testing aspects of your landing pages, then you need to get on it quickly...

What 'Where’s Waldo?' Teaches Us About Designing Better Pages
December 5, 2016 at 11:22 am

What can “Where’s Waldo?”, the lovable children’s book series of the '90s, teach us about designing better page layouts? A lot, it turns out. In UX, we use different page layouts to help organize information and guide the user's eye path. The “F” pattern, for instance, is commonly used for article-heavy sites to guide the…

Try This Fresh Twist on Giving Tuesday
October 5, 2016 at 11:07 am

I’m not a particular fan of Giving Tuesday. In my experience as a staffer, I found it a time-suck. Worse, if your organization doesn't have a strong community profile (a “best-kept secret”), it’s time spent building recognition for Giving Tuesday, not for your organization. And of course, it doesn’t always raise much money, either. Tom…

No. 1 Thing to Achieve With Your Nonprofit Website
September 12, 2016 at 11:41 am

What do you think is the No. 1 priority of your nonprofit’s website? Think about it for a minute. Is it to properly introduce your organization to the visitors? Is it to answer visitors’ questions? Is it to get them to make donations? Is it to get them to volunteer or attend an event? Is…

10 Website Design, Email Marketing Best Practices for Nonprofits
September 8, 2016 at 10:36 am

The rapid rise of social media and mobile technology has had a profound impact on website design and email marketing, yet many nonprofits have not yet adapted to the new aesthetics and functionality of a mobile, social internet. Based upon the knowledge and experience that the nonprofit sector has gained over the last 20 years…

Is Your Website Up to Par?
August 25, 2016 at 10:07 am

It’s hard to believe it’s almost the end of August, and year-end fundraising is just around the corner. One thing you need to do before you switch from going to the beach to picking apples is to make sure your website is up to par. This means it’s up-to-date, easy to read and navigate, welcoming,…

The Netflix Effect: 4 Key Takeaways for Online Fundraising
August 17, 2016 at 11:14 am

Netflix released its quarterly report in April, and its stock plummeted 10 percent. That’s what happens when stocks fly so high: Even 
the slightest hint of bad news triggers a sell-off. Bear in mind that most of the quarterly report was positive. Netflix added 6.74 million new subscribers to bring it’s total to 81.5 million global customers. That’s 31 percent more than a year ago. And now, 42 percent of Netflix customers reside outside of the U.S...

Video: The Power of Social Media Versus Your Organization's Website
August 15, 2016 at 12:46 pm

Think that your website is your organization’s most important online communications asset? Think again. This week’s Know Your Own Bone fast facts video busts a myth that seems to be slow to shake for some leaders. As it turns out, your organization’s own website is not your organization’s most important online communications asset. Organizations tend…

What Makes a Good Website?
July 19, 2016 at 9:41 am

With more than 1 billion websites across the digital landscape, we know there are some elements that are mandatory for effective web experiences...

10 Ways to Improve Your Donation Page, Raise More Money
July 7, 2016 at 11:02 am

Only 15 percent of prospective donors who reach a website's donation page actually make an online gift. This stark statistic, revealed in the 2016 M+R Benchmarks Study, is a reminder of the challenge of raising money online. After all the work you've done crafting powerful fundraising campaigns, it's a pity that your website's donation page…