Dusting Off Your Online Clutter
I've been hanging around nonprofit websites quite a bit lately. After all, the dog days of summer are a perfect time to make sure your online presence is shiny and ready for the fall and holiday fundraising season.
It's usually easy to spot updates and changes needed on the homepage since that's what we see first, but of course, that's just the start. So, here's a to-do list for the next four weeks so you head into the post-Labor Day season with your online "face" gleaming like new.
Week 1: Check out the links
Click on every link, both those that take site visitors from one page to another on your website, as well as any that link to other sites. Are any no longer working? Are the ones linked to external sites opening in a new window, not taking people off your website (perhaps never to return)?
Also, look to see if where you are directing people is still current. Sending people to learn about an event that happened a year ago is not helpful, unless it's a photo review or something similar. Make sure all your links are moving site visitors into a deeper relationship with your organization, not leading them into territory best left uncharted.
Week 2: Look at all the photos
Are the photos on your website the very best you have? Are people in them making eye contact as much as possible, and are they cropped properly so they tell a clear story?
Throughout your website, look for places to add photos (when needed) or to update with more current images. Photos can be very memorable, so freshening them up is a small change that can make your website more compelling to repeat visitors.
Week 3: Read the copy
- Categories:
- Web Design
Pamela consults with nonprofits, helping them develop their fundraising strategy and writing copy to achieve their goals. Additionally, she teaches fundraising at two universities, hoping to inspire the next generation of fundraisers to be passionate about the profession. Previously, Pamela led the fundraising programs for nonprofit organizations. Pamela is a member of the Advisory Panel for Rogare, the fundraising think tank at Plymouth University’s Hartsook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy, a CFRE, a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and Dominican University, and holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from California Southern University. Contact Pamela at pamela@pjbardeninc.com or follow her on Twitter at @pjbarden.
