A digital presence is key

Does your organization have a website? Do you update it regularly? Do people who visit your website have the option to donate to your organization through a link on the site?

If you answered “no” to any of those questions, you may want to reconsider how you are interacting with the public. These days, whenever someone is considering starting a relationship with a new organization (such as a nonprofit, house of worship or school), one of the first items on their to-do list is to check out its website.

The following are some of the key characteristics of a great website:

1. All the information and links are up to date. This might seem intuitive, but many organizations forget to update their website when a staff member leaves or joins the team. If a visitor clicks on a hyperlink only to find that it doesn’t work, that can create frustration that could drive them away from your organization. Appoint somebody (a staff member or volunteer) to regularly scan your website and make sure all the information is current. It might even be easiest to set up a calendar reminder, say, once a month.
2. There is an option to donate online. This is especially important for nonprofits, houses of worship and other organizations that depend on donations. It’s not enough anymore for websites to offer a form or phone number for potential donors. Most of the time, those donors don’t follow through. Instead, consider providing an easy and secure way to make a donation directly from the website.
3. You have put extra effort into the design. Make sure you use design strategically to enhance your message, rather than overpowering it. Limit your use of stock photos and instead fill your website with photos of the good work you are doing (once you have obtained authorizations from those depicted in the photographs). Use lots of white space. And when you write copy, use lots of headers and bullets to make it easier for visitors to scan information quickly.
4. The website is easy to navigate. Spend some time thinking about how you want users to interact with your website. Ideally, any visitor who arrives on any page of your website should be able to find what they need within three clicks. Also, while it might be tempting to include many of your pages on the main menu, it will be easiest to divide your navigation into clear categories and have only the most important links on the main menu.

5. The website is mobile responsive. The site works just as well on mobile as it does on a desktop computer. This is particularly important because many of your visitors will likely be viewing the site from a mobile device. You may need to work with a professional web designer or consultant if you’re not sure how to optimize for mobile.

With a great website, you can connect with more people and grow your organization.

Find more helpful resources on our safety resources page.