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Designing a nonprofit website can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Nonprofit web design looks a bit different from company and for-profit sites, so we put together seven essential pages for your website. In this post, we’re going to take a deep dive into these must-have nonprofit webpages: We’ve also included the latest website best practices and trends to guide you through this process. 1. HomepageYour homepage is the first impression of your website. This is the page visitors will land on when they go directly to your site. The homepage is where you will share your most essential information concisely and visually. Here are our top tips for an impressive homepage. Capture Visitors’ Attention Strong visuals are crucial to grab the attention of new visitors. There are many types of media you can use to tell your organization’s story on your website. When designing your homepage, think of how you can integrate photos, videos, and infographics.
You will have space in your header and footer to direct visitors to other parts of your website. You don’t want new visitors to be lost and unable to find the information they came to your site looking for.
What do you want visitors to do when they visit your website? Of course, you want them to learn about your organization, but what’s next? Next steps of engagement may include becoming a donor, signing up to your email list, or following you on social media. These calls-to-action should be clear and easy to act on.
call-to-action is to donate, and so the donate button is very easy to find. 2. About Once your visitors are inspired by your homepage, they will want to learn all about your organization. How did this all get started? Who are the people making this organization’s mission a reality? The About section is where you will tell your nonprofit’s story. These sections are usually included on this page.
The page continues with a description of what World Science Festival work entails a brief history of the organization. The page has links to the Founders & Staff page and the Board of Directors page, which include interactive headshots and mini-bios. 3. ProgramsIf your organization provides a service, you will most definitely have potential clients and participants coming to your site to learn more. Keep these tips in mind while creating a program page.
little text. Each program is linked to its own page to learn more. 4. Join UsSome of your visitors will be psyched to learn about your mission and eager to get involved. The Join Us page will be the space where visitors can take part in your organization and cause. Take time to think about all the ways a web visitor may become involved. Here are a few ideas.
is right on the page, and social media icons are prominent. 5. DonateWhen current and new supporters want to donate to your organization, they will go straight to your website. There are two key areas to focus on when creating your donation page — motivating copy and simple ways to give. Write Compelling Copy When writing copy for your donation page, make sure your reader’s central question is answered: “Why should I give to this nonprofit?” Check off the following:
Make sure the donation page is easy to find, and that making an online donation is seamless. Here are ways to make your online donation process easy.
If you want more tips for your donation page, read these 6 Steps to Create a Donation Website for Your Nonprofit + 10 Great Examples. 6. News/Blog, Events, and Link to More CommunicationsWhen new visitors come to your site, give them the opportunity to stay up-to-date with your organization’s activities. This is typically done through blog and events pages and directing to other communications like social media and newsletters. News and Blog Page A blog or news page is the space to include important updates about your organization. Keeping up with a blog has many benefits for your website. Blogs increase traffic to your site, allow you to share updates quickly, and can help to establish your nonprofit as a thought leader in your field. Here are a few ideas of blog posts you can write.
If you hold events for the community or fundraising, you will want to include an events page. Here are a few ways to optimize this page.
Your website is an essential online communications channel. According to Funraise, social media and email are the second and third most effective fundraising and communications channels. Be sure you are connecting your website visitors to your other communications platforms.
social media pages on its sidebar. 7. Contact No matter what your nonprofit does, a contact page is a must. Contact pages are typically one of the most visited site pages. Users should be able to get in touch with key staff in your organization easily. Here are a few best practices for your contact page.
We hope your main take-away from this post is to keep your website simple and inspiring. Convey your mission and message visually and with minimal text. Ensure that all actions you want your web visitors to make are quick and easy. If you have a game-plan for these fundamental web pages, you’re on track to design a website that will amplify your message and inspire new audiences to act. Need more ideas? Here are 50 more nonprofit websites to get you inspired. This was a guest post contributed by Wild Apricot. Sayana Izmailova is the Content Marketing Specialist at Wild Apricot, a membership management software. She has worked at a number of nonprofits and uses her experience to help small organizations advance their missions. |