Online retailers invest LOADS (that’s a technical term meaning “a heck of a lot”) of time and money to find ways to covert more visitors to customers. Not all of the techniques employed translate to nonprofit fundraising, but some lessons learned absolutely apply. Here are 5 super easy things you can try to boost online donations.
TIP: It’s probably wise to try one thing at a time so you know where to attribute any changes you see in online giving.
1. Adjust the color of your donate button. Take a look at your website. Does your “Donate Button” stand out? If it doesn’t pop off the page, consider adjusting the color so that the call to action is at the top of the visual hierarchy of your page. Some studies suggest making the button red or orange is best and can result in 30%+ increase in clicks, but general wisdom says to test any color that makes the CTA more prominent.
2. Add social proof. If you’ve ever read a customer review or made a purchase on the recommendation of a friend, you’ve used social proof to guide your decision making. Seeing that others have engaged with a company or product in a positive way can help to convince a person to follow suit. In some cases, demonstrating social proof can boost conversion as much as 34%! Consider adding donor testimonials to your page. Or embed a social media feed with posts from enthusiastic donors.
3. Make your CTA less generic. People want to have a positive impact on the world and if they equate making a monetary donation with doing good, they will gladly give. So instead of a call to action like DONATE or SUPPORT US, think about how you can present a CTA that communicates impact and action. SAVE THE WHALES. FEED THE HUNGRY. PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. Even a simple change like this can increase donations by as much as 22%.
4. Simplify forms. Removing unnecssary fields from forms has been shown to increase conversions by over 10%. Of course, it’s nice to know a donor’s title and how they heard about you. It’s tempting to ask them if they want information about volunteering and to opt in to your newsletter. But before you add all these additional fields to your donate form, consider the fact that those fields might actually turn away donors. Keep the donate form as simple as you possible can and use your confirmation page, receipt email or other follow up communication to learn more about the donor and cultivate the relationship.
5. Add a trust logo. People are increasingly concerned about security. Give them confidence that your page is safe and that your organization will safeguard their information. Doing this can be as easy as positioning a trust logo next to the most critical or sensitive fields on your form and can improve conversion by as much as 9%.
Even simple, subtle changes to your website can have a significant impact on the number of online donations you receive. Couple these changes with great email marketing and social media posts with links back to the page for truly dramatic results!