1. Your “Donate Now” Button is Lackluster
One of the easiest ways your nonprofit is losing out on online donations is by its donation button. It could be that you don’t have one, or the one you have wasn’t strategically made. Either way, take a mental note of what your donation button looks like now and erase that from your memory. If you want to increase the amount of clicks your donation button receives, I highly recommend following these three guidelines:
- Size – The button should not take up a large portion of the site, but it needs to be noticeable enough to not get overlooked.
- Color – The button should not blend in to the site, but instead contrast with colors that do not clash with your site.
- Location – The button needs to always be present at the top of the site where viewers will immediately see it. The button should also be on every single page of your site.
If you would like an in-depth guide about donation buttons, I highly recommend visiting Greater Giving’s guide on creating web buttons.
2. Your Donation Form Is Not Simplified or Mobile Friendly
Filling out a donation form should not make donors feel like they’re signing away their left kidney. They should ask basic information such as name, phone number, email address, address, card details, and donation amount. Any more information than that will frustrate or confuse donors and cost you their donation.
To put things into perspective, most people are on their mobile devices and that’s how 1 in 5 of your donors are giving to your nonprofit (Dunham and Company). So, if this form is not simplified enough to be accessed on a smart phone, you will lose at least 20% of your online donations.
Also, make sure that your branding is consistent on your form. You need to make the donation page and its form feel like it is an extension of your website. It leaves no doubt in the donors’ mind that their donation is going directly to your nonprofit.
3. Your Site and Donation Page Are Not Secure
If you cannot guarantee that a donor’s information will not be compromised, then your nonprofit has no business taking online donations. Donors need to be assured that their personal information and card information is secure when entering it on your site. The average security breach costs an average of $154 per occurrence (IBM). To counter this issue, invest in security for your site and proudly display it.
If you don’t know if your website is secure or not, then contact your website’s host company and inquire about an SSL certificate. An SSL certificate serves two purposes: authenticating your site and encrypting the data that it transmits. It is critical to have one and display the security logo on your page. You will also need to meet the PCI (Payment Card Industry) Standards, which protects credit and debit card information. You can read more information regarding PCI Compliance on their website. There are tons of cyber criminals waiting to get ahold of your information; don’t allow them to create a PR nightmare and destroy trust between you and your donors.
