To provide a website with peak functionality, engagement and efficiency, it is essential that charities, just like any business, adopt and use a best practice approach.
Everyone knows with half a head on their shoulders that an engaging informative website is a must for doing business online. However not every charity website can accept online donations and this is also supposedly decreasing.
Offering online donations is a critical requirement for nearly all charities. Can you imagine businesses unable to accept online payments? This means that charities miss opportunities to raise vital funds, and the funds that they do raise will be processed via the more expensive phone or face2face channels - so less fundraising funds for the charity itself after all the associated costs.
If the website is to become the central and most cost effective channel between a charity and its volunteers, supporters, beneficiaries, donors and fundraisers it is the responsibility of the IT and online marketing departments to create, build and adopt a strong channel strategy. Charities should promote their services and collect their donations/funds online. With a strong channel strategy in place, a website can be developed in-house or via an agency with the relevant required experience.
Charity Website projects should take into account and include:
· User journeys and clear navigation that categorise and funnel user types to the correct pages
· Calls to Action to fully engage visitors and improve user conversion rate
· Processes and functionality that always work first time and every time, so website visitors have confidence in the charity mission
· Social Media engagement to attract potential supporters/volunteers/donors etc
· User generated content to ensure fresh ideas, engagement and community unity
· Analytical insight (Google Analytics) for future channel strategy refinement, tuning and website development.
Charity Website projects should also take into account and include:
Invest more time and effort in developing a successful channel strategy
Understand how the website can improve efficiency
Learn and adopt best practice from the private sector and online marketing agencies
Use the best software to develop web experiences
Constantly analyse and review the strategy and change as and when required.
The most successful charity websites provide information and encourage people to get involved, donate and submit their contact information for whatever reason.
Therefore to achieve this it is crucially essential to optimise your website so that visitors can find your website. Website visitors need to be able to find the information they are looking for and then be navigated to what they are looking for. When website visitors interact by donating or signing-up via the website, this information needs to be stored and processed correctly. And software such as Google Analytics or Webmaster Central should be used to refine and improve the website visitor experience.
An optimised charity website will ensure visitors are more likely to find your site, increase the likelihood of conversions and reduce the cost of processing donations. There are a number of solutions and tools that charities can use to implement a web optimisation programme that follows best practice guidelines.
Key areas that charities should review are:
1. Getting your website found by Search Engines (SEO)
2. Website architecture
3. Google Analytics and Social Media
Charity Website projects should also take into account and include:
Increasing targeted site traffic which in turn will increase conversions.
Ensuring that visitors can find the information they want quickly and easily.
Creating personalised experiences for revisits.
Understanding what visitors are doing and enable improvements to their journey.
And if your donor acquisition costs are reduced, more of your revenue can be spent on the Charity mission.
A planned structured approach to search optimising your website a charity can drive traffic to your website. These visitors can search and find what they are looking for, and engage with and make donations to the charity. Ensure that contact information is captured, stored and managed to track and implement successful marketing campaigns. Improvements to site architecture will ensure website visitors find and process website information easily to maximise cost savings. Charities can also understand their website user's journeys and refine their websites to maximise on what can be offered via the website.
Companies that offer free services to registered charities include:
Companies that offer free services to registered charities include:
Free Website Hosting
34SP.com offers 1% of your total hosting capacity free of charge to charities who meet set criteria and requirements.
34SP.com supports Charities who are registered in the United Kingdom, and cannot help unregistered charities.
To take advantage of this scheme please send an email with your requirements to info@34sp.com or visit their website: http://www.34sp.com/charityhosting
Free Google AdWords PPC Advertising
What is Google Grants?
Launched in 2003, Google Grants is a unique in-kind donation programme that awards free AdWords advertising to selected charitable organisations around the globe. The programme is available in the United States and these areas.
The programme helps non-profit organisations use Google AdWords to reach people who are searching via www.google.co.uk for information that is relevant to their organisation or cause.
Visit the Google search results page for the search query “global poverty” to view the Google AdWords sponsored links.
How does the Google Grants programme work?
Google Grants ads are run through AdWords, the online, self-service programme used by paying Google advertisers. Participating grantees set up an account, create their ad campaigns and are responsible for its ongoing management.
To help participants run successful campaigns, the Google Grants Help Centre features user guides, tutorials and other resources specifically created for grantees. In addition, AdWords support specialists are available to answer grantee questions and provide additional help via email.
What is the value of a Google Grant award?
Google Grants AdWords accounts have a daily budget that is set to $329, which is equivalent to about $10,000 per month of advertising on Google.co.uk…
What does my organisation need to get started?
To qualify for Google Grants, your charity/NfP must meet their eligibility requirements. It’s also important that you have a solid understanding of the way that the Google AdWords programme works. Please review the Google Grants webpages http://www.google.co.uk/grants/ before you apply.
Free Email Marketing
At VerticalResponse, we are inspired by the work you do, so we want to make it easier. Now you can save your donors hard cash for other crucial projects, so that you can stretch that shoestring to achieve even more. If your organisation satisfies and meets criteria then your organisation is eligible to send 10,000 emails per month free of charge. Another great solution that can be used is: www.mailchimp.com
Free Online Donation Payment processing
Charity Choice offers a truly free Online Donation Service which is available to all UK registered charities. Charity Choice is the only 100% free online donation service provider. This service has been set up with the help of The Co-Operative Bank Plc. In order to provide your charity with a secure, quick, easy and cost effective way of receiving donations direct to your bank.
The benefits of the FREE Online Donation Service:
· A 100% FREE service – There are no hidden administration charges, no hosting fees, no set up fees and no transaction fees
· No Credit Card and Debit Card fees for the donor or charities
· 100% Secure online payment facility – secure transfer of credit and debit card details to The Co-operative Bank and daily BACS transfer to the relevant charity’s elected bank account
· You do not need to open a new bank account – you can use your current charities bank account
· Provide the added option for donors to register their donation for GiftAid
· Provide a FREE monitoring system enabling you to access your own secure records to view donations made to your charity.
· Ability to add this FREE donation facility to your charity’s own website so for users to donate via YOUR website. Click here for help on adding your donation service to your website
· Facility for users to donate via Charity Choice website with a quick, easy and secure set-up process
· Quality banking expertise – Security and comfort that trusted ethical bank, The Co-operative bank are processing your transactions
· Support – advice on how you can market your donation page to donors
To ensure your charity does not miss out on the advantages of a free online donation facility, click on: http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/charitydonationservices.htm for more help and information.
Other services that are free to Charities
From free graphic design, bookkeeping and translation please click on: http://www.goodwillgallery.co.uk/freecharityservices.htm
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