10 Things Every Nonprofit Website Should Have

These days, a potential donor, volunteer, or client’s first exposure to your organization will most likely be online, so it’s important that your website is not only visually appealing, but also user-friendly and easy to navigate.

To make sure your website is effectively pulling in traffic, engaging visitors, and driving donations, don’t let your website be without these 10 must-haves!

1. About Us/Message: Not only should you have a dedicated “about us” section with in-depth information about your mission, vision, history, etc., but your homepage should include the basics as well. Your mission and programs should always be front and center! Being consistent and repetitive with your message will help the visitor remember who you are and what you’re about long after they exit your site.
2. Donate Button: You can’t accomplish your mission without donor support, so make sure your donation portal is easily accessible and visible to visitors as soon as they navigate to your page. Include transparent information about how their donation will be used, and how they can get more involved.
3. Contact Page: A website without a contact page forces one-way communication, and it’s important to invite feedback. Be sure to include not just your email address, but also your phone number and physical address.
4. Newsletter Signup: Having a direct signup for your newsletter or email correspondence on your website is a great way to gain new leads and engage your visitors. Try to make the subscription process as simple as possible.
5. Volunteer and Career Opportunities: If you want people to join you on your quest to achieve your mission, you have to let them know you’re looking for help! Even if you don’t currently have a need for volunteers, include an interest sign-up so you can reach out to them when you do.
6. Photos: Visuals are more appealing to the viewer and are processed faster by the brain than text. Let photos tell your story!
7. Blog: Having a blog establishes you as a subject matter expert and allows you to reach more people. Providing free, valuable content will help to build your base of followers and bring more traffic to your website. Post frequently, and be sure to share your blog content on your social media channels.
8. Mobil-Friendly Design: Mobile now accounts for about 40% of web traffic worldwide, so it’s more important than ever to have a mobile-friendly website. Pay special attention to your donate page and make sure that it can be effectively accessed from a mobile device.
9. Social Media Links: Add prominent links to all of your social media accounts on your homepage so that website visitors can easily follow you on social media, which will help them see your name and content more frequently. You should also give your viewers the option to share your content via their own social media accounts, which will expand your reach.
10. Search Box: Websites can be confusing and overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of programs. Make sure to include a visible search box to help make searching for specific information easier.

Want to dive deeper? Check out our 2018 marketing & communication trainings, or work with an ABN consultant to build or fine-tune your website.