Your nonprofit website is a key component to your communication strategy. Use the Three Cs to evaluate your current website and as part of the planning process as you move towards maximizing the value of the Internet for building your organization.
Communications
Your website is a hub for your Internet communications. In your newsletter, social media, email signatures, link to your website to attract people to your website. Once the person is visiting your website, they should see information that is interesting and valuable to THEM.
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Identify your target audience (s) and their needs
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Your home page should have your key message that speaks to the site visitor.
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Have the latest updates available on the home page, leading to specific areas of the site
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Update your website periodically with news and changes. Assign someone to check the website regularly to make sure it reflects your current situation.
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Consider integrating social media like your Facebook and Twitter page with your website.
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Provide methods for two-way communications; see the Calls to Action section below.
Credibility
You have just seconds to grab and hold the attention of the person visiting your website. First impressions DO count. The person should see in a very short time that the website is of interest to him.
Here are some tips for building credibility:
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Look professional and appropriate for your target audience
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Provide easy navigation to all areas of the site.
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Check your content to make sure there are no typos, spelling errors, paragraph formatting errors
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Check that all internal and external links are working. Remember that in your links to EXTERNAL sites, your link may change.
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Use graphics, photos, videos, colors, fonts, layout for a professional look
Remember that the person is judging your organization and ability by what they see on your website. You want to create a credible, professional presence that encourages them to spend their time and interact with you in some way.
Call to action
What do you want people to DO when they see and like your website? You want the person to not just say “it looks like this organization is doing a good job.” People see hundreds and thousands of websites – how do you attract them and keep them coming back? You want to establish a relationship with the person concerned. Here are some suggestions to engage the user and build that trust and interest.
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Ask them to bookmark the site
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Encourage them to subscribe to your email newsletter
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Add a contact form to allow them to ask a question or ask for help
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Give a link to download a report, and they give their email address to receive it.
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Provide a method for donating to your organization, with a variety of tiers.
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Engage them with information and form on how to become a volunteer
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Add an RSS log to receive updates on the pages you update frequently
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Integrate your Facebook page and Twitter feed and encourage people to join your social networks
So be sure to follow up
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Send them a newsletter and announcements.
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Provide updates on donations and how they are used.
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Add new reports and news
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Add regular updates to the website so that a person sees new and updated information when they return to the site
