Make it easier to give than give up
[December 2007] Sometimes people come to your website *wanting* to join or donate or volunteer. Make it easier for them to give than give up.
Sometimes visitors arrive at your website all primed up to donate time or money or other resources. Perhaps they want to 'join' or 'subscribe' as a way of supporting your organisation.
They may have seen a news item on TV, or have been talking to a friend, spotted an article in a 3-year old magazine, or just have woken that morning with a resolution to help your organisation.
In any case: they have one thing in mind: supporting your cause. So how easy do you make it?
One problem is with the words 'help' and 'support' --- they are often used on websites in relation to telling the visitor what to do if they need to receive technical advice; they don't immediately conjure an image of the visitor helping the organisation.
Step 1: Have a prominent link or button on at least your Home Page, but preferable every page that says something like: "Support our work".
Note "Support our work" is actually a bit vague. It's better than just "Support", but try to be more specific --- "Support Wellington Zoo", "Support children in need", "Help protect native birds", for example.
Step 2: Set up a separate page or section of your site with all the relevant information about subscriptions and memberships, products, schemes, volunteer opportunities --- anything that allows people to contribute in some way.
As an example, see http://rnzfb.org.nz.
They not only have many separate links for things like Become a member, Volunteer and Donate, but also a section called: "How to Support the Foundation" at http://rnzfb.org.nz/howtodonate.
They say on that page:
"If you would like to support our vital work, there are many ways to do so. You could give a donation today, or spread your giving over time by becoming a regular sponsor of either a guide dog puppy or the RNZFB's talking book library. Or you could consider becoming a volunteer collector during Blind Week or the Red Puppy Appeal. Whatever you decide, you know that your efforts will make a lasting difference to blind, deafblind and vision-impaired New Zealanders. Thank you."
Notice too how the URL for that page is easy and memorable...
Step 3: Give the 'Support' page a memorable and easy address.
Step 4: Give visitors everything they need to donate time, money or other resources --- payment options, addresses, a phone number they can call if they have questions or problems, information about their choices. But keep it short, clear and informative. Link through to more in-depth information if necessary.
Step 5: Thank them.
Step 6: If the visitor signs up or donates give them immediate feedback, and thank them again.
For more tips on this topic see the Groupings blog post, Raise Funds Online.
Website tips contributed by Miraz Jordan, http://mactips.info/