Put Your Website to Work for You and Your Direct Response Program
Debbie YoungSean Powell
Goals:1)Building web traffic2)Converting online registrations and activists to donors3)Integrating web, communications, and direct response departments to build stronger donor programs
CONTENTBetter content -> ↑ web traffic -
>↑conversions
CONVERSIONSBetter strategies -> ↑ conversions
↑ volume of conversions
↑ percentage of conversions
Your organization’s website
- who are your web visitors?- who is your site built for?- who do you want to attract?- is it a good reflection of the org and its mission?- do you know your site’s web traffic?- are you receiving any web analytics?- do you know why people visit your site?- do you know the most visited pages?
Web visitor -> DonorEmail subscriber -> Donor
Types of online conversions
Non-Web Visitor -> Web Visitor Web visitor -> Repeat Web visitor
Web visitor -> Email SubscriberWeb visitor -> Online Advocate/Action Taker
Online Advocate/Action Taker -> Online DonorDonor -> Email Subscriber
Web visitor -> Offline Donor
Non-Web Visitor -> Web Visitor
↑ Web Traffic
Offline: TelemarketingDirect mailEvents
Online: SEOSEM Google AdWords/Grant Facebook
Online/Offline Donor -> Email SubscriberBest practice: Opt-in as a contributor benefitExample: USHMM Privacy Policy
“Donors who have contacted the USHMM via email and/or provided the USHMM with an email address will receive the USHMM general news e-newsletter. If you wish to decline this benefit, please follow the opt-out options noted below.”
“Donors whose email addresses we have on record…”
Best practice: Thank you email- “contributors receive our e-newsletter”- “please add us to your address book”- learn more, connect, take action, etc.- unsubscribe/change email address
Web visitor -> Email subscriber
Best practices: - Connect to most visited actions on the site
Examples: Heifer InternationalUSHMM Survey
USHMM Plan a VisitBy providing your e-mail address, you will also receive the Museum's e-newsletter, e-Community News, which brings you regular e-mail updates from the Museum. If you wish to unsubscribe, you can do so at any time.
- Include in global navigation
- Thank you/Welcome message that connects to the way they signed up.
Web Visitor -> Advocate/Action taker
Best practice:- Offer actions at varying levels of commitment- Follow-up with action takers about the action they took. Thank them, tell what happened, share feedback.
Examples: WWF Photo Caption Contest CBF Action Campaign
Web visitor -> Shop Purchaser
Best practices:- Drive internal traffic - Drive external traffic- Offer purchaser incentives to move up in commitment- Offer email opt-in at time of purchase- Include purchasers in next direct mail or e-appeal acquisition
Online Web visitor -> Offline Donor
Best practices:- Make it easy- Have a printer-friendly option- Include mailing address specific for accepting donations- Include phone number to call
Email Subscriber -> DonorAdvocate/Action Taker -> Donor
Web visitor -> Donor
Email subscriber -> DonorBest practices:
- Give the web visitor what they want. (relevancy)
- Include a variety of “offerings” along with it.
- Steer individuals into more targeted messaging. (relevancy)
- Create a routine and expectations.
- Stewardship prior to the ask.
Example: USHMM E-Community News
Content
Email, Web, Social media content:
Think in terms of small bites.(fact of the month, tip of the month, this day/week/month in history)
Plan for the unplanned.Tie it to the news.Focus on storytelling.
What content is most important for converting to donors?
1. Your organization’s mission, goals, and objectives. (#1 is 4X more important than #2)
2. The organization’s presence in the constituent’s own “community”.
3. How your organization uses donations.
Do an audit of your site. Ask web visitors how easily they find content 1-3.
Jakob Nielsen, March 30, 2009
Converting to donors
1. Make your cause and goal clear and obvious.2. Make donating simple and easy.3. Maintain contact by email after the original
donation.
Web visitors -> Donors
Best Practices1. Site visitors should be easily prompted to
make a donation.2. Test placement of donation.3. Include donation option in global
navigation.
Example: USHMM Banner
□ A 5-10 second statement of who you are and what you do □ Easy navigation based on user intent or perspective
(not the org chart) □ Link to a case for why yours is THE organization that matters □ Emotion – accomplished through imagery □ A way to capture people who are interested (email signup)□ A way to make a donation (one in the nav, one as a big button)□ Any third-party endorsements □ A link to illustrate how your donations are spent □ Engagement opportunities (share, tell us, act)□ Links to social media □ Personal fundraising options □ Postal address and phone number
Home Page Checklist
□ Easy navigation based on user intent or perspective (not the org chart)
□ Logo that goes to the home page□ A site search function that is easy to find (test it!)
□ Make all images clickable to something□ Donate on every page□ Email sign-up on every page□ Postal address/phone on every page□ Contact us on every page□ FB and other social media links on every page□ Skimmable – pretend it’s a billboard
Webpage Checklist
Website Design
Printer-friendlyAbove/below the scrollPie chartsCharity sealsButtonized linksF-pattern
Testing on Websites
Test:1.Different web browsers2.Autofill landing pages with real data3.Repeat actions and visits/cookies4. Plan web pages for life beyond the campaign
Integration
Integrating with the program, marketing, web units to become involved with content.
What does the website offer that you can give to donors as a “benefit”? (online recognition?, “insider” view?)
What does the direct response unit have offline that you can create an online version of? (calendar, annual report)
Web traffic
When web traffic goes up, so do all conversions.
Example: USHMM SS album
Think about your next…Collaboration on web content
Appeal that could be a good fit for having a web component
An idea you have for offline that you could test online
Summary
Build web trafficIntegrate web, communications, and direct response to build stronger donor programs
Value of contentTypes of conversions
Thank you