Your nonprofit’s website is critical to helping you achieve your mission. It connects your supporters to your organization, drives your mission forward and helps garner donations to multiply your organization’s impact. While your entire website is important to furthering your mission, there’s one element that stands out above the rest: landing pages.
So, what exactly is this lucrative landing page? Firespring CEO Jay Wilkinson states, “Landing pages are the pages on your website that ask visitors to take a specific action. People come to them from a variety of places, including social media, search engines, email messages and blog posts.”
Unfortunately, website traffic alone isn’t enough to get your organization the kind of conversions for fundraising dollars that you want or deserve. Even the best websites could have a large number of visitors, which doesn’t necessarily equal financial support. Instead, you need landing pages that convert because landing pages help your fundraising efforts skyrocket.
As it turns out, landing pages are a lot like landing on the moon—one small step for your organization, one giant leap for your fundraising success. That is the saying, right? Yet unlike a moon landing, the perfect landing page isn’t out of this world; it’s within your reach with the right tips and tricks. Check out ways to optimize your landing pages to increase fundraising dollars below.
Utilize a clean design.
Too many options and so little time means a quick bounce rate for your landing page (meaning your audience navigates away never to return!). With attention spans getting shorter and shorter, it’s important to give your landing page visitors a clean experience with little distraction. You can ensure this by including:
- Short, clear and concise copy.
- Captivating imagery to break up text and draw the eye, or a short and compelling video that helps further enforce your organization’s mission.
- Avoidance of harsh colors, or colors that don’t complement each other.
- Fonts that are easy-to-read.
- Limited navigation to other areas of your website.
Optimize for mobile.
Chances are, you’re reading this on your smartphone right now. Even if you aren’t, a mobile phone is likely sitting within reach. In order to get your constituents to make a donation from your landing page, you need to make it an easy process.
According to MobileCause and their platform users, they saw an 81% smartphone user adoption rate with donors becoming increasingly comfortable donating with their mobile phones. Stats like these are why it’s crucial to make sure your mobile users have a seamless experience.
You’ll want a design that works on mobile devices as well as larger screens. This is where clean design works in your favor. Easy navigation, a clear call to action and more tips below will ensure a seamless mobile experience for your landing page visitors, resulting in more donations and less missed opportunities.
Craft a killer headline.
Did you know that on average 8 out of 10 people read headline copy but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest? That’s a big responsibility for a little copy! Start by considering your organization’s brand and how it influences your copy, along with what has worked in the past. Some organizations do well with headlines that captivate emotional heartstrings, while others are able to be lighthearted and playful. No matter the voice you choose, you’ll want to be concise.
Consider what copy brought your user to the landing page in the first place. Use similar language so that your landing page feels like a continuation of the driving force. Your end-users will enjoy a seamless experience and you’ll enjoy the benefits of a landing page that converts to fundraising dollars.
Test your landing pages before going live.
Take out your #2 pencils, because this is a test. Maybe not that kind of test, but you should make sure your landing pages are up to the test. You’ll never know what resonates with your constituents unless you test.
Use A/B testing to achieve this goal. The most effective way to A/B test is to change just one item on the landing page and send each version to a small group of your supporters to see which group responds best. This could include testing elements like your headline, graphics and your CTA. You’ll then have an opportunity to make changes before you move forward, setting your organization up with the best chance of success. And don’t just conduct one A/B test. Continuously test to make sure you’re getting the content just right for your visitors.
Include a strong call to action.
It’s a tale as old as time. You have a killer headline, a clean design and your mobile landing page is flawless. There’s just one thing that’s keeping your audience from giving to your organization—they don’t know what to do next. A strong call to action (CTA) is clear, concise and tells your landing page visitors exactly what they should do. Too often, organizations ignore or forget the fact that a CTA is crucial.
Straightforward is key. You’ll want to stick to one specific action to avoid confusion and to let your constituents know exactly the action you want them to take. Make sure the button you’re using for your CTA stands out with a bright color, clean design and a font that is easy to read. Your landing page CTA should entice and beg to be pushed.
Landing pages help your fundraising efforts.
Landing pages, when done correctly, can give your organization a huge fundraising boost. The tips above are the first steps to give you a competitive edge, turning your visitors into lifelong supporters. Interested in learning more ways to effectively optimize landing pages that engage? Firespring is here to help! Register for an upcoming session of Convert Supporters with Powerful Landing Pages or catch a replay.
