In “Growing your nonprofit: planning your donation page” we began looking at optimization and how the first step is to remove distracting links and ensure that an image shown is connected to your mission or your value proposition.
Reading your donation page should be easy and pleasurable, incorporating a clear, fuss-free design which considers the size and color of text and the readability of the page.
All these design elements have an effect on your donor’s ability to reach the donation form and can impact their motivation to give.
Another important aspect to consider is ensuring that the headline and subheading of a donation page grab the potential donor’s eyes and pull on his heartstrings. This will push them to carry on reading your message.
To achieve your goal of grabbing their attention, your main headline needs to clearly and briefly describe the effect of a donation
For example: Your Donation Today Will Feed Hungry Children Tomorrow
Once you’ve got their attention, make an emotional connection with your donors in the subheading.
For example, Join us in ensuring local children don’t go to bed without a nutritious meal.
Unfortunately it happens that a donation page will ask people to donate without mentioning the impact of the gift! Or there may not be sufficient imagery or personalization to pull on the heartstrings of donors. This stops the reader from making an emotional connection with the cause and will cause even the most generous donors to leave the page without taking action.
To avoid this trap it’s imperative that the headline and subheading make a strong impression at the very top of your donation page. This will ensure that potential donors will:
Understand the value of their contribution
Believe their donation is going to make a specific change in the world
Trust what the nonprofit organization says they’ll do with their donation
Feel comfortable donating since they can easily imagine the effect of their donation
Once you have caught the potential donor’s attention with a clever headline and subheading, it’s easier to keep them interested with some carefully worded intro copy, which we we discuss in Growing your nonprofit: You need a good introduction
Each organization has its own dynamic needs and my goal is to help your organization move to the next level and turn your vision into donations. You can contact me at suzanne@suzannelieberman.com; let’s start a conversation.
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