February 23, 2017 Amy Sewell

You probably already know that before giving a gift, more than four out of five new donors will go online to research your organization. That means, in any acquisition mailing, over 80 percent of people go to your digital channels to decide if they should make that gift.

What do they see when they get there?

Your digital channel is an essential tool for turning prospects into new donors, cementing that relationship, and inspiring the all-important next gift. Done well, your organization can turn its digital footprint into a system to support and enable your organization’s long-term growth. These tips can help guide you.

Switching from a standard website to a responsive format to support mobile traffic has been shown to increase donation conversion rates with our clients by up to 64 percent

3 Steps to Building Your Digital Foundation

An organization’s website is one of the most critical components to any online initiative as it serves as the landing page for all your ongoing digital efforts. When you take a look at your website you need to ask yourself these three questions:

  1. Is your website responsive?
    Having a responsive website means your organization will have a single website that looks good regardless of the device used to access your content. Switching from a standard website to a responsive format to support mobile traffic has been shown to increase donation conversion rates with our clients by up to 64 percent.
  1. Is your donation form optimized for conversions?
    One of the best things about digital is that you can constantly try new ways to improve results, and the perfect place to start this is on your donation form. Simple things, like switching from radio buttons to large, easily clickable buttons, can have a surprisingly large impact on your overall conversions.
  1. Are you properly tracking how people are currently using your website?
    Before investing in your online digital campaign, it is imperative that your organization is able to properly track the success or failure of a digital initiative.

A combination of the Google Analytics, eCommerce tracking, and the addition of tracking codes called UTM codes on your digital promotions will allow you to get a full picture of where your traffic is coming from, what traffic converts at the highest rate, and where to invest going forward.

Completing these steps will ensure your organization is ready for digital growth and has a solid tool online for success. Use it to raise awareness, increase engagement, and conversion to longtime donors. Additional digital channels, like email, search, and social media, build on your foundation to meet people wherever they are, and drive them to conversion. Need more help? Give us a call or read more online tips on getting started with your own digital programs by visiting: www.douglasshaw.com/blog!

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