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33 Things: You must include in a non-profit website

Think of an NGO website which has an anonymous option, wherein you can ask for help or provide help keeping your identity hidden. Whenever you log in with this option, you can easily donate n amount of money without disclosing your details. If you are in a difficult situation and you think that revealing your identity can create more problems for you, then you can quickly put forth your problems with anonymous option. You can’t even imagine what revolution you have brought in with just one anonymous option. This is the difference that a website can make with some exceptional features.

Your website has the power to make or break your organization, and with relatively better features, you can carve a new future of it. NGO website is basically an eCommerce website which sells just one product – the donation box – or a single goal – growing engagement via subscription. Your website hence should quickly propagate problem, impact and solution.

We'll now discuss those 33 features that are a must while creating an NGO website.

1. Easy Layout

“Too many cooks spoil the dish.” Similarly, too much unnecessary detailing makes your website a mess. A pleasing, simple design is easy to understand and absorb. Try to use the F Layout – left alignment. A person reads from the left. Down below, you see the web page which has a title at the top left corner and then goes around providing options to explore and ends it with login or donate button. So now you have provided them answers before they ask for it.

2. Problem

Don’t make your visitors float in the sea of assumption. They would have come across your site while browsing, social media or ads and may not be that aware of your NGO. So it becomes essential that you list the problems that your NGO is going to work on with detailed statistics and case studies. Explain to them who can help and why should they join your cause. Help visitors dive deeper into taking action by offering clear calls-to-action related to your organization’s core purpose.

3. Solution

Now, when you have completely reasoned the problems, then it is the turn to list out the possible solutions that your NGO is going to offer. Your solution should be concrete enough to have impacts.

4. Impact

Here, you need to explain the impact that your proposed solution is going to have. Prove the efficiency through statistics, infographics and stories.

5. Vision

Your NGO should have a set Vision. It can be a statement or two, but it should clearly demonstrate your organization’s objectives and the approach to achieve it. It should be arousing enough to charge up each one reading it.

6. Mission

Don’t confuse mission with a vision. It is completely different. It is mostly a short statement which describes the future position of NGO. This gives visitors an insight of the future that they are associating with. A certain sense of confidence dwells in the visitor when they acknowledge that their organization has a long term objective to reach a certain position and not just to survive through the days.

7. Friendly Template

“Don’t judge the book by its cover” is the most common yet an old idiom in this era. Today the more appealing one, is desired the most. Visitors should feel welcomed by your NGO’s theme. You need to be very selective in picking up the colour and pictures of your home page. Pictures with faces tend to increase engagement by 30%. Try to incorporate real-life pictures rather than graphically created.

8. High Definition Images

Blurred, casual and shaggy images promote non-serious attitude in the minds of visitors. Tempting visuals play more than 50% of the game in visitor’s heads.

9. Readable Fonts

Have you ever realized that most big shot companies use a set pattern of fonts only, and this comes under brand guidelines. While picking up fonts for your website, ensure that the fonts chosen are clear and readable and not confusing. Use simple fonts which contrast well with the background of the site. Uncomplicated fonts also transpose well across different platforms, improving readability on mobile, tablet, and desktop computers.

For example:

  • Arial
  • Helvetica
  • Times New Roman
  • Verdana

10. Easy to remember Logo

Humans have pictures memory. Most of the times, they try to remember things with the help of pictures. So a great logo will help you to be remembered more and will create the branding of yours. Most of the children recognize the name of Mc Donalds by the golden arches of M. Such is the impact of the logo. Incorporate your logo on all your documents and flyers. Use it like a header on each page.

11. Search option

To make the navigation easy through your website, have a search bar on the menu section. Make sure it doesn’t clash with the other elements on the website. This will help visitors to access the piece of information that they want to see from your website rather than going through a large chunk of data.

12. Less is More

Keep copywriting concise and to the point. People usually don’t have time to go through a large chunk of data. Use active sentences rather than passive ones. Highlight the important points. Use phrases that call for immediate action from the audience, such as “limited time” and “act now”.

13. Join Us

This Page should drive the visitor to the login section. Include all the information which he needs to know prior section. Provide different options for joining your team such as PR handler or volunteer etc. Including joining benefits on this page can grab much more audience than expected.

14. Donate Button

Have this button highlighted at the top right corner of the screen where a user can donate for the cause. The best NGOs provide multiple options for collaboration. This can be in terms of gifts etc. You can have a secure payment gateway for the transaction or may use Paypal etc. Don’t forget to have a post-donation “Thank You” Page.

15. Go Anonymous

You can provide anonymity option for the user who doesn’t wish to disclose their identity. They can contribute and navigate your website anonymously. This option works best with a donation option.

16. Resource

There might be a case that your website creates value through resources, then maintaining an accessible library is the best way to provide your users with all the necessary and current information about your cause. Keep this section updated and refined.

17. Programs

In this Page, you can list out your ongoing programs. Keep your visitors updated about the progress made in each of them. This will create a relay of events and will show that you are an active member of society.

18. Statistics

Facts and figures with the help of necessary charts, graphs and surveys provide authenticity to your claim. Demonstrate more and more statistics on various occasions so that you can prove the urge to associate with the cause.

19. Achievements

On this Page, you can list all your accomplished programs. Awards, honourable mentions, acclamations or substantial acknowledgement of your work done by national and international authorities can be listed here. This fosters trust within the minds of your people.

20. Collaborators

Don’t forget to mention the governmental and non-governmental organizations that are associated with your cause. The best way to do is to provide their logos on the home page of your website.

21. The Team

“Give away the credit and keep the failure”, with this spirit in mind, publish your teammates and their work profile on your website. This brings in positivity and motivation and inspires more people to join you to become part of your prestigious gallery.

22. Members Only Page

“Members-Only” option on the menu creates a sense of exclusivity. It is enough to entice some potential members to join your organization online, knowing they’ll get instant access to things. This page is necessary to maintain the security of confidential information of your members. Your members can have some exclusive resources, and payment directory can be created to pay your members if needed.

23. Campaign Landing Pages

Some micro sites are solely contributed to campaigns, and once you click on these tabs, you’ll land directly through such pages. Make sure you add campaign’s goals and progress.

24. Responsiveness

Your website should be mobile friendly as we are the “smart people” who want everything within 5.5 inches. Mobile covers 53% of the overall traffic. Google also favours mobile-friendly sites in search results. While many organizations have a responsive website, some have a donation page that creates frustration with tiny, often unreadable text when viewed on mobile. Test your website to see if it is responsive

25. Fast

If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load it means that you are going to deal in the loss. Check out your website page load speed by visiting GT Metrix. Here are a few things you can do to help your website load as quickly as possible:

  • Resize and compress all images.
  • Minimize the number of scripts, plugins, and custom fonts used.
  • Opt for HTML and CSS over Flash Player.

26. Security

Since there is the involvement of monetary transaction and flow of confidential data of users, so security is the whole sole of the NGO website. Weak passwords and faulty website authentication are enough to drop your website. Use SSL encryption and two-factor authentication to avoid these issues. Search for the securest web designers.

27. SEO Friendly

After your website has been created, your website should list at the top of Google must search. For this, your website has to be customized and SEO optimized.

28. CTAs

First-time visitors to your website need a bit of direction since they’re unfamiliar with your navigation, and a lot of information will be hitting them at once. That’s why having a clear call to action (CTA) is best. CTAs work best as large images at the top of your homepage. It’s the first thing a new visitor will see, and if your CTA is clear and concise, it just might persuade them to do the thing you want them to.

29. Social Media Branding

Pop-ups and tabs of your social media handle through your website will grab visitors attention to them. Social Media Marketing is trending these days and is the easiest way of branding. This gives multiple options for engagement. Also, when we know that people mostly use the internet for social media, it becomes necessary to connect with them at nearest possible places. Nearly 45% population of the world spends more than 3 hours a day on social media. Now you may know why it is so important. If posts will be linked and displayed with your website, it will make things more transparent and easy

30. Contact Us

This page should provide all the possible ways of connecting your NGO right from contact number to the address. If your non-profit is membership-based, and if you think members will want to contact each other, consider having a member directory on your site as well. The membership database can be public or available to members only.

31. Blogs

Blogs are an effective way of raising your voice and propagating your ideologies among the audience. Latest articles, survey reports, stories or possible solutions and new problems can be easily put through them. They can prove a beneficial method of earning as well as we know the method of generating money through blog writing. Many times writing about your organization regularly is perfect for demonstrating impact, engaging supporters and sharing the work you’re doing with people new to your organization. Consumers want to be told a story. According to a survey conducted by Adobe & research firm Edelman Berland, 73% agreed that brands should tell a unique story.

32. Event Calendar

This is an elemental page which shows the current and upcoming events and programs. Don’t forget to provide online registration, payment and volunteering option. This tells about your NGOs engagements and visitors can easily participate in the event of their choice.

33. Pop-Ups

Most of the times, people don’t have time to navigate through your website completely because of a shortage of time. These small ads and pop-ups of latest things and most important details catch the attention of visitors and make them know about your key line features of your NGO and its activities. Pop-up windows increase conversion and engagement rates across the board by an average of 3% (with top pop-ups increasing conversions nearly 10%). This means that out of every 100 visitors to your website; you can expect an extra 3 to engage with your website at a higher rate (become a donor, become a member, register for an event, give you their email, etc.)

Now you know those 33 musts that have to be there on your website. Keep reading blogs to catch the trend in the world of website designing.

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