What Donors Want This End-of-Year Holiday SeasonShirley SextonDirector, Interactive Marketing and Fundraising

Training byShirley SextonSee3 CommunicationsWeb Design & DevelopmentVideo ProductionInteractive Marketingwww.see3.net2Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Web Design & Development

Video Production

Interactive Marketing

www.see3.net

AgendaOnline Fundraising GrowthEnd-of-Year Planning ChecklistWebsite UsabilityWriting for the WebUsing Images and VideoEmail MarketingDriving TrafficMeasuring ProgressResources 3Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Online Fundraising Growth

End-of-Year Planning Checklist

Website Usability

Writing for the Web

Using Images and Video

Email Marketing

Driving Traffic

Measuring Progress

Resources

Online Fundraising Growth4

Online giving bucks overall trendOnline fundraising grew in 2008 (compared to 2007) in the range of 14-26% (dependent upon source *)*The Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index Study*2009 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study December accounted for 48% of the total dollars raised online in 2008.*2008 Online Giving Trends, Blackbaud 5Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Why?Overall giving fell with the economy, specificallyConsumer Confidence Index at lowest in Feb. ‘09 since '67 inception.Online giving on the rise due to: Multi-generational eCommerce adoption Mega-trend to “go green” Advent of social networking 6Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Multi-generational eCommerce adoption

Mega-trend to “go green”

Advent of social networking

Creating Your End-of-Year Strategy10/21097

End-of-Year Fundraising ChecklistInventory your online assets and past trendsFind your great story of the yearGet commitment from internal stakeholders to make fundraisers priority in Dec Evaluate your website for donation usabilityCreate online communications planInvest in resources8Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Inventory your online assets and past trends

Find your great story of the year

Get commitment from internal stakeholders to make fundraisers priority in Dec

Evaluate your website for donation usability

Create online communications plan

Invest in resources

Website Usability for Donors

Stop focusing on home pageTreat every page like your front door.Only 25% of Web visitors enter sites via the home page.--Nielsen Norman Group, 200810Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

What Donors Want OnlineDonors want to quickly and easily find: Mission (simply explained)GoalsObjectivesExamples of work and first person stories, especially videoHow donations are used, specifics11Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Mission (simply explained)

Goals

Objectives

Examples of work and first person stories, especially video

How donations are used, specifics

What Donors Look ForText field to searchLinks (make them obvious)Next steps/InstructionsAnswers12Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Text field to search

Links (make them obvious)

Next steps/Instructions

Answers

What Kills DonationsUsers can’t figure out how or where to donate!Cluttered pagesMistrust of 3rd-party payment pagesNielsen Norman Group Report: Donation Usability: Design Guidelines for Improving the Donation Process and the Usability of Essential Information on Charity and Non-Profit Websites13Shirley Sexton | See3 Communications

Users can’t figure out how or where to donate!

Cluttered pages

Mistrust of 3rd-party payment pages

Writing for the Web14

Writing for the WebWhy is the web different?Most web pages are viewed as the result of a search, the reader is after somethingThe reader scans quickly is his searchHeadlines, subheads, and links are critical to indicate they are on the right path!15Shirley Sexton | See3 Communications

Writing for the WebWhat makes a good web article?Search friendly titleShort(er) than printRelevancyQuotes, testimonialsListsLinks! Links! Links! 16Shirley Sexton | See3 Communications

Writing for the WebWhat makes great NPO web content?Mission-related AND connected to national or world eventsPrimary researchEasily searchable resourcesStories of/by people helped by orgMake the connection to support/giving17Shirley Sexton | See3 Communications

Using Images4/26/0918Bernat Casero bernatcasero.com

Using Images and VideosLess is more (per page)!Use images in your “page wrapper” to bring your mission to life and reflect the community you serve.Use one photo, video, graph, or pull quote per page of content to summarize the benefit, draw the user in.Too many graphics create user confusion and long page download time.19Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Use images in your “page wrapper” to bring your mission to life and reflect the community you serve.

Use one photo, video, graph, or pull quote per page of content to summarize the benefit, draw the user in.

Too many graphics create user confusion and long page download time.

Using Images and VideosWhere to get images and videosTake your own (and ask volunteers!)Purchase stock such as istockphoto.comFlickr.com Creative CommonsWhat is Creative Commons licenseBe sure to tag for search engines and screen readers!10/21/0921Shirley Sexton | See3 Communications

Email Marketing4/26/0922

Email Marketing: Building Your ListCommunicate with permission to retain trust and respect privacyRequest email registration on every pageCollect email addresses (with permission) at events, offices4/26/0923Shirley Sexton | See3 Communications

Communicate with permission to retain trust and respect privacy

Request email registration on every page

Collect email addresses (with permission) at events, offices

Email Marketing: EOY ScheduleCreate calendar of email communicationsIncorporate end of year ask in monthly email newsletterInclude stewardship email (report to donors on how funds have been managed)Send 3-6 campaign themed messages in December, last days of the month generally yield best results!4/26/0924Shirley Sexton | See3 Communications

Email Marketing: DeliverabilityHow to get your email throughAuthenticate your email domain*Use a third-party email marketing vendor with baked-in CAN-SPAM compliance***http://www.dmaresponsibility.org/EmailAuthentication**http://www.ftc.gov/spam10/21/0925Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Email Marketing: DesignKey elements for responseSubject lineFrom fieldCall to action (link)Signature (a name)Light on graphics and formatting10/21/0926Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Driving Traffic to DonationsDon’t be shy! Help people give! Utilize search engine optimization, keyword ads, offline (print, radio) calls to give online Utilize social networks (Facebook, Twitter)Ask your champions to share your message!Tear down barriers for donors to donate! 27Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Measuring Progress4/26/0928

Measuring Progress10/21/0929Shirley Sexton | See3 CommunicationsMeasure your key metrics before undergoing major changes.2. Determine realistic intervals to measure (monthly, quarterly, annually)3. Compare against industry benchmarks:eNonprofits Benchmark Study www.e-benchmarksstudy.com/

Measuring Progress: Web giving10/21/0930Shirley Sexton | See3 CommunicationsOnline giving totalsAverage gift size# of gifts“Offline giving” impacts (major and planned gifts)The Wired Wealthy: Using the Internet to Connect with Your Middle and Major Donors http://nonprofit.about.com/od/onlinefundraising/a/wealthywired.htm

Measuring Progress: Email 10/21/0931Shirley Sexton | See3 CommunicationsMetric (2008 industry benchmark)open rate (14%)click through rate (.6%)response rate (.12%)registration rate (3%)list growth (17%)list churn (19%)See eNonprofits Benchmark Study www.e-benchmarksstudy.com/

Metric (2008 industry benchmark)

open rate (14%)

click through rate (.6%)

response rate (.12%)

registration rate (3%)

list growth (17%)

list churn (19%)

Web Resources4/26/0932

WebMarketing ResourcesJakob Nielsen’s Web usability research: www.useit.comNetwork for Good: A Fundraising Guide for the Overworked Nonprofit: www.fundraising123.orgSearch engine marketing tips: www.searchenginewatch.com4/26/0933Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Technology ResourcesIdealware: Candid reviews and information about nonprofit software: www.idealware.orgTechSoup: The technology place for nonprofits www.techsoup.comNTEN: Your Nonprofit technology community: www.nten.org4/26/0934Shirley Sexton See3 Communications

Contact MeEmail: shirley@see3.netSee3 blog: http://blog.see3.netLinkedIn: http://shirleysexton.comFacebook: http://profile.to/shirleysextonTwitter: http://twitter.com/webbarbieFlickr: http://flickr.com/photos/webbarbie4/26/0935Shirley Sexton See3 Communications