How to get people from intention to donation

💰
From good
intentions, to more
web donations
© Beate Sørum 2015
#IFC2015 - @BeateSorum

about.me/BeateSorumabout.me/BeateSorum
@BeateSorum
♥Internet

..said no donor, ever.
«I have decided to give, and
I will do so even if this form
is incomprehensible and it
takes me all...

«…mmmmm,
rooose gooold…»

♥
Giving is an
emotional
decision - not a
rational one.

giving threshold
leaving threshold
Thanks to Mo Syed for this handy diagram!
🚫

giving threshold
leaving threshold
emotional
story
🚫

giving threshold
leaving threshold
emotional
story
form hard
to ﬁnd
⬇
🚫

giving threshold
leaving threshold
emotional
story
form hard
to ﬁnd
⬇
found it!
⬆
Thanks to Mo Syed for this handy diagram...

giving threshold
leaving threshold
emotional
story
form hard
to ﬁnd
⬇
found it!
⬆
«why do they want my
phone number..?»
⬇
...

transaction cost:
• attention
• clicks
• actions
what are donors willing to «pay»?

•unnecessary steps
•ambiguity
REMOVE

leaving threshold
giving threshold

Charity A Charity B
␡
8 % 2,5 %

Charity A Charity B
␡
8 % 2,5 %
- €36.000

If they are thinking
about your
form,
they are not thinking
about giving.

- Luke Wroblewski
«The best forms
are invisible»
«Web form design «(2008 p.2)

First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
Cancel OK
Looks good, right?

Cancel OK
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City

Cancel OK
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
adapt
ﬁeld
lengths
City

Cancel OK
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
group
ﬁelds

Cancel OK
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
buttons
clearly state
what they
do

Delete Donate
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
buttons
clearly state
what they
do

DonateDelete
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City

DonateDelete
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
clear
ﬁrst
choice

Donate
Let me throw  
away all the  
work I just did
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City

Donate
Let me throw  
away all the  
work I just did
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
remove
things that
hurt mor...

Donate
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City

Donate
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
remove
things that
hurt more
than help

Donate
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
right-align
for easy
reading and
scanning

First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
Donate

First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
City
Donate
top-align
for mobile

clearly
state what
went wrong &
how to ﬁx
A zip code has 5 digits
First name
Last name
Adress
Zip code
There is an error. ...

This is a videoslide. Link to video, «google analytics in real life»:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sk7cOqB9Dk

«Address line 1» 
«Address line 2»

Just because your
database has a ﬁeld for it,
does mean you
have to ask for it.
not

Every extra ﬁeld
in your form hurts
your donations.

http://bit.ly/ContactFormConversion

http://bit.ly/ContactFormConversion
From 11 to 4 ﬁelds
Submissions up 140%

WHAT’S THE
LEAST YOU CAN
GET AWAY WITH?
*google translated form. Please don’t blame me for bad grammar.

as a
conversation
think of your
forms

https://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/dpstyles/

💬
• Questions that belong
• Understandable questions
• Explain why you’re asking
• Ask follow-up questions when the
task i...

Photo: Flickr-user renemensen CC-BY
donate

DONATE
NOW
blablablablablablablablablablabla
blablabla...

«help out»-menu
Become a member
Webshop
Donate withdrawn
coins

we have to
guide
our users.
☛

1. Fewer people should get cancer
2. More of those who do, should
survive
3. Those who have to live with
cancer should hav...

1. A better life for patients and next of kin.
2. Increase knowledge of cancer and
prevention.
3. More people using our pr...

📢WHAT DO
THE USERS
NEED?
♥

- Cancer treatments
- Symptoms
- Preventing cancer
- Cancer forms
- Latest research
- Choosing a hospital
THESE 6
HAD 25% ...

- …
- …
- …
- …
- …
- …
- …
- …
- …
- …
- …
- give money!

Googled lung cancer
Facebook,
research

Googled lung cancer
Talk to someone
on the help line

Facebook,
research
Would you like to
support the
ongoing research?

research
project
core page path forward
business goal:  
inform about research 
 
user need:  
read latest research

research
project
core page
make a
donation
path forward
business goal:  
inform about research 
 
user need:  
read latest...

right CONTEXT
+ short PATH
to completion
action=

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
cancer line conversations
average
+  
40%
+  
58%

blablablablablablabl...

<form method="post" action="/donate/"
onsubmit="javascript:return
WebForm_OnSubmit();" id="aspnetForm"> 
<div> 
<input typ...

Donate!Member! Regular gift!
Instagram!Facebook! Twitter!
Volunteer!Legacy! Sponsor!
Give stuﬀ!Fundraise! Holiday cards!
A...

Member! Regular gift!
Instagram!Facebook! Twitter!
Volunteer!Legacy! Sponsor!
Give stuﬀ!Fundraise! Holiday cards!
App!Webs...

Don’t
make me
think
defaults
USE♥

humans rely
too much on
the ﬁrst piece
of information

humans rely
too much on
the ﬁrst piece
of information
ANCHORING BIAS

kind
handsome
funny
jealous
stingy

kind
handsome
funny
jealous
stingy
jealous
stingy
handsome
funny
kind

£
what amounts you
put ﬁrst really
matters
▾ £ ▾

£
what amounts you
put ﬁrst really
matters
50 ▾ £ ▾

£
what amounts you
put ﬁrst really
matters
50
25
15
5
▾ £ ▾

£
what amounts you
put ﬁrst really
matters
50
25
15
5
▾ £ 5 ▾

£
what amounts you
put ﬁrst really
matters
50
25
15
5
▾ £ 5
15
25
50
▾

vs
£ 50
25
15
5
▾
£ 50 £ 25
£ 15 £ 5

vs
£ 50
25
15
5
▾
£ 5 £ 15
£ 25 £ 50

annual
value of
regular
donors*
*signed up online

2011 2012 2013 2014
annual
value of
regular
donors*
*signed up online

2011 2012 2013 2014
annual
value of
regular
donors*
*signed up online
LAUNCH

2011 2012 2013 2014
annual
value of
regular
donors*
*signed up online
LAUNCH
847
%

2011 2012 2013 2014
annual
value of
regular
donors*
*signed up online
LAUNCH
847
%
9x
increase

«do you live with
anyone else who
wants to be a
member? It is
only €8 extra»

ca.
30%
«do you live with
anyone else who
wants to be a
member? It is
only €8 extra»

conversions,
christmas appeal
15%

conversions,
christmas appeal
15% 17%

conversions,
christmas appeal
15% 17% 10%

* conversion rates
recruiting members
from facebook

10%
* conversion rates
recruiting members
from facebook

10%
5,2%
* conversion rates
recruiting members
from facebook

10%
5,2% 6,8%
* conversion rates
recruiting members
from facebook

recruiting members
from facebook
* conversion rates

recruiting members
from facebook
49
* conversion rates

recruiting members
from facebook
49
69
* conversion rates

recruiting members
from facebook
49
69 170
* conversion rates

CONTEXT
is more important than
GADGET

More donations:
• Design (and code) your forms right
• Fewer ﬁelds are better
• Context is king
• Nudge
• Tell your users ...

thanks for listening!
http://about.me/beatesorum
questions?

How to get people from intention to donation