The document provides guidance on using a website to improve donor engagement and fundraising. It discusses goals of building web traffic and converting visitors into donors. It recommends integrating web, communications, and fundraising departments to strengthen donor programs. Various tactics are outlined to improve content, conversions, and integration of online and offline efforts.

1. Put Your Website to Work for You and Your Direct Response Program Debbie Young Sean Powell

3. CONTENT Better content -> ↑ web traffic ->↑conversions CONVERSIONS Better strategies -> ↑ conversions ↑ volume of conversions ↑ percentage of conversions

5. Web visitor -> Donor Email subscriber -> Donor

6. Types of online conversions Non-Web Visitor -> Web Visitor Web visitor -> Repeat Web visitor Web visitor -> Email Subscriber Web visitor -> Online Advocate/Action Taker Online Advocate/Action Taker -> Online Donor Donor -> Email Subscriber Web visitor -> Offline Donor

7. Non-Web Visitor -> Web Visitor ↑ Web Traffic Offline: Telemarketing Direct mail Events Online: SEO SEM Google AdWords/Grant Facebook

24. Email Subscriber -> Donor Advocate/Action Taker -> Donor Web visitor -> Donor

29. Content Email, Web, Social media content: Think in terms of small bites. (fact of the month, tip of the month, this day/week/month in history) Plan for the unplanned. Tie it to the news. Focus on storytelling.

35. □ A 5-10 second statement of who you are and what you do □ Easy navigation based on user intent or perspective (not the org chart) □ Link to a case for why yours is THE organization that matters □ Emotion – accomplished through imagery □ A way to capture people who are interested (email signup) □ A way to make a donation (one in the nav, one as a big button) □ Any third-party endorsements □ A link to illustrate how your donations are spent □ Engagement opportunities (share, tell us, act) □ Links to social media □ Personal fundraising options □ Postal address and phone number Home Page Checklist

36. □ Easy navigation based on user intent or perspective (not the org chart) □ Logo that goes to the home page □ A site search function that is easy to find (test it!) □ Make all images clickable to something □ Donate on every page □ Email sign-up on every page □ Postal address/phone on every page □ Contact us on every page □ FB and other social media links on every page □ Skimmable – pretend it’s a billboard Webpage Checklist

37. Website Design Printer-friendly Above/below the scroll Pie charts Charity seals Buttonized links F-pattern

40. Integration Integrating with the program, marketing, web units to become involved with content. What does the website offer that you can give to donors as a “benefit”? (online recognition?, “insider” view?) What does the direct response unit have offline that you can create an online version of? (calendar, annual report)

42. Web traffic When web traffic goes up, so do all conversions. Example: USHMM SS album

44. Think about your next… Collaboration on web content Appeal that could be a good fit for having a web component An idea you have for offline that you could test online

45. Summary Build web traffic Integrate web, communications, and direct response to build stronger donor programs Value of content Types of conversions

46. Thank you