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High-Impact Websites

Clearer Content is THE Priority for Nonprofit Website Success: Part One

There’s nothing more important than ensuring your website –  your organization’s homebase online — is easy-to-use (a.k.a. usability). More specifically, your site has to be easy for your target audiences (not users in general, but the folks you need to engage to move your mission forward) to use to facilitate the type of actions/interactions you want – online giving, contacting your organization for more information, registering for a program or signing a petition.

Website usability expert Jakob Nielsen recently studied the usability of 23 nonprofit websites and his findings pave the way to improving the impact of your website. It’s doable, so read on to learn how:
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Nancy Schwartz on August 3, 2011 in High-Impact Websites | 5 comments
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7 Easy Ways to Boost Your Nonprofit Marketing Impact with Google Analytics

website analyticsAs pressure to perform grows for nonprofit marketing, many of you are trying to redefine priorities in your new, more streamlined environment.

The most effective way to define your nonprofit communications priorities is to evaluate what strategies are working best, and do more of them. But as you told me a couple of years ago, only 37% of nonprofits track communications outcomes. So you don’t know what’s working best.

Google Analytics are an an incredibly easy and cheap (no cost, beyond your time) way to evaluate what’s working best on your website and blog by measuring user behavior. You should be using them to track usage, and to assess what to do more of and what to change.

But here’s the problem — I bet most of  you (both nonprofit communicators and fundraisers) don’t use analytics data, even if the tool is set up. And that many of you don’t even think it’s your responsibility to do so.

That was confirmed last week, when I released 7 Easy Ways to Boost Your Nonprofit Marketing Impact with Google Analytics to Getting Attention e-update readers. Just 21% of readers opened the email (and the subject line is always the article title), compared to an average of 31%. That means 1/3 of you don’t think website analytics are not important to your work. Wrong!

Read the full article to learn the key metrics to focus on (analytics programs, including Google, generate so many analytics it’s hard to know where to start) to understand your audience better and shape your website to contribute even more to your org’s marketing impact.

For those of you who are using analytic data, please comment below on the top website usage metrics your organization focuses on to understand your audience and improve your site, and your process for putting those insights to work. Thank you.

Most importantly, dig into this valuable information and put it to work!

P.S. Get more in-depth articles, case studies and guides to nonprofit marketing (and video) success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update. Subscribe today.

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Nancy Schwartz on June 16, 2010 in Evaluation, High-Impact Websites | 2 comments
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Place Key Nonprofit Marketing Content “Above the Fold”…If You Want It Read

increase nonprofit website usabilityI’ve always advised nonprofit communicators to put key content up top on website pages, so users don’t have to do anything to see (or act on) it. It’s part of my “make it easy for your base” philosophy. In other words, your want to shape your nonprofit website to generate the actions you need.

So I was thrilled to discover the hard data in website usability guru’s Jakob Nielsen latest research findings: Web users do scroll down to the next “panel,” but only after investing 80% of their focus on what was first visible on the page. That means that content below the fold gets only20% of users attention. In a time of overall attention deficit, starting with 20% isn’t enough.

But but defining the fold is a real challenge: This approach works only if you know where the fold is. And that differs widely depending on browser resolution, screen size and other demands on onscreen vertical space. For those who use your site via smartphone, all bets are off.

My advice to your organization is do what you can to place key content in the first and second paragraphs on every web page — that’s first on the writing for the web success list anyway, to increase content digestion.  Your thoughts? Please email me or comment below.

P.S. Here are three more right-now website revisions your organization should make.

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Nancy Schwartz on June 8, 2010 in High-Impact Websites | 1 comment
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Nonprofit Marketing Wake-Up Call — 3 Right-Now Website Revisions

I was shaken by new stats on a crucial shift in online user behavior–only 5 to 15% of your website users are coming in through your home page. Tip of the hat to Gerry McGovern’s take on the decline of the home page for clarifying what works now for nonprofit marketing online .

As a result, your site users:

  • Won’t be “introduced” to your organization (as happens when they enter via the front door, or home page).
  • Aren’t likely to know the breadth and depth of content and tools on your sites.
  • Won’t be asked to give or subscribe to your e-news (usually buttons featured on home page).

What to do about the decline of your nonprofit’s home page:

  1. Feature Donate and Subscribe (to e-news) on every page throughout the site, above the fold (e.g. visible without a user scrolling down).
  2. Label navigation elements (buttons, menu bar) to be broadly accessible and include on every page.
  3. Write/revise content to provide context, so users understand and can act, no matter what page they’ve come from (which may be Amazon, a competitor’s site, weather.com or another page on your org’s site).
  4. Include a site search engine window on every page. It’s the easiest way to reduce user frustration level.

This is just one of several critical shifts in site usage patterns I’ve been meaning to share with you. I’m in the process of reconfiguring my consulting site, Nancy Schwartz & Company, and have reviewed current trends in site usage to make it as effective as possible. I’ll be sharing other tips on site design out with you in posts to come.

P.S. Get more in-depth articles, case studies and guides to nonprofit marketing success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update. Subscribe today .

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Nancy Schwartz on April 19, 2010 in High-Impact Websites | 2 comments
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Project Hope Empowers Citizen Fundraisers w/DIY Web Pages

Project Hope Empowers Citizen Fundraisers wDIY Web Pages I recently heard from Project HOPE‘s (PH) Marisol Murphy-Ballantyne, who wanted to share the communications innovations integrated into the org’s new website.

Frankly, I (and your audiences) couldn’t care less about a new website. And organizations that announce the launch of a new site as if it’s news drive me nuts.

But when I hear about a new or improved site that makes it easier or more effective for the org and its base to achieve its goals, that is news.

Marisol and colleagues made many of the typical updates in the new site — improving access to basic information on its international health education and humanitarian programs, and adding homepage links to Project HOPE’s Facebook Fan and Cause pages, and its Twitter and YouTube channels.

But far more important are these two changes, likely to make a real difference in engaging the org’s base:

  1. A new series of stories of individuals like Consuelo Rodriguez participating in PH’s programs are much more meaningful that the broad-based descriptions and stats of those served that are featured in the program summaries.
  2. The ability of donors, friends and fans to create their own fundraising webpages, similar those created by ActBlue supporters during the 2008 elections. Users choose the specific Project HOPE program (by geography or focus) they want to fundraise for, describe what the organization means to them, then quickly and easily create and promote their fundraising page. The leading fundraiser to date (and this is brand new) has raised over $10,000!

Thanks for the heads up, Marisol. These are two significant improvements to the site that are strong models for your colleague nonprofit communicators.

What innovations are you creating for your org’s website? Let me know and I’ll blog about them. Thanks!

P.S. Don’t miss out on in-depth articles, case studies and guides to nonprofit marketing success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update. Subscribe today.

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Nancy Schwartz on January 6, 2010 in Case Studies, High-Impact Websites, Nonprofit Communications | 0 comments
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Good Things Come in Small Packages: Put a Favicon to Work for Your Nonprofit

Good Things Come in Small Packages Put a Favicon to Work for Your Nonprofit Definition
A favicon (short for favorites icon) is a small graphic or icon associated with a website or blog.  It appears when you type a URL into your address bar, on the tab of your web browser and in your favorites list.

Value
Often overlooked, this tiny graphic packs a visual punch and is a simple way to reinforce your brand (or at least your graphic identity) online.  Here are the benefits of putting a favicon to work:

  • Improved usability – Users can easily indentify your website in their favorites list or when multiple tabs are open.
  • Increases recognition – When your favicon is consistent with the look and feel of your org’s graphic identity, your website or blog will be instantly recognized as coming from your organization.
  • Professional touch – Favicons are becoming a standard of online design.

Here are a few examples of organizations with striking favicons:

rwjf Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

nothingbutnets Nothing But Nets

about About.com:  Nonprofit Charitable Orgs

How to Create a Favicon
Creating a favicon is simple.  Keep in mind that a favicon should reflect your brand.  If your logo does not scale down to a small size, you’ll need to come up with a design that complements the look and feel of your organization’s website and other communications.

Here’s an easy-to-follow tutorial on favicon creation and implementation using Photoshop.  Alternatively, use this online favicon generator to create one for your site.

Flickr photo: migs212

P.S. Don’t miss out on in-depth articles, case studies and guides to nonprofit marketing success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update. Subscribe today .


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Amy Kehoe on December 22, 2009 in Branding and Messages, Graphic Design, High-Impact Websites, Web/Tech | 0 comments
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NetSquared’s Website Redesign Process — Strong Model for Your Org

NetSquared's Website Redesign Process -- Strong Model for Your OrgI’m continually on the prowl for strong nonprofit communications models to share with you since there’s no better way to learn how to strengthen your own initiatives. And I have a great one for you today.

NetSquared.org, the “online landing pad for social changemakers leveraging technology for social change”   has been working hard on the redesign of its website. The site is the core of the NetSquared community so its effectiveness is vital to the success of the organization. The redesign goal is to provide users with easier ways to connect to useful tools and each other.

NetSquared has excelled in engaging site users in shaping its redesign, a powerful strategy to ensure your site works for your base and reinforces their loyalty. People like to be involved.

Here’s how the NetSquared redesign process works. The team:

  1. Solicited input on site improvements via an online voting form. Received input from 100+ users.
  2. Crafted a wish-list of redesign wants and needs from that input, and shared next steps with the community.
  3. Creates redesign mockups, one site section at at time — and inviting the community back into the conversation.
  4. Solicited input on home page ideas
  5. Solicited input on the challenge gallery.
  6. Will solicit input on additional site sections in the weeks to come.

To follow the rest of the story, and see the outcome, read the Redesign thread on the NetSquared blog.

This is audience research at its finest — succeeding in harvesting vital info from site users and further engaging them with NetSquared at the same time. Win-win, NetSquared!

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Nancy Schwartz on July 29, 2009 in Audience Research, Case Studies, High-Impact Websites, Nonprofit Communications | 2 comments
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Here’s How to Solicit Free & Vital Input on Your Web Site Design, & Make Your Base Love You More than Ever!

Here's How to Solicit Free & Vital Input on Your Web Site Design, Make Your Base Love You More than EverNTEN is redesigning its Web site, and it’s calling far and wide for its network (members and non-members alike) to participate in the process. Here’s one of the invites.

Audience research is the only way to ensure that any communications initiative has maximum impact. And Web site design is so complex (look at how many folks it keeps in business) that soliciting input on your site design is even more important than it is for most other communications channels.

I admire NTEN’s openness in its call for input (they’re reaching out via their blog, to members via email and in other ways). It speaks volumes about the organization’s desire to serve the nonprofit sector, and will definitely generate a new Web site that’s far more effective.

Give your two cents today! You can do it here, in only 10-15 minutes. When you do, you’ll get a bonus — some great ideas on putting your network to work to strengthen your org’s communications.

P.S. Read this guide to shaping your org’s Web site to generate the actions you need.

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Nancy Schwartz on June 10, 2009 in Audience Research, High-Impact Websites, Nonprofit Communications | 0 comments
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Ask Nancy: Our Org Wants to Launch a Web Site w/o Much $, Time or Expertise. Where Do We Start?

Ask Nancy Our Org Wants to Launch a Web Site wo Much Time or Expertise. Where Do We Start
Dear Nancy,

I am a member of a small non-profit organization for the deaf, and we're now embarking on building our first-ever Web site.

With tight funding, few available hours and little expertise, where's the best place to start?

We're looking for a launch pad that doesn't require too much of an initial outlay but is designed to evolve as does our understanding, needs, content and expertise. It would also be nice if the web can be easily modified by our members to post various events.

Thank you,
Bill Dukarski
GGRAD/HH (Greater Grand Rapids Association of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing)
_________________

Dear Bill,

First of all, let me commend you for your realism and focus. You know what you need now, and what your organization can invest. That understanding is THE critical first step!

Your challenge is avoiding a static, unchanging, old-fashioned site for your organization when there are these significant limitations on your time, effort, and/or expertise generally required to create and maintain a dynamic site. You'll need a set up that is easy to build, launch and provides some support — all at a reasonable cost.

I'm happy to say I have a clear recommendation for you — Nonprofit Soapbox. Soapbox is a content management system (CMS, a what-you-see-is-what-you-get content editing tool) that will enable GGRAD/HH to build and grow an engaging, dynamic site without the headache. In fact, anyone who can use Microsoft Word can create and run a web site.

What's great is that the Soapbox folks are expert in working with orgs tight on time, budget and know-how. And they've set up a process that works for them, and for their clients. If you end up needing more help, let's say in strategy or graphic design, you can purchase those services on an as-needed basis at a reasonable cost.

So get in touch with Nonprofit Soapbox, Bill. Then please email me and let me know how it goes. I'll share your experience with Getting Attention readers facing the same challenges.

All the best,
Nancy

P.S. The right messaging is critical to the success of every nonprofit Web site! Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

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Nancy Schwartz on March 18, 2009 in 08NTC, Ask Nancy, High-Impact Websites, Nonprofit Communications, Recommended Resources | 10 comments
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National Wildlife Federation Puts Base to Work to Design Website that Works For Them

National Wildlife Federation Puts Base to Work to Design Website that Works For ThemNothing's more vital to your org's health than constant interaction with your base to ensure your marketing, programming, etc. is intersects with their needs, wants and interests. So I was pleased to see the National Wildlife Federation's recent audience-based approach to designing a more useful and engaging Web site.

NWF's approach, described here, centers around inviting its supporters and other site users to provide feedback on what they want in the new  site — from content, design and functionality to event registration and live chats. NWF is soliciting input through this online survey, which is ultimately efficient — easy for users to complete and easy for the NWF team to review results and trends (stats are automatically generated and compiled by all the major online survey services).

To filter responses, the NWF is asking for input solely from those who use the site (they're going to be able to provide the best direction on what to change, as they've experienced frustrations — or successes — themselves in using the site). And they go beyond general questions to request feedback on a few home page designs — usability testing at the front end.

NWF further cements audience loyalty with its gift of a free screensaver  to survey participants — as you can imagine, they have some wild photography on hand. The fact in itself that NWF is asking for help (and people like to be asked to help, it makes them feel involved), is going to make its network feel more involved with the organization. So it's a real home run.

One suggestion — If I were the NWF team, I'd capture the emails of survey respondents and invite them to join an information Web site advisory board. Then I'd call on the advisory board for input along the way as the site gets built (and after launch). They'll be an ideal group to test the site before the public launch, to ensure the actual new site is doing its job.

Informal advisory boards such as this are a great way to monitor the pulse of your org's base and continue to evolve your marketing to be most effective.

P.S. The right messaging is critical to the success of every nonprofit Web site! Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

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Nancy Schwartz on March 12, 2009 in Audience Research, Case Studies, High-Impact Websites, Nonprofit Communications | 1 comment
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