Year-End Checklist for Nonprofit Websites

With GivingTuesday just a few days away, many nonprofits have launched year-end fundraising campaigns to boost giving and meet their annual goals.

No doubt, ‘tis the season for charitable giving. Last year’s GivingTuesday brought in $3.1 billion in the U.S. alone, and November is often just the start. Nonprofits Source’s Charitable Giving Statistics show 30% of annual giving occurs in December and 10% happens on the last 3 days of the calendar year.

If you look at online giving, Donorbox reports most nonprofits bring in 47% of their online revenue the last week of December, with 20% coming in on December 31.

All this activity contributes to a boost in year-end website traffic as organizations reach out to target audiences through email marketing, social media and digital advertising. Is your organization’s website ready for the busy season? Here are some tips to help you capitalize on increased website engagement.

Track Visitor Data with Google Analytics 4

If you’re not using Google Analytics to track your website’s visitor traffic and performance, it’s time to get started.

Google Analytics, a free tool, gives you an in-depth look at how visitors interact with your website. It measures acquisition, including the number of users who visit your site and how they got there (organic search, paid search, email marketing, social platforms). It also tracks engagement, including how long users stayed on your site, where they landed, what pages they visited and the actions they took (scrolling, clicking and more).

Google Analytics also allows you to set up specific conversion goals (for example, user clicks Donate Today button) and assign value to those goals to determine your return on investment. It also integrates with other Google marketing and advertising platforms, such as Google Ads.

If you’re already using Google Analytics on your website, great work! But make sure it’s the latest version! Earlier this year, Google Analytics replaced its Universal Analytics tool with next-generation Google Analytics 4 (GA4). If your website is still using a Universal Analytics tracking code (one that starts with UA), Google Analytics hasn’t processed any new site data since July 1, 2023, and you’ll lose access to your existing data starting July 1, 2024.

Make the switch to GA4 and integrate it with related Google apps, such as Google Ads, so you don’t miss out on valuable website performance analytics.

Optimize User Experience

Communicate Your Impact Clearly & Simply

Your top-tier webpages – Home, About, Impact, etc. – should clearly articulate your mission and build a strong case for donor support. To that end, consider these essentials:

• Impactful headlines and subheads, short paragraphs and bulleted lists to help organize your webpage content and make it easier for readers to scan.
• Simple infographics that quantify your outcomes to clearly communicate your impact on the communities you serve.
• Compelling imagery and short videos featuring personal stories to help site visitors connect emotionally to your cause.

Make Donating Easy

To maximize online donations, place a prominent Donate button in the header of your website (near the navigation menu) so it appears consistently on every webpage. When donors click that button, they should be taken directly to an online donation form where they can enter their payment information and complete the transaction. The fewer steps to accomplishing the task, the better.

Build Campaign-Specific Website Landing Pages

Generally speaking, when potential donors click a link in your campaign email, ad or social post, they should end up on a campaign-specific landing page. The landing page content should be 100% relevant, concise and feature a clear call to action. A year-end campaign landing page, for example, might include a brief personal story or video, a short explanation of how donations will help fund the mission and a Donate Today button.

Check Your Site on a Mobile Phone

Most Millennials and Gen Zers use their smart phones for absolutely everything, so a mobile-friendly website is essential to attract visitors and donations.

In fact, mobile giving statistics show nonprofits can increase their donations by 126% on average by incorporating mobile-responsive design in their websites.

Keep in mind, mobile-friendly design is also the dominant consideration for Google Search rankings. If your site isn’t responsive, you’re less likely to appear in Google Search results and more likely to scare away potential donors due to poor user experience.

Carefully check your site to determine if page layouts adapt to different screen widths. If content runs off the screen, font sizes are too small to read or links don’t click properly, you’ll need to make formatting adjustments or potentially consider a more comprehensive redesign.

Find Out More

Need help with your nonprofit website? Contact The Vella Group at info@vellaspg.com to find out more about our web design capabilities.