The goal of a nonprofit organization’s website is pretty straightforward. A nonprofit wants to present itself in a manner which encourages individuals and organizations to donate money, time or other resources to further their cause.
If you work for a nonprofit organization and you find yourself tasked with creating or improving your organization’s web presence, you probably realize that this isn’t as simple as it may seem. Not just any website will do, if you want to boost awareness for your nonprofit.
Every website (whether for a nonprofit or not) should draw people in, and tell them why they should care about your mission. In order to make this happen effectively, you should be aware of some important design trends for nonprofit websites.
Use a person or people to represent your cause
One of your most important tasks when designing a new website for your nonprofit is to put a human face on your cause. Your target audience needs someone to feel emotionally connected to. This can be the people your organization serves, or your staff and volunteers who make the magic happen. Nothing will be more convincing than this.
Start and maintain a blog
A great way to connect with current and future donors is to communicate with them through a blog. This is your opportunity to tell your supporters and volunteers stories that relate back to your nonprofit and its mission, and to keep them up to date and engaged. Engaged donors to want to take action.
You don’t always have to do this with only text, either. Pictures and videos can be work in tandem with text to help share the story of your nonprofit and its work. Also, keep in mind that your blog isn’t a sales pitch. You need to make it about the reader, so give them content they want to read.
Embrace flat design
Simple is the new mantra for the website design world. Rather than having a slow, busy-looking website that might confuse your readers, go for a design with simple shapes, colors and typography. A website that focuses on clarity will better communicate its mission and be easier to navigate. This equates to a better experience for your current and potential donors.
Bold fonts with shorter text
Many visitors to your website would rather not read multiple paragraphs of text to find out what your mission is. Attention spans are short and prospective supporters want to know almost instantly what your organization’s goals are. Use large fonts that are easy and quick for visitors to read in smaller blocks of text. This way, you’ll keep your audience interested.
Responsive web design
Nonprofits need to embrace mobile technology just like every other organization with a website. More and more people are using mobile devices to search the Internet, and they can often give right from these devices. To keep your nonprofit’s website relevant, it needs to be easily viewable on any mobile device.
Your nonprofit’s website is more than just a marketing tool. It really becomes the front-line face of your nonprofit. If you put little effort into the content and overall design of your website, visitors will assume you put little effort into your organization’s other efforts. You only get one first impression, so make it count. Embrace nonprofit website design trends to keep donors new and old engaged in your organization’s mission.
At Hub & Spoke, we’re here to help you find focus… whether you’re advocating a cause or working to change the world. Contact us today and let’s talk about how we can help with your non profit web design.
