The solution to your online fundraising growth is never going to be a new tool – like a donation platform.
You have to have the right strategy – and sometimes the right strategy requires a new donation platform.
While we often say we’re “donation platform agnostic”, we’re certainly “donation platform opinionated” based on what we’ve tested and proven to be essential strategies to improve revenue on your donation pages.
As you consider and evaluate what the right donation platform is for your fundraising efforts, there are 5 questions you need to ask about the platform that are deal-breakers for online fundraising growth.
Here are the 5 questions you should be asking.
Click on each one to dive into the details and why it’s important for your online fundraising.
1. Can I easily edit all of the copy on my donation page?
- Headlines
- Body Copy
- Form headers
2. Is the design and layout flexible?
- Remove all links in the navigation
- Grouping related form fields
- Trust marks (Charity Navigator, GuideStar, etc.) must go near the donate button
3. Can I create as many donation pages as I need?
- Unique pages for every campaign
- Unique pages Instant Donation Pages for donor acquisition
4. Is it a one-step or multi-step process?
- No shopping cart process
- No gift verification screens
5. Can I test new ideas?
- Easy to set up goal tracking in Google Analytics
- Easy to set up eCommerce tracking in Google Analytics
- Easy to install Google Optimize to test new growth ideas
1. Can I easily edit all of the copy on my donation page?
There’s no doubt about it – the words on your donation page are the most powerful tool at your disposal to convince someone to donate to you.
And if you can’t edit the copy – and I mean all of the copy – you’re already starting from a disadvantage.
Here are a few key areas you’ll need to be able to edit…
Headlines
In experiment #4164, we saw that clearly spelling out the specific effect of someone’s donation in the headline led to a 21.2% increase in donations.
Make sure you can edit the headlines on your donation pages to communicate value and align with the motivation of your donation page visitor
Body copy
In experiment #4467, we saw a that tweaking the main donation page copy to focus on the general mission of the organization led to a 43.8% increase in donations.
Make sure you can edit your body copy to test your value proposition and see what inspires more donors to generously give to you.
2. Is the design and layout flexible?
The design of your page is critical to helping your donor do two things:
- Good design helps donors read your copy in the right sequence
- Good design helps donors stay focused on the task at hand
On the contrary, poor design creates distractions and keeps donors from fully understanding why they should give to your organization.
Once you have the tracking set up, you’ll need your donation page tool to make it easy to run an A/B test.
Google Optimize is a free tool you can use to test nearly any element on your donation page – including design, copy, form fields, layout, and more. Make sure your donation page tool makes it easy to install Google Optimize and other a/b testing tools.
Want to see everything we’ve learned about donation pages?
You can see all 19 proven elements of an effective main donation page in this free template – all based on real-world testing and experimentation with nonprofit organizations.
Get the free donation page template here
