Key Elements for Designing Charity Websites
05/11/2011
Charity or not-for-profit websites differ greatly from commercial sites. The .org websites have a different agenda in terms of audience and message compared to regular websites.
Not-for-profit websites need to clearly get their message across if they want to attract donations and volunteers.
When designing charity websites, there are several usability and conversion issues to take into account:
Donation ‘call to action’
Is it easy to make a donation on the website? The ‘call to action’ for donations must be clearly visible and usable.
Clear content and layout
The website layout and content must be clear and must promote the charities good works effectively to people who are looking for information.
Volunteering information
If a charity is looking to recruit volunteers, there must be plenty of information on the site about how to volunteer and what this will involve.
Ecommerce for charities
Some charity websites sell products from their sites in order to make more money for the charity. This means the site must function well from an ecommerce point of view.
Social networking for charities
Social media is an important tool for spreading the word online. The impact of a Facebook Page or Twitter Feed is therefore key to increasing support for the charity.
For more information and studies into the important elements to consider within a charity website read the research published by useit.com.
Cornish WebServices can design effective charity websites. We have a lot of experience with the layout and optimisation of .org sites. We can offer consultancy, design and SEO management in order to create a successful not-for-profit website.
