Digital fundraising mistakes to avoid

Having an unclear user journey

A common mistake charities make is not mapping out the clear path to their donate button or sign-up form.

You need to test whether it’s confusing or easy to donate. Having several competing calls to action on the same page, or unnecessary obstacles between your user and the donate form or button, are examples of poor user journey planning that could cost you dearly.

Ideally, a donation button needs to be part of a website’s top navigation bar and always visible, preferably in a different colour that catches the eye.

And, whatever you do, don’t forget to keep mobile users in mind.

Ignoring mobile

In 2019, mobile accounted for over half of web traffic worldwide. If a visitor becomes frustrated while attempting to make a donation to your organisation on a mobile device, they will leave your site without giving.

It’s therefore now important to any successful online fundraising strategy that your website is mobile responsive (resizes according to the device being used) and that you have tested how users interact with it across popular devices.

Small things can be off-putting for mobile users. Do the pages load quickly enough? Does your site run as smoothly on mobile as it does on desktop? Most users on mobile skim-read – are users presented with a wall of text that isn’t easy to scroll through? Is the page well organised enough and is the text and background contrasting enough for screen users?

Also, don’t forget to include your emails as part of the mobile fundraising mix.

Failing to show your impact

The Charity Commission recently found that over half of charities still aren’t adequately telling the public how the charity is meeting its objectives. While storytelling is vital for donors and supporters, it also leaves charities missing out on the opportunity to engage new ones.

Effective digital fundraising uses the stories of beneficiaries, involving them to help tell the story of your impact. Keeping it tied to the people you’re helping and their personal stories is all part of including the ’why’ in any fundraising that will cultivate connections and educate donors on your cause.

Thankfully there have never been more creative and cost-effective ways for charities to show why their work matters.

Not suggesting donation amounts

This might seem like a small thing, but research shows that it makes a difference. Once you have successfully led donors to your sign up or donation page, the use of a couple of suggested donation amounts on your form, with a highlighted suggested value, makes it easy and seamless for them to take the next step and encourages preferred donation amounts.

This makes use of a marketing called anchoring whereby psychologically people tend to rely on the first piece of information offered when making decisions.