Wired Impact

Wondering if your nonprofit should build a new site or invest in leveling up your existing site? This should help. It's called the Website Redesign vs. Refresh Quiz for Nonprofits. (Link is in the comments below.) Answer a few questions about your website situation, and the quiz will use weighted scoring to make a clear recommendation. You'll also get a detailed email breaking down why each question is so important along with related resources on the most helpful next steps. Special shoutout to Lindsey Sukowatey for being the driving force behind bringing this to life! If you have any questions, just let me know.

If I had 30 minutes today to get my website ready for giving season, here’s exactly what I’d do: 1. Jump into website analytics to find my 5 most popular landing pages If I didn’t have reliable data to use, I’d pick the 5 pages I’d expect to be most popular based on the campaigns I had in mind.     2. Read the content of each page I’d mostly be looking for a few things: + Compelling hook + Clear, concise headings + Short summary of what makes us unique + Strong, primary call to action inviting a visitor to get involved + And anything non-essential that can be simplified, consolidated or cut I want these pages to get to the point as quickly as possible. Especially this time of year. 3. Test the giving process twice Once on my computer. Once on my phone. I’d go all the way through completing my donation both times. 4. Feel the post-donation experience What happens after I complete my gift? How do I feel (as a donor) when I hit the Thank You page? Or get that Thank You email? Can I add any personal touches? Do I feel like I’ve been invited into the magic happening at our org?     A little love can go a long way when it comes to getting your site ready for this final push. Any other quick wins you’d look for if you only had 30 minutes?

"We're the best kept secret in our area. How can we build more awareness that we exist?" We often hear from nonprofits who feel like the "best kept secret" in town. They're doing amazing work. But not enough people know about it. This exact problem came up during a recent Nonprofit Website Office Hours. Here's how Nickie Bartels and Jordana Merkin think about starting to address that issue.

Should your nonprofit build a new website or refresh the one you have? It’s a question we hear all the time. Now there’s a quick, easy way to figure out the best option for your nonprofit. Take a look!

How is a nonprofit homepage different from other homepages? Nonprofits have 3 unique challenges: 1. The "nonprofit audience problem" 2. Fewer overlapping calls to action 3. Less direct value proposition for the average visitor There are a few, more nuanced ways I think homepages are uniquely challenging for nonprofits. But these are the major ones. If you want to nerd out on this for a few minutes (and hear how I'd overcome each challenge), check out this video. What do you think? Any other major differences I didn't include here? Thanks for the great question during Nonprofit Website Office Hours Avigayil Steiglitz! Sorry we ran out of time to get it answered. Hopefully this helps!

Last week, David and I hosted the final Nonprofit Website Office Hours of the year, and it's been a little wild to think about. We tested the idea for this series late last year and decided to jump in with both feet this year. And I'm glad we did. In 2024, we hosted four events with a dedicated topic and presentation, plus an open Q&A session. We were joined by hundreds of nonprofiteers and changemakers, with more than 500+ registrations throughout the year. We covered a wide range of topics — including how to use AI to write website content, how to audit your nonprofit website, and how to nail your website's homepage. We welcomed our first-ever guest and learned so much from Jordana Merkin about nonprofit messaging. And we received such thoughtful questions and feedback from folks who were able to join us live and participate in the chat. Endless thanks to everyone who made this possible. Feeling grateful for the year we've had and excited for what's to come ✨ And if you have ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, drop 'em in the comments or send me a message! Hope to see you at Office Hours next year!

Website terminology doesn't need to be so complicated! Here's a breakdown of some foundational terms in plain English. Want a deeper dive into more of the most common, confusing terms? We're sending an email all about this tomorrow to thousands of nonprofits. If you're interested, you can get it here: https://lnkd.in/g2vFQHh3 Any terms you think we should add to the list?

If your website (or any piece of tech) is too hard for you to use, that’s NOT on you. It’s on the folks who built it. Ease of use shouldn’t be a bonus. It’s foundational. We hear nonprofiteers all the time blaming themselves for tech that’s tough for them to use. You are not the problem. I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again — the best hammer in the world doesn’t help if it’s too heavy to lift.

Most nonprofit homepages are too complicated. And that can easily overwhelm visitors, causing them to leave. If you're on the fence about including that new thing on your homepage, we typically recommend you do your best to leave it off. Every new element steals attention from what's already there. When in doubt, leave it out!

Want to nail your nonprofit website's homepage? Join us at Nonprofit Website Office Hours tomorrow! We'll cover: + Common homepage myths + The 3 questions your homepage needs to answer for visitors + A rubric for evaluating your existing homepage + Quick wins to improve your homepage As always, we'll carve out plenty of time for any website-related questions you're wrestling with. So bring those with you too! Full details in the comments!