When BDI Optimized Their Donation Page

This nonprofit client’s conversions increased to 13%!

First Steps to Investing in Digital Marketing

Innovative nonprofit organizations want to be on the cutting-edge of the latest digital fundraising practices.

However, without a fundraising-focused website and optimized donation page as your foundation, you’ll be unable to capture the donations these strategies bring in.

BDI’s Digital Team regularly audits our client partners’ websites to ensure that they:

• Use consistent branding
• Are mobile-responsive
• Are fundraising-focused
• Use an optimized donation form

So when one nonprofit we work with was experiencing dangerously low conversions on their current donation page – as low as 5%! – we encouraged them to switch platforms.

Alongside a few other key strategies, switching platforms had the greatest impact on improving their overall donation page conversion rates and online giving.

Understanding Conversion Rate

Let’s assume a nonprofit client partner receives 100,000 unique visits to their donation page every year.

With a donation page conversion rate of 5%…

100,000 x 5% = 5,000 gifts
5,000 gifts x $150 average gift =
$750,000

By increasing the donation page conversion rate to a conservative 15%, they can generate an additional $1,500,000!

100,000 x 15% = 15,000 gifts
15,000 gifts x $150 average gift =
$2,250,000

Read on to learn more about the key features BDI’s Digital Team looks for in switching our client partners to a high-converting donation page platform…

10 Questions BDI Asks Before Switching Donation Platforms

Your donation page is your best opportunity to share your value proposition – in other words, why someone should give to your cause. But that value proposition isn’t worth much if your donation page isn’t donor optimized.

Through careful assessment and analysis of dozens of nonprofit donation pages, BDI’s Digital Team has developed a framework of 10 key questions to consider before switching to a new donation platform:

2. Does it Support Tracking?

Make sure you know how your donors are arriving at your donation page. A fundraising optimized donation platform should support tracking through Google Tag Manager. This is a must if you are using paid media channels.

3. Does it include an image and supporting value proposition copy?

Make sure you answer the question of a potential donor: “Why should I give to you?” Use an image that clearly reflects the needs their gift will meet.

5. Does it include suggested donation amounts?

Make it easier for supporters to give by taking the guesswork out of how much they
should give to make a real impact.

6. Does it offer expanded giving via a digital wallet or non-cash options?

Provide options for donors to give how they want to give. Expanded giving options may include a digital wallet, like Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. Also consider offering noncash giving options through Donor Advised Funds, stock, real estate, etc.

8. Is it branded?

Are you able to add your logo and brand colors? Doing so helps make your form easy to recognize and builds trust as donors immediately know they’re supporting you.

10. Is there a thank you/confirmation page?

Saying thank you can be the difference between receiving a second gift and never hearing from a donor again. Add a thank you page that confirms a gift is received after the form is completed.