Christine Ward Spreading awareness may seem like it should be as simple as blasting out an email or posting on social media. But, if you’ve ever tried, you’ll know it’s a lot more complicated than that.
Who is your audience? How can you reach them? Why should they care? Where can those who are interested go to learn more about your cause?
We are HUGE proponents of powerful websites at Wired Impact. After all, it’s what we do all day long. We’ve seen organizations use their new site as a launchpad to grow, expanding their audience and then keeping it active and engaged.
If your nonprofit is gaining momentum (or hoping to), but finding it difficult to spread awareness without a *good* website, a new website might just change your whole world. And no, unfortunately, a social media account does not serve the same purpose as a website for nonprofits, nor do they carry the features and functionality that growing nonprofits need. When used correctly, a powerful website with nonprofit tools and built-in design features can make spreading awareness and building a following for your cause much simpler.
Spreading Awareness With Your Website
Not convinced? These six benefits should do the trick. You’ll be spreading awareness for your cause in no time.
Appear Professional
Unfortunately, nonprofits without decent websites do not carry the same amount of clout or seriousness as those that do. A powerful and well-designed website helps your nonprofit appear professional and trustworthy to potential supporters.
They can easily find and read content about your cause. They can take comfort that any actions they take or personal information they provide you will be secure. They can read testimonials from other supporters, see your impact and how you spend donated funds. All without getting frustrated about things like page load times or whether it’s responsive to the device they’re using.
When visitors see you as professional and trustworthy, they are more likely to take your cause seriously and get involved. You put in the work to appear legitimate and move your mission forward online.
Easy to Get in Touch
A website makes it possible for people to reach out and join in your efforts when they stumble across you on the web through related topics or interest in your cause (yay for search engines!). It houses your contact information—information that you can set, update and manage. Prepare to have supporters start coming to you!
It seems simple, but a quality, search-friendly website helps people find your organization (even if they don’t know you by name) and get in touch once they do. You don’t always need to be the first one to reach out. If people can find you, your email, phone number, address and maybe even a simple outreach form, they can start coming to you with offers and questions.
Simplify Promotion Efforts
If only you had one place to send people for all of your promotions to spread awareness… Oh, wait. Your nonprofit’s website can serve as the central hub for your organization, the place where people go to get to know you and return to further your cause.
Those new to your organization—be they potential supporters, volunteers, event attendees, clients—they can all go to your website. When your site has all of the features you need, you’ll no longer need to cobble together a disconnected place to send folks for various promotions.
Third party tools for things like donations, volunteers and events are great when they can seamlessly embed into your website, but can get messy and confusing when you’re sending people different places for different actions. Plus, you could be missing out on these folks taking other actions on your site once they’re there. Which leads us to…
Increase Conversion Rates
On a website, conversions are the desired actions that your visitors complete. Things like signing up for your email list or completing the volunteer interest form. While this piece can get a little more complicated, the very presence of these actions all in one place can provide a boost in conversions when they are user-friendly and easy to complete.
Each page on your website can include helpful and interesting content that works toward one of your goals or conversions. And these actions can be promoted elsewhere on the site as well, like on the homepage, in the sidebar or through strategic pop-ups.
Streamline the Marketing Journey
Spreading awareness and getting someone to know who you are and what you do is only a piece of the journey. Typically, new supporters work their way through nonprofit marketing funnels, going from knowing very little about your nonprofit to a dedicated ambassador for your organization. A powerful website creates an opportunity for you to streamline those various pathways.
For example:
- A stranger to your organization might read a recent blog post about a facet of your mission.
- A link within the blog post invites them to learn more about a program that addresses this piece of your mission.
- On the program page, you encourage them to stay up to date on happenings within the program and your nonprofit as a whole by signing up for your email list.
- And they become a regularly engaged member of your audience.
Easily Share Updates
We’re big believers in the power that a built-in blog can bring to nonprofit websites. Your blog should live on your website and include all of your organization’s need-to-have features.
Not sure if a blog is right for your nonprofit’s strategy? Sharing regular updates can not only attract new visitors, through tactics like search engine optimization, but can keep people returning to your website and potentially inspire them to take additional actions once they’re here. Promoting new blog posts through your various marketing channels is a great way to keep your audience interested and engaged on your site.
Nonprofit Example
KIF1A.ORG used their website as a springboard to spread awareness for a rare disease and connect those affected by it, physicians and researchers around the world.
Because of the website, we make it easy for any researcher to find us. We’ve been contacted by researchers around the world, which would not be possible without such an accessible website.
Kathryn Atchley, President of KIF1A.ORG
It takes strategy and work, but a powerful nonprofit website has the potential to expand your reach exponentially, engage visitors and turn them into lifetime supporters. Ready to give it a go? Grab our guide and comparison tool to choose the best website company for your nonprofit.
Is your nonprofit spreading awareness online without a website? Have you recently launched a site and seen these benefits in action? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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