There’s no arguing that you won’t have a nonprofit if you don’t have clients, donors, volunteers, and supporters. There are a lot of ways in which to go about attracting a community, but choosing where to focus your efforts is critical for a nonprofit leader. Perhaps the best way to establish your nonprofit as credible is by creating a professional website.
Creating and maintaining a website may seem a bit overwhelming, especially when working with a small team. You may even want to push this task off to the side to focus on your core mission. After all, you’re a community impacter, not a web designer.
7 Reasons Why Your Nonprofit Firm Needs a Website
You know your nonprofit needs a website. Having a web presence is a crucial part of the representation of your NGO, and the true hurdle is finding out how to get your website made. Let’s look at how a professional website benefits your nonprofit and how it plays a role in your success.
1. Showcase Your Services
With a professional website, you’ll be able to create an accessible, engaging way to present your services to your visitors. Creating simple, understandable descriptions of these services will make clients more likely to contact you when they require your services. Having clients to serve in your community is further proof that your nonprofit is a necessity to your community.
To make this work, you’ll need a website that serves as a high-quality hub for your blogs, videos, and impact stories. Content of a high standard will make people more likely to see the value of your nonprofit. In addition, the more written content on your website that is relevant to your business and your services, the better search engines are to find your site when potential supporters come looking.
2. Show Prospective Supporters Your Credentials
Potential clients will want to see that you’re trustworthy and successful when visiting your website. This is why you need to list your credentials. Doing so can make a significant difference between choosing to support your nonprofit versus another. If you have certifications, seals, or accolades, display them prominently where they are easily visible to visitors.
3. Increase Your Client Base
Without a website, you’re missing out on donors and volunteers. Research shows that 85% of consumers conduct online research before choosing to form a relationship with a nonprofit.
A professional website means that potential donors and volunteers can vet and start building a relationship with your NGO from wherever they are. Ensuring new supporters can build a trusting relationship is one of the fundamental benefits of a website.
4. Build Trust
As a nonprofit, you are trusted to handle and use the donations that come in daily. You need to show them they can trust you.
Use your website to build credibility — ask your clients for testimonials, and encourage them to leave reviews on your site and others like Yelp, Google, and Facebook. You can also ask volunteers if they would like to be featured in impact stories, or featured in another way on your site.
As we mentioned, you can also proudly feature any awards you’ve won or the reviews you’ve received from trusted websites. These things show prospective relationships that you are reliable and trusted by not only your clients but also critical, impartial sources.
5. Create a Marketing Hub
All of your marketing should point to your website. Whether you’re conducting traditional marketing or engaging on social media doesn’t matter. All of these things should lead to your website.
Once your audience arrives, they’ll have already encountered multiple impressions of your nonprofit. These repeated impressions form a mental “profile” of sorts for visitors, and the more positive impressions they receive, the closer they are to completing the conversion loop and contacting you.
6. “Seal the Deal” on Referrals
As a nonprofit, word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most important sources of new supporters. When a volunteer or donor tells someone about your organization, they’ll probably Google you. Once they find your website, you have the opportunity to form a new relationship with them. Your online presence should support the positive impressions they have received about your NGO from others and encourage them to contact you.
7. Get Ahead of Your Competition
When you have a successful website, it helps you stand out from your competition. There are so many nonprofits out there to choose from. If your website looks professional and contains relevant, informative content, you’ll be able to take a step ahead of your competition. Part of this comes from the collective impression your site makes, but an even larger (and perhaps more important) comes from optimizing your site for search engines.
Search engine optimization (SEO) ensures your site turns up when the community searches for nonprofits. This is not a one-and-done process and requires dedicated SEO knowledge, so don’t be afraid to reach out to an SEO expert to help prepare your site for primetime. Many web design agencies also offer SEO services, so when planning your website, ask prospective web design agencies about their SEO services.
Spread the Digital Buzz.
Whether you have spent countless hours on your current website and don’t want all the hard work to go to waste, or you’ve built a recognizable brand and don’t want to confuse your community with a new look, we understand.
Your website is an asset, not an expense. At Buzzworks Creations, we create a strategy to keep supporters coming back for fresh content and relevant information, so your site never becomes stale or outdated. Our websites work hard to build your nonprofit brand recognition and foster loyalty. Book your consultation today, and let’s get to creating buzz around your brand.