How often have you visited a non-profit’s website only to find it lacking? You know that non-profit organizations don’t do what they do for the money, but still you wish the site at least looked a little better. Maybe a better website would get better results.
Such is the quandary for non-profit organizations. They have to be very careful about where and how they spend their money. And for many, a website doesn’t seem like a necessity. But according to Website4Good, an organization that specializes in small business and non-profit website design, non-profit organizations really need business quality websites.
There are many reasons for this. Here are the top three:
1. People Want Information
Non-profits live and die by donations. For right or wrong, there are so many organizations now competing for limited donations that consumers just get tired of point-blank solicitations. It’s not that people are unwilling to give; it’s simply that there are too many good non-profits to choose from. So what do consumers do?
Many go online to research organizations before deciding whether or not to give. The internet is a non-intrusive way to gather information without feeling like you are under pressure, and people prone to giving to charitable organizations want information. They want to be able to go to a website and find out what an organization is about, what it does, what it believes, etc. Presenting that information in the right way requires a high-quality website.
2. Non-Profits Have a Story to Tell
One of the most successful marketing strategies pursued by website developers and SEO experts over the last 10 years is that of telling a story. Rather than simply presenting a company and its products or services, the pros use client websites to tell a story that consumers find compelling.
If you visit the Website4Good website, you will see that they tell the story of how and why they offer website design services in Tulsa. Reading their story invites you to seriously consider them as your web developer.
It turns out that non-profits have a story to tell too. Their stories are a combination of their own missions and visions and an explanation of how people can get involved. The right story presented in the right way can help turn casual website visitors into volunteers and contributors.
3. Online Reputation is Important
In the era of websites and mobile devices, an organization’s online reputation is just as important as its reputation on the ground. You might even make the case that it is more important. Unfortunately, an organization’s online reputation can quickly go bad if it is not managed properly. This is yet another reason that non-profits need business quality websites.
Online reputation management starts with a high-quality website that tells a compelling story. However, it doesn’t end there. Managing an organization’s online reputation extends to social media outreach, blog and guest posts, and targeted e-mail campaigns. It involves responding to negative reviews and following up with those who are unhappy.
It is possible to still manage online reputation without a million-dollar website. However, what people think about an organization ultimately goes back to that organization’s main presence online. And more often than not, that main presence is a website. There is a reason that organizations with a social media presence but no website find it more difficult to manage their online reputations.
Today’s non-profits cannot afford to try getting away with amateur websites. They need business quality websites that look and perform just as well as the biggest corporate names. That is the reality of the online world.
