@keljar @guidecreative Your website is more than just a pretty picture.  It should be created for your unique audience as a tool to engage, and ultimately inspire action.  Artistic talent alone is not enough, you need a web design rooted in a clear strategy and driven by results.

1. presents
The Top Ten Elements
Every Nonprofit Website Should Have
Hosted by
Kelley Jarrett, Marketing Manager and Web Strategist, GUIDE Creative
A Blackbaud Production!

2. Ten Best Practices
A Blackbaud Production!

3. Ten Best Practices
1. Resonate with Your Audiences
2. Have a Focused Homepage
3. Share Your Mission
4. Use Compelling Imagery
5. Ensure Ease in Navigation
6. Include Clear, Bold Calls to Action
7. Showcase Your Stewardship
8. Keep Your Content Fresh
9. Be Social
10. Provide a Personal Touch Through Multimedia
A Blackbaud Production!

4. “Your website does not exist as a boutique just
to show off information about your
organization. Instead, it’s actually a tool that
you have employed to mobilize your
audience...”
- Raheel Gauba
A Blackbaud Production!

5. Resonate with your audiences
Focus on your audience needs
• Who are your audience groups and who is most important?
• What do they care about – need, goals and aspirations?
• How do they interact with you on and off your website?
A Blackbaud Production!

6. Resonate with your audiences
Meet users where they are
• In less than three years mobile will be the #1 way your audience will
access your website … Are you ready?
A Blackbaud Production!

7. “The Web is a world of first impressions, and
quick ones at that. Users form an opinion of a
website within the first few seconds of loading
it.”
- Jason Gross
“The Role of Design in The Kingdome of Content, www.smashingmagazine.com
A Blackbaud Production!

8. Have a Focused Homepage
Prioritize Content
• Wireframes are key for visual hierarchy
• Remember YOUR goals
• Remember your AUDIENCE’S goals
A Blackbaud Production!

9. Have a Focused Homepage
Pass the 3-second test
• Is your homepage scanable, understandable, intuitive
in 3 seconds?
A Blackbaud Production!

10. “Design your website around your organization’s
actions and purpose. Make the mission
statement clear as day.”
- Blake McCreary
“Non-Profit Web Design.”
A Blackbaud Production!

11. Share Your Mission
Tell your story clearly & succinctly and make it actionable
• 60% of all donors check out an organization’s website before donating -
tell them why they should give…quickly before they change their mind
A Blackbaud Production!

12. Share Your Mission
Show your story … visually
• Infographics, typography, links, video, imagery,
photography
• The style should fit your voice and brand
A Blackbaud Production!

13. “Regardless of what your content actually says,
the design around it controls what the users
see first and how their eyes move across the
sections of the page.”
- Jason Gross
“The Role of Design in The Kingdome of Content, www.smashingmagazine.com
A Blackbaud Production!

14. Use Compelling Imagery
• Engage with eye contact … Make a personal connection
• Show real stories of impact to gain credibility
A Blackbaud Production!

15. Use Compelling Imagery
Match Imagery with your brand, mood and voice
- Does quality, composition and candor of your imagery jive with your user
experience?
A Blackbaud Production!

16. “User-centric design has become a standard
approach for successful and web design. After
all, if users can’t use a feature, it might as well
not exist.”
- Vitaly Friedman
“10 Principles of Effective Web Design”, www.smashingmagazine.com
A Blackbaud Production!

17. Ensure ease in Navigation
Navigation Systems should be intuitive and precise
- Provide multiple interaction paths
- Ensure context for users who come in through search or links
- Does it take two-click or less for key tasks?
A Blackbaud Production!

18. “Assuming that you’ve written a brilliantly
persuasive page, it’s still next to worthless
without a strong call to action…”
- Brad Shorr
“Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin a Company’s Website,”
A Blackbaud Production!

19. Include clear, bold calls to action
Remove all obstacles to action from anywhere
“Apply Now” should take them directly to application.
Calls to action should be clear and compelling
Never say “click here”
Say for example “visit us“
A Blackbaud Production!

20. “Stewardship comes down to being able to show
donors how their dollars were used and what
impact their contributions had.”
- Cynthia Gomez
“What Is Stewardship for a Non-Profit?” www.eHow.com
A Blackbaud Production!

21. Showcase Your Stewardship
60% of donors visit a nonprofit’s website before making a gift.
- Show the impact (eg. stats, infographics)
- Be transparent (eg. share your annual report)
- Say “Thank you”
A Blackbaud Production!

22. “…You need to remember that the Internet is a
dynamic place, and make sure your site is
constantly changing as well.”
- Randall Mains
A Blackbaud Production!

23. Keep Your Content Fresh
Always have something new to offer to your users
- Utilize automatic feeds
- Add dates to content posted to the homepage
- Gather user-generated content
Timely
Upcoming
Events
A Blackbaud Production!

24. “Integrating the social experience into your
organization’s web site will help promote the
channel, engage supporters, and provide a
constant source of dynamic content …”
- Melanie Mathos & Chad Norman
“101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits: A Field Guide.” John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A Blackbaud Production!

25. Be Social
Social media and viral sharing are highly
valuable tools in contributing to web site
traffic and brand exposure
- Make it easy to connect, interact and
contribute
A Blackbaud Production!

26. “Many of today’s most successful websites are
interactive, meaning they allow people to
participate in the content in some way.
- Randall Mains
Strategic Web Communication Principle #4: Interactivity” blog.pathmakermarketing.com July 12, 2009
A Blackbaud Production!

27. Provide a Personal Touch
Through Interactive Media
Allow users to consume information in multiple ways
- Your audiences’ preferences for consuming content varies, just as their
browsing and navigation styles do. Users want to consume information in
various media channels and formats.
A Blackbaud Production!

28. Ten Best Practices
1. Resonate with Your Audiences
2. Have a Focused Homepage
3. Share Your Mission
4. Use Compelling Imagery
5. Ensure Ease in Navigation
6. Include Clear, Bold Calls to Action
7. Showcase Your Stewardship
8. Keep Your Content Fresh
9. Be Social
10. Provide a Personal Touch Through Interactive
A Blackbaud Production!

29. Resources and Next Steps
• www.guidecreative.com/blog
• Assess Your Site!
www.guidecreative.com/topten
• Get In Touch!
hello@guidecreative.com
A Blackbaud Production!