Strategic. Creative. Results.Continuing Studies at UWO

Technology in the Not-for-Profit Sector November 17, 2009

Websites for Non-Profits

Technology and the Non-Profit Sector, Continuing Studies at The University of Western OntarioNovember 17, 2009

Non Profit Organizations and the Web Trends

Ideas and Predictions for the Future

Design and DevelopmentThe process and strategy behind smart and aesthetic websites that work

Content and Content Management Systems (CMS)What makes for quality online content: accurate, up-to-date, and engaging

Search Engine Optimization and Search MarketingTechniques to build traffic on your website

Online Tools and Applications Including Facebook, Twitter and more!

Trends and Predictions

NPOs will increasingly use blogs to engage the public more effectively, by giving them real stories from their work in the field.

Organizations will begin using Social Networking to increase their supporter baseMore NPOs will take up VoIP (i.e. Skype) to cut telephone costs.

More NPOs will use Twitter to keep their ‘friends’ up to date on the organization’s activities and to mobilize people to take part in a time-sensitive action.

Fundraisers’ interest in Facebook and other social sites, lessens as apps don’t offer enough access to or control of user data.

The link between online fundraising and telephone fundraising becomes more obvious in larger charities’ fundraising strategy.

Online donations will become a key pillar of fundraising revenue but won’t replace offline donations and text message fundraising.

NGOs alliances will become stronger giving them more awareness and confidenceCause Related Marketing will become more usual and more and more companies will offer a gift to encourage people to act.

NPOs will learn to integrate Internet communication as a part of a multichannel campaign.

Non profit websites will be designed with a better understanding of the Internet Communication with less animation, more usability, more emotional imagery.

NPOs will find out the key role of Search Engine Marketing and SEO.

The storytelling power will become part of NPOs communication strategy: rss, blog, video, interviews, images, will bridge the gap between donors and organizations.

The Internet is changing the very nature of what it means to support a charity.

The Internet is turning donors into patrons and activists and participants. The biggest donors are the ones who not only give, but do the work.

Responsible stewardship requires that we not try to force the Internet to act like direct mail with free stamps.

Only 1% or less of non-profits will actually make a positive return on investment through social networking campaigns, as measured by donations and man-hours.

Transparency + Accountability + Measurability = Professionalization

The mainstreaming of fundraising widgets and apps will result in more individuals choosing to raise money for a non-profit or independent project/cause (DIY Development).

What Are the Trends Telling Us?

StrategyContent

FunctionalityTraffic

Interaction

Non Profit Website StrategyNavigation Map: Planning the Information Architecture of the Website.

Interface Design: Translating the Map into a Usable, Effective, Website.

Navigation Map: Planning the Information Architecture of the Website.

Interface Design: Translating the Map into a Usable, Effective, Website.

Card Sorting

Card sorting is a simple technique in usability design where a group of subject experts or "users", however inexperienced with design, are guided to generate a category tree or folksonomy. It is a useful approach for designing workflows, menu structure, or web site navigation paths.

Card sorting has a characteristically low-tech approach. The concepts are first identified and written onto simple index cards or Post-it notes. The user group then arranges these to represent the groups or structures they are familiar with.

Content and Content Management

Content for your website can be the biggest hurdle to launching

• Who is going to write all of this?

• Who has to approve all of this?

• How do we know it is accurate?

• What is the Voice of our Organization

Content Management System (CMS) Can Help

• Deligate Sections to Subject Matter Experts

• Quickly update information

Interface Design

The Creative Brief:

• Audience – Primary and Secondary

• Communications Objectives

• Tactical Objectives

• Key Messages – Mission, Vision, Values Personified!

• Competitive Overview

• Brand Guidelines, Mandatory Information

• Tone and Manner

SEO and Search Marketing

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps a website gain top positioning within a search engine's organic results in order to drive qualified traffic.

More than 80% of website traffic originates from search engines, search engine optimization is critical to the success of your website.

• Thorough understanding of your Organization and objectives• Analysis of competitor websites• Search engine friendly web design and development• Strategic content writing• Quality link building & more

SEO and Search Marketing

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) refers to paid placement within search engines (these appear as “sponsored links” in search results).

This is a Pay-per-Click model (PPC), where your ad appears in search results for designated keywords that are relevant to your business. You then pay a certain fee whenever someone clicks on your ad and goes to your site.

• Strategic writing and bidding for key phrases and words • Continuous monitoring, testing and tweaking of campaign to increase click-

through and conversion rates.• Reporting and analysis of results.• Pay-per-Click has proven to be among the most effective kind of marketing

campaigns available offline or online when looking at return on investment.

Online Tools and Applications

Online Donations – Paypall, CanadaHelps.org, Custom E-Commerce

Google Ad Words Campaigns

Referring Websites (Related Organizations, Partners, etc…)

Social Media Success

If you want to be successful using social media in your fundraising strategy, remember:

• Build your network before you need it.  Don't have your first interaction be a request for money.

• Focus on engagement and relationship building all the time.  You don't have to be doing it at hyper level at the time, but remember relationship building doesn't have an on and off switch.

• Story telling is important - as much as can creatively tell a compelling story, the more success you will have.

• Social Media should be part of a multi-channel effort -- they all work together. What's important is figuring out the right amount of time to invest in particular channels.

• Focus on the outcomes and keep reporting on the work you are doing.

Questions, Now or Later

liisa@honeydesign.ca@liisamarjatta

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