Why your Non Profit Organization needs a Professional Website?
In the mist of Covid-19 (Corona Virus), we at JDS WebDesign are hoping everyone is safe and practicing social distancing. Over the next several weeks, we are planning on blogging about how to make your website more business friendly. We will have some tutorials on our favorite plugins and features, which will make your site more efficient.
We are often confronted with the question about why a non profit organization needs a professional website? Having created websites for close to twenty (20) years, most prospective clients are concerned with the cost and time spent on creating a professional website. Generally, I do not spend a lot of time on the cost, but spend time discussing the features of a professional website.
Attracting New Visitors
Most non profit organizations exist for a specific reason, and to get your message out to the world is very important. Attracting new visitors or individuals, who will need your services is very important. Remember this is not the 1970’s, in which word of mouth is the most popular form of advertisement.
Your website can serve as your bull horn. A professional website can help you display your message in terms of a call to action. You can use features such as email captures to generate email list of individuals, who have a bond to what your organization’s missions and goals.
Adding Credibility
Credibility is very important in the non profit organization world. There are many fly by night organizations, and typically it is lack of resources and plans which cause them to close. Not having a board of directors, and lack of fundraisers is a easy way to destroy your organization
A professional website can add credibility to your organization. Most potential donors are going to ask for your site. Google (and other search engine) still is the number one driver of new potential visitors. Many researchers (and feel free to google them) have outlined how search engine, and not social media platforms or word of mouth draws interest to your non profit organizations.
Increasing Return of Investment (ROI)
Will a professional website increase my return of investment (ROI)? The obvious answer is yes. However, lets look at the types of return of investment. A professional website should help to establish your target audience. This is the group of individuals, that your website should be in front of all the time.
Your target audience is in need of your services. Your target audience is looking to invest in your organization. So from a financial standpoint, you should have a increase in your return of investment. But your professional website is going to create another return on investment…you are going to be in front of your clients. They are going to help grow your organization, from a promotional to financial standpoint.
Expanding your Reach
A professional website, not social media platforms, is going to expand your reach. Social media platforms, while are good for many things, they do not help to expand your reach. Social media is for providing snippets of what you are doing? Professional websites expand on what you are doing by providing why you are doing (your services) and how to get involved. Social media platforms miss out on the how to get involved, or if you focus on the how…you miss the most important element (why).
A professional website can showcase your services. This is the most fundamental way to expand your reach. This expanding of your reach can manifest in creating a larger pool of resources for new donations or guest at an upcoming events. You can provide these services on your professional website.
Tracking Analytics
Tracking analytics is the process of knowing how many visitors, where your visitors are coming from (social media platforms, search engine, etc.), and who your visitors are? This is standard (and should be one of the things, your professional web designer has in their package).
A professional website is not all about looks and designs. It is about features and functionality. How can your website work in conjunction with the growth of your non profit organization. Knowing who is coming to your site? How long are they staying on your site? Where they came from…all these are important to the growth of your site.
Conclusion
Professional websites are expensive. Professional websites can make you rethink your mission statement. Professional website can force you to think about who your target audience is… Professional websites can make you stay focus on your mission. But ultimately a professional website is going to help attach new visitors, by adding credibility to your organization and expand your reach while increasing your return on your investment by tracking analytics.
Image courtesy of Iris Wang.
JDS WebDesign is a Web Design and Brand Marketing Agency located in Marietta, Georgia. We create AWESOME on line presence for Start-ups and Influential People/Organizations. To learn more about us or how we can help you and your organization, you can contact us or schedule a meeting.
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