PraxisCafe

Should you use photos in your fundraising letters … or not?

2011-05-22T22:49:45Z

I would normally never recommend that you put photos into the body of your letter copy. But I have one client for whom it works amazingly well.

What are your visitors' top tasks on your website?

2011-04-29T00:17:03Z

When someone visits your website, what do they want to do?

Do you know what your top tasks – and indeed your super task – is for your visitors?

And if so, does your website make it easy for them to complete those tasks?

This focus on identifying your website's 'top tasks' comes from useability guru Gerry McGovern and his new book, The Stranger's Long Neck: How to Deliver What Your Customers Really Want Online.

(If you're familiar with Chris Anderson's book The Long Tail: Why The Future of Business is Selling Less of More, McGovern's The Stranger's Long Neck provides a contrasting perspective.)

McGovern reminds us that people don't visit to find your organisation chart, or your Annual Report or all about you.

They visit to fulfil their own desires.

The question is, do you make it easy or do you make it difficult?

McGovern outlines a simple survey process that any not-for-profit could adapt to determine what their own top tasks really are. (Warning: they are almost certainly not what you and your colleagues think they are.)

So what might top tasks be for a charity?

Make a donation might be one.

Find out how I can make a difference (eg house the homeless, restore sight, cure cancer) might be another.

How to leave a bequest might be another.

But are you sure?

Having trialled this process already, I can assure you that you will get surprising results.

McGovern goes on to argue that unrestrained websites with excessive, unclear and contradictory information are driving your customers away.

The success of a website should be measured not in the number of visitors, but in satisfied customers who have done what they came to do.

The key message from McGovern is that you should maintain a relentless focus on your user's needs – not your own, and that constant testing and improvement is far more important than a radical overhaul or redesign.

The biggest mistake made by direct mail fundraisers

2011-02-08T22:05:46Z

One of the biggest mistakes I see repeated over and over again in the multiple Australian charities I work for is an unwillingness to ask for money as often as they need it.

How much difference does a few words in a banner make?

2011-01-12T20:23:23Z

In this case, changing four words in a banner caused an increase of 49 per cent in sales and a 265 per cent increase in new customers. Do you test your online copy? If not, how much is it costing you?

Is your charity or not-for-profit prepared for Collaborative Consumption?

2010-12-05T21:24:26Z

A new age of sharing and collaboration is upon us. Is your charity or not-for-profit ready? If not, you may find yourself left behind.

How does your website compare?

2010-11-24T22:54:36Z

How does your website traffic compare with other similar small environment organisations? A recent report by Groundwire surveyed 43 organisations to compare traffic, bounce rates, time spent on the site and more.

New fundraising software with built-in donor communication

2010-11-19T23:53:58Z

Just came across a fabulous new piece of fundraising software, called Donor2Deed. Created by long-time overseas aid logistics manager Olivia Cosgrove from Ireland, Donor2Deed is perfect for any charity with a geographical spread of services.

Text is more important than images online

2010-09-26T23:03:43Z

Could it be true? Is text more important than images online? New research from the prestigious Eyetrack III research by the Poynter Institute into how people consume news websites has confirmed previous findings that online, text is more important than images

Special Christmas copywriting offers to be announced on Facebook

2010-09-13T21:58:57Z

You've written your Christmas fundraising appeal, edited it five times, passed it around the office, looked at it again and wondered, is it really good enough? Will it do the job? Will it hit budget?

Smart fundraisers use social media

2010-09-04T00:36:59Z

If you're one of those people who are not thoroughly embedded in the social media world, and wondering what all the fuss is about Twitter and Facebook, then “Inbound Marketing” by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah is for you.