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Once you’ve spent the time
and effort putting together a savvy strategy for
soliciting online donations, how can you be sure you are
providing soon-to-be-online-donors with a stress-free,
barrier-free donation experience? Here are a few
things to consider before you “go live” with your
solicitation.
Barrier #1—Email
can be perceived as “bulk” or lacking a personal touch
Solution: You
already have a database with plenty of information about
your donors—use it to your benefit when sending e-mail
solicitations. Be sure to personalize both the e-mail
message and the online experience by using database
variables. Speak to them by name and—as appropriate to
the message being sent—include giving status, personal
interest, YTD giving / amount, acknowledge past
utilization of their gifts, etc.
Barrier #2—
Online whiplash & form fatigue
Solution: Avoid
the “whiplash” that can occur when your giving page
doesn’t match what the donor saw on the appeal. Don’t
give them any reason to question if they are in the
correct place to make their gift. Custom giving pages
should be designed based on the appeal, be specific to
“the ask,” and re-communicate the appeal within the
online form. To cut down on form fatigue, pre-populate the
donor information you already have in your database along
with the specific ask amount.
Barrier #3—Third-party
giving / collection software
Solution: Avoid
using any software that requires your donor to register in
order to give a gift (Pay-Pal is one example). You might
believe that you are getting a good deal for the
organization, but if the process cannot be well-integrated
with your appeal, you could lose potential gifts along the
way. Also consider whose name shows up on the receipt, if
it’s not the name of your organization it may cause
confusion and lead the donor to dispute the charge or
cancel the credit card because they fear the number has
been stolen.
Barrier #4—Thank
appropriately based on donation amount
Solution: It may
not be the barrier to THIS gift but it could be a barrier
to the next one. Are you thanking your donors in the same
way for a $5 gift as you are for a $5000 gift? If so, you
could be perceived as insincere on both ends of the
spectrum. Be sure to use appropriate language and a level
of follow-up that clearly communicates your appreciation
for their gift.
Barrier #5—Processing
donations through shopping cart software
Solution: For best
results, use custom forms and online giving software.
Shopping cart software is for online stores. It is
designed with language about shopping and purchasing, not
donating, giving or supporting an organization. It may
seem like a minor thing, but you could be creating
confusion and an unnecessary barrier to receiving the
gift.
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About
The Author
Merritt
Olsen is a freelance writer and marketing
consultant specializing in online and
e-mail marketing. Need unique
content for your e-mail newsletter that
you can’t find here? Merritt has
the experience and the savvy to write
about a variety of topics and can be
reached through www.tomorrowsdonor.com.
Copyright
© 2004 Merritt Olsen & The Pursuant
Group. Permission is granted to
reprint this article in print, an e-mail
newsletter or on your website so long
as the paragraph above is included and
contact information is provided to www.pursuantgroup.com. |
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