How Mobile Optimization & SEO Impact Your Donor Experience
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your website to increase traffic from organic or unpaid search results from search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. When people search for a keyword that is relevant to your organization, you want to be the first ranking on the page to drive more traffic to your site.
SEO is vitally important to nonprofits as donors shift to online giving as their preferred method of charitable giving. However, SEO can seem tricky and overwhelming for those just getting started. And understandably so, search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo use complex algorithms to index and rank content. Moreover, there are at least 200 ranking factors on Google alone and it’s likely that there are more we’re unaware of.
The competition is thick to rank at the top of search results. SEO isn’t concerned with whether your organization is for-profit or not-for-profit. The goal of search engines is to provide search users with a ranked list of websites they’ve determined are the most relevant. Showing up in search results is essential to nonprofits that may not be able to afford traditional marketing campaigns. Search engines are the primary way supporters are finding your nonprofit. Finding your website means finding information about services, events, and most importantly your donation page. A great SEO strategy can help you achieve your goals whether it’s to raise awareness, increase donations, or increase volunteer sign-ups.
Donors are not only switching their preferences to online giving. Many of your target supporters are likely also using mobile devices to find your website and content. In 2018, mobile devices account for 57% of all internet traffic. 27.8 billion more searches have been performed on mobile devices than on a desktop. For this reason, nonprofits must also optimize their websites for users on smartphones and tablets. Improving your mobile SEO ensures that your supporters will be able to engage with your organization. Here are some basics your organization can follow.
Create Awesome Content
Content is key! By creating interesting and valuable content that’s relevant to your audience, supporters will be more inclined to engage with your nonprofit and its causes. Make sure your content is compelling and informative. One great way to do this is to share stories about your organization’s impact and successes. and some of the wins you have had. Think about how you can inspire them to support your organization.
Focus on the User
Our supporters are the lifeblood of our organization but they can be quite finicky when engaging with us on mobile devices. Ensure your supporters are comfortable when engaging with your content on smartphones or tablets.
Make your website mobile responsive – Ensure your website design elements resize according to the device. Users respond to a fluid browsing experience with great visuals.
Pay attention to loading speed – Over half of mobile users will leave a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
Clickability – Supporters don’t want to zoom to read and they hate buttons that are too close or too small to click. Make it easy for supporters to navigate and interact with your site.
Avoid Flash – Adobe Flash is outdated, it’s nearly dead. It isn’t supported by most mobile (or desktop) browsers.
