How Healthy Is Your Donor Conversion Rate?
Update Your Donation Pages to Make It Easier to Give
This blog was updated June 27, 2022.
My husband and I have different views about the doctor. I get an annual checkup to catch any conditions before they become chronic problems. On the other hand, my husband will avoid the doctor as long as humanly possible.
His approach reminds me of some nonprofits—the ones that avoid using website analytics.
By one estimate, some 56 percent of all websites use Google Analytics. But few of the nonprofits I’ve worked for have this free tool installed (or know that they do). And even fewer use the data to guide decision making.
This condition could eventually be fatal. Here’s why.
More donors move online
We’ve been hearing for some time that Millennials are going to overtake Baby Boomers, Silents and the Greatest Generation when it comes to nonprofit giving. And with that comes big changes in the technology that donors will demand.
We know that hasn’t happened, yet. The average age of a donor stands at 65 years old.
But don’t get too comfortable. We know older donors want the choice to give online, too.
Online giving grew 9 percent from 2020 to 2021, according to Blackbaud’s Charitable Giving Report. Large organizations grew the most at 9.8 percent, followed by a 3.9 percent increase for small nonprofits. Online giving now represents 12 percent of all fundraising revenue.
Giving via a mobile device continues to grow as well, though those gifts tend to be smaller and more infrequent than those given via desktop. In 2021, some 28 percent of online transactions occurred via mobile.
Are you doing all you can to engage and convert these donors? You would know for sure with web analytics. Here’s how.
Start with the bottom line
Almost every nonprofit has an annual fundraising goal. That goal is advanced online when someone clicks on your donate button and completes your donation form.
The conversion rate of your main donation page would be calculated by the number of online donations divided by the number of unique visitors to the page.
Conversion Rate = # Unique Donations / # Unique Visitors
In 2021, the average conversion rate for a main donation page was 17 percent (Source: M+R Benchmarks). Conversion on a mobile device was just 9 percent.
Now compare that to the average ecommerce landing page conversion rate of just 2.96 percent. Once donors are truly engaged with your mission, they’re ready to give!
Diagnose the problem
If you find your donor conversions are below average, it’s time to test to find out why.
Online testing has moved beyond changing the color of a donate button or switching fonts. Here are six useful ideas from the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) and Blackbaud:
Keep It Simple: 65 percent of organizations admit that they require donors to click three times or more to complete a donation. Simplify the process to one click to reduce drop-offs. Then, limit the fields on your donor form to the information you truly need.
But Not Simplistic: Your donors want a streamlined experience, but they expect more than a plain page. Briefly explain why they should give and where their money will go. Make sure your donation form is visual, branded and looks like your website to build trust. Need some inspiration? Check out this Care.org form.
Remove Distractions: Don’t force donors to register before donating. Make sure new donors can give without signing in and that returning donors can sign in to retrieve payment information. And don’t send your donors to third-party websites to donate. This can leave donors feeling their security is at risk.
Offer Giving Levels: Average online gift size tends to go up when you suggest specific amounts versus having them fill in a number. Pre-select the amount you’d like most donors to choose. Offer a monthly giving option to create a more sustainable donation stream.
Remember Mobile Viewing: 84 percent of nonprofits in a recent survey said their donation forms were not designed for mobile. Given the increase in mobile donations, this should be a priority.
Test, Test, Test: Don’t be afraid to test these ideas by creating multiple live versions of your donation page. In the business world, testing four versions of a landing page is normal with many companies testing 10, 20 or more to find the one that performs.
Whatever you do, if you find your donation page is ailing, please don’t ignore it. Correct the issue now to protect the long-term health of your organization.
