This year, millions of people are fired up to support the movements that matter to them. With all of this energy, it might be tempting to go full-steam ahead! Nevertheless, it’s vital to take the time at the beginning of 2022 to evaluate the tech you’re using and establish what has worked for you in the past, and what could be perfected. And if your campaign or organization is new or you’ve just started in the online fundraising space, this is the time to set a plan, think critically about your new digital presence, and set yourself up for success!
If your website engages your community of supporters, and the contribution forms your website links to are optimized, you’ll be in a great place for the busy year ahead. ActBlue offers a full suite of tools that you can pair with the fundamentals of digital marketing and fundraising to create the best webpage possible.
First step: Run an A/B test on a contribution form!
Your first stop is ActBlue’s A/B test tool, our most impactful way to evaluate the fundraising you’re doing online. Using this intuitive tool, you can test the performance of almost any part of your ActBlue form, including your donation ask, title, or the text in your recurring upsell. The more you know about what your donors like and respond to, the better you can engage with them moving forward. And don’t worry — automatic traffic allocation (or the multi-armed bandit!) will send more donors to the form that’s resulting in more conversions.
Second step: Add a prominent donation button on your homepage
It’s simple, but having a prominent donate button on your website is the most important step you can take when you’re either creating or refreshing your homepage. Put the button in your header, and make it a different color than your other buttons so it stands out!
Then, you can link the form you’re running an A/B test on to your donation button, bringing in more contributions to that form. The bigger the sample size, the more reliable the results!
Third step: Make sure your website is optimized for mobile
In 2021, 55% of contributions were made via mobile. So when you’re preparing a great website that works for your grassroots fundraising program, take a second to check how your site looks on your phone! If you have an iPhone, have a coworker or friend with an Android check as well (and vice versa!). Try to see your website as a supporter would — is it easy to navigate? Does it load quickly? Can you still see your donation button clearly? The good news is all ActBlue contribution forms are automatically optimized for mobile users, meaning you have one less thing to worry about.
Fourth step: Create a goal tracker for your site
2022 is an election year, which means people may be searching for ways to get involved and find your site organically. If your default form has a goal tracker, think about embedding it on your website to take your homepage to the next level!
Goal-based fundraising, where your donors can see how much you’re aiming to raise and what they can do to pitch in, is one of the most effective ways to raise money online. Adding a goal tracker to your homepage will encourage your supporters to hit that donate button and become a part of your community of donors.
Followed these steps and still want to do more? ActBlue offers a full suite of contribution form customizations to all users. Happy fundraising!
