13 practical tips for a better nonprofit website design

Do you want to make your website better? Of course, you do! Because it really can be better and specifically when we are talking about non-profit web design. Because changing it, optimizing a few things about it, and making it work means that it will help your organization, your initiative, and your project to develop, succeed and really help somebody. 

Usually, people think about web design and especially non-profit web design as if sort of art which is not a very correct approach. Design always has to reflect the mood and the idea, as well as help reach the goal of an organization created. 

So here come 9 valuable tips that will help your web platform become a real practical tool – not just an Internet address. 

Tip #1. 5 seconds to test

The first impression is a thing that is sometimes underestimated. Try to avoid this mistake by running a simple test. Ask a person who has never seen your website to take a look and then, only 5 seconds later, ask them what it is about. You do not need details – you want people to capture the idea of your organization, and understand generally what you do. And yes – for a website 5 seconds are more than enough. This is how long it takes a person to make a decision whether they want to proceed and see more or they are not interested. 

Tip #2. Learn more about your audience

Your audience matters more than you think. Actually, your website is for your audience – not for anybody else. Are you interested in attracting donors and supporters or promoting volunteering options in your organization? Maybe you need to find partners to work together on your project or projects? Having answered this question you will understand who your audience is. Then proceed to study it, analyze it, and adapt your platform for it. 

Tip #3. Skip videos

We mean automatically loaded and played videos. A good website is always about capturing the attention of visitors but capturing it for a certain reason – not just to do it. This is why some methods of attracting users’ attention are not as good as they might seem. When people do not know what’s playing or do not want to see a video they are rather irritated that it plays without their will than attracted to your website. Keep that fact in mind. 

Tip #4. Simplicity as it is

Do you think that the more elements you have the better choice and freedom to navigate your visitors have? It doesn’t really work like this. People get confused and also find it difficult to focus on something when a website is overloaded with different elements. Try to follow this tip for non-profit web design – stay minimal. 

Tip #5. Adaptivity and optimization

More than 66% of all Internet users surf and check information online using their mobile devices. It means that they will see your website on the screens of their smartphones and tablets and thus the website should be optimized for them. Moreover, if you are just making your website you can consider creating first the mobile version and only then proceeding to the desktop one. 

Tip #6. Visual matters

It is true that modern websites are really engaging and interactive. They are dynamic, they entertain and inform visitors, let them enjoy their experience, want to stay, and come back. The best websites (correctly designed websites) also call people to action – stimulate them. Among all the different tools, one of the most efficient is the visual content. The more animation, photos, and different illustrations it contains the easier it is for visitors to perceive it. Make sure you work on the visual component of your content and you will see how much your audience will appreciate it. 

Tip #7. Branding is a must

In case you are not willing or capable of investing in complete thorough branding you can still make the initial basic one and ask non-profit web design experts to create your organization’s visual identity. It means that you will have branded colors, font, logo, a basic guide on how to use and combine all those elements, tips for visual detuning, and so on.  

Tip #8. Speed it up

This tip concerns mainly the technical condition of your website. Modern websites simply cannot be slow or not dynamic. Moreover, Google itself prefers fast-loading websites and ranks them higher in search results (so that people could find you easier). Only 2-3 seconds is the limit for your website to load. Doesn’t it? Then technical optimization is simply a must. Remove or reconsider using some plugins, compress and optimize images, photos, and other visual elements, and test the speed of your pages regularly. Find a technical support expert or agency to take care of those things for you or check if one of your workers or volunteers can undertake this important task and perform it on a regular basis. 

Take some time and make an effort to make your website better and follow those valuable tips to see great results afterward! More tips are coming.