If you’re spending hours in front of a screen each day, you’re not alone. It’s the reality of today’s digital age, and that is exactly why having a mobile-friendly website for your charity is crucial to retain and engage visitors.

There are three simple steps to make this happen:

1. Ensure that your website has a responsive design. That means making sure your website can respond to the environment in which it’s viewed, e.g. like from a smartphone.
2. Create clear and straightforward navigation menus. Avoid clutter and ensure important links are easily accessible.
3. Prioritize fast load times. Attention spans are shorter than ever. Most people are not going to wait for your page to load if it’s slow. Statistics show that 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load, so make sure to optimize images and reduce unnecessary scripts to improve load times.

It is also important that key information is easy to find. During the holiday giving season, a dedicated landing page for your end-of-year campaign can help focus attention and drive conversions. It serves as a central hub for all campaign-related information. Use a strong headline that captures attention and includes prominent call-to-action buttons to encourage immediate donations, because even if the page is there, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee people will click on it.

Once you get donors on board, your goal should be to minimize drop-offs. This means creating a seamless donation process on your website, which you can accomplish in multiple ways:

• keep donation forms short and only ask for necessary information,
• provide an option for donors to set up recurring donations easily,
• clearly display security badges to reassure donors that their information is secure.

A strong social media presence is equally as important to the strength of your website.

As mentioned in previous articles in this series, social media is a powerful tool for spreading the word about your end-of-year campaign, sharing updates, and celebrating donor contributions. Strategies for strong social media engagement include: posting regular updates on your campaign, using images and videos to highlight personal impact stories, engaging with followers, and developing a campaign-specific hashtag to consolidate posts and increase visibility.

An example of a strong social media post during your campaign would be: “We’re halfway to our goal! Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve raised $25,000 to provide clean water to communities in need. Let’s keep the momentum going—every share counts!”

Remember, you don’t need to be a tech genius to successfully execute your end-of-year campaign, but make sure your organization’s online presence is strong and in line with your audience’s digital habits.

You can learn more about this process in CanadaHelps’ "Ultimate End-of-Year Campaign Guide" eBook, which includes a detailed six-month timeline for end-of-year giving.

CanadaHelps created the guide to maximizing end-of-year giving, tailored specifically for the Canadian market. This practical resource will help you to craft effective strategies and understand donor behaviour, so you can reach your goals.

Read Part 1, Planning and preparation.
Read Part 2, Make your donor feel connected to your cause even after the holiday season ends.
Read Part 3, Get your donors on board.
Read Part 4, Boost donations with matching gifts and challenges.

Naomi Barghiel is a Communications Specialist at CanadaHelps, Canada’s largest online giving and fundraising platform in Canada.