When I first started producing videos for nonprofits, most of them were for galas and other events, and I didn’t give too much thought on what happened to them after the fact. Then I started noticing a trend: Organizations were uploading these videos to YouTube and sometimes embedding them on their websites.

It’s only natural that this would be the case; everyone has a website, and everyone visits websites when they want information.

Still, I found myself wondering: Were my videos being placed appropriately on these websites? Were they appearing on relevant pages and with the right framing text to make sure they had the greatest possible impact?

This question was important to me. I wanted my videos to make a difference, to bring real value to the nonprofits that commissioned them. If the videos’ potential wasn’t being realized, I wanted to do something about it.

This professional interest is what first got me involved in the intersection between marketing and web development. To begin with, my role was limited to advising my clients on the effective utilization of the videos I created.

But from there, my thinking started to expand. The more involved I got with placing my videos strategically on websites, the more I became aware that many nonprofits didn’t seem to have a strategy for their websites in the first place. And that seemed to me like a missed opportunity.

After about eight years of educating myself on this topic, conferring with numerous clients on their websites and designing two of my own, I’ve developed a general approach to this issue. In fact, I now offer website consultation not just to supplement my videos, but as a service in its own right.

Here are some of the core ideas that I’ve found are key to creating a successful website:

1. Set goals

Just as with video, it seems that nonprofits tend to build websites not as a way to achieve specific business goals, but simply because it’s the done thing. They’re expected to have a website, so they do. But that website doesn’t have any real purpose. It just sits there, harmless but essentially useless.

I think that if you’re going to be building a website, you might as well take the time to reflect on what it can do for you. Who do you want to visit the site? What do you want them to learn, and what actions do you want them to take from there?

2. Apply a filter

When you don’t know what your website is supposed to be doing, you can’t really prioritize what content belongs on it. It’s hard to decide which information is important and where you should be trying to draw visitors’ attention.

That’s probably why so many nonprofit websites act more like archives than interactive experiences. Any information that pertains to the organization seems to end up on the website – so much so that it’s probably overwhelming for anyone who’s interested and trying to learn more. Where should they begin? What are the most important facts? It’s hard to get your bearings when there’s so much going on.

Ask yourself what visitors to your website are looking for, and then make sure that this information takes center stage.

3. Give each page a purpose

In fact, the best thing about a website is the experience it can create. A website can take a new prospect, practically unaware of what it is you do, and introduce them to the big picture; then guide them towards a more elaborate explanation; then usher them towards the “sale” (a donation, application, or subscription). With a little organization and planning, you can make sure the right information comes to visitors at the right time to achieve each desired result.

This means that every page should be devoted to creating the website’s ideal experience. If you can’t identify what the purpose of a page is within the marketing funnel, there’s a good chance it shouldn’t be there. For example, many websites have very general informational pages, things like “media” (where every single video and picture is stored) or “FAQ” (covering a huge range of material).

If you have pages like these on your site, you need to ask yourself: Who is visiting it, and why? Is there a better way to share those pictures and videos than throwing them all together on one page? What message do you want visitors to take away from this media, and how can you use the website to make that message clear?

4. Put yourself in your visitors’ shoes

The very language you use also needs to be geared towards an outsider’s point of view.

For example, you’ll often find websites with lines proudly touting the organization’s accomplishments: “We have 15 different programs and have helped 50,000 people across the country. We’ve won these impressive awards.” This will be accompanied by a donate button, so the suitably impressed reader can go ahead and show their appreciation.

But all those numbers are going to go over a new prospect’s head. They may find your resume impressive, but it won’t move them or give them a reason to be personally invested. To accomplish that, you need to focus on the work you do and the people you help, putting the emotional story and the big picture front and center. While a donate button is fine, you should also be offering visitors a chance to learn more, so you can continue to cultivate their interest. First, get them invested; then cement their trust by proving your credentials. In other words, wait to add details until the time is right.

5. Take advantage of the technology

Finally, the thing to remember is that a website isn’t a brochure or a business card. It isn’t static; it has capabilities that a static page doesn’t. For example, if you consider the different kinds of visitors who might come to your website, you can create different paths for each of them to follow. Then you can track their behavior and see where you’re getting the most traffic and where you seem to be losing people. This information is incredibly helpful in optimizing your marketing and improving your performance.

Or, use your website to offer visitors a reason – a free gift or some other enticement – to share their emails and stay in touch. What kind of relationship will you be able to develop once they allow you to reach out to them on their own time?

So, what do you think? Did I hit any points that have you thinking twice about your own website? Or do you think I’m just plain wrong? Hit me up in the comments below. 

On the other hand, if what I’ve written sounds like exactly the help you’re looking for, feel free to check out my website optimization service page and reach out if you’d like to discuss it further.