Eight things your home page should have
- Mon, August 27 2007
- Filed under: Websites and web usability
Last week, my frolleague Mark Rover of Sea Change hosted our free Nonprofit 911 call here at Network for Good. It focused on easy fixes to underperforming web sites, and I wanted to share a few gems from him.
First, the FOUR-SECOND RULE:
Anyone should be able to tell in four seconds who you are/what you do.
And…
Eight Things A Nonprofit Home Page Should Have
1. A guessable URL
2. Your postal address (so you look legit and so people can send you a check if they want)
3. Your phone number (shows you’re real, makes you accessible)
4. Email sign-up (so you can cultivate people after they visit)
5. Keyword density (so people will find you via search) - this is so important!
6. Donate Now buttons (on the main part of the page and in the navigation)
7. A pathway for learning more about the organization (a case for why you should donate)
8. Images - strong, emotional ones that are clickable (people expect images to be clickable - send them to your case for giving or your donate form)
What it should NOT have? Too many words. Or any of the qualities of the wretched sites Mark highlights here.
Stay tuned for details on the next Nonprofit 911 call - you’ll be invited.
Comments
Hi Katya—all those things look good, but I’m wondering what you think about using a blog as the home page. I actually tell a lot of small nonprofits that this is the best bang for their buck. It’s inexpensive, it’s easy to update, and they can put all those important elements in prominent places on the sidebar.
But blogs do have a lot of text. I think that’s what makes them “keyword intensive,”—even more than a typical brochure-style home page. Any thoughts on how “blog-as-home page” fits into these tips?
David,
I think that CAN work, if the organization puts big easy links in the sidebar and a large-type introduction that obviates the need to read too much to get a sense of the organization. A large photo is also a must. It’s certainly an easy format that is easily updated. Thanks for sharing this unorthodox but often effective option.
Katya
Here’s a nonprofit I’ve worked with that went the blog-only route. I like how it turned out… and they absolutely love it for its flexibility. I’d be curious about suggestions you might have for it.
http://www.missourikidsfirst.com/
It does look fresh and very flexible - although again, for the reasons noted above, I’d add a clear headline and call to action. There’s a lot to injest on that page. Pursuant to yesterday’s post on “one message,” I think there needs to be a single unmistakable message that leaps off the page for those who can’t consume so much info.