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NEW BLOG POST

Why your website strategy is missing the mark.

And how to fix it using our 1-3-5-7-9 formula for successful social venture sites

Websites are often the graveyard where social venture brands die. 

A website is the most critical communications channel for any nonprofit or social enterprise brand. But it’s commonly a disastrous afterthought. Web strategy can feel too complicated. Good design and content seem expensive. Or leaders say there’s no time or team.

We had an early client with a history of impact and a unique racial equality mission, but a horrible website strategy. They were a nonprofit that ran a summer camp for less privileged kids. Paid registrations fueled their earned revenue model. But the naive web firm had slapped donate and volunteer buttons everywhere. That’s what nonprofits are supposed to do, right? Unfortunately, the site didn’t encourage visitors to sign up for camp – the vital business goal. And millions of dollars were lost over time.

Google shows 4.2 billion search results for “nonprofit website.” Indeed, every organization we’ve served has and needs one. We could argue some limp along without a theory of change or positioning strategy. In terms of marketing communications – some use email, others maybe social media. But the website is unmatched in universal importance.

Even if only once, almost every priority audience will visit your site – from individual donors to government partners to potential staff. So, you can’t drive income and impact without it. We could even argue the website is the ultimate expression of a brand strategy.

So why are nonprofit and social enterprise websites notoriously bad? Thanks to out-of-the-box solutions, building a site has become remarkably cheap from a design and technology standpoint. You can find talented freelancers anywhere and activate them quickly via services like Catchafire and Upwork. It seems the strategic connective tissue is what’s really missing.

Unfortunately there’s no shared format or ubiquitous template to borrow for web strategy. So here’s our formula for growth-stage social ventures. Remember 1-3-5-7-9 for the elements that matter most: one call-to-action, three audience goals, five sitemap pages, seven homepage sections, and a $9,000 maximum budget.
SEE THE FORMULA


“A bad website is like a grumpy salesperson.”
JAKOB NIELSEN


 
We guide nonprofits and social enterprises to position their brands, clarify messaging, and reach new audiences. So they drive more income and grow sustainably.
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