Guide To Creating Awesome Online Donation Pages

In addition to decreased attendance at church services, the amount that parishioners tithe has also been going down recently. This reality has created an environment where online donation pages are an essential aspect of giving to the ministry. If you don’t utilize proven strategies when creating these resources, though, it could be comparable to having no page at all. 

Now is not the time to simply throw up a donation form and hope for the best. With a significant amount of churches forecast to permanently close over the next year due to funding, now is the time to create or improve your online donation page for increased giving. The following tips will help you pull this off. 

Make Online Donation Pages Easy to Find

Far too many ministry leaders become apprehensive when asking parishioners for money. After all, discussing finances and church health can sometimes be awkward. In some cases, this uneasiness is reflected on the ministry website by burying the link to donation pages in places that aren’t immediately obvious to visitors. 

Consider placing a prominent donate button in the following places: 

• At the top of the ministry homepage. 
• At the top of navigation menus. 
• Somewhere “above the fold” on all pages. 
• Inside every blog post. 
• Your “Ways to Give” page (make one if you haven’t already). 
• Anywhere it might stand out. 

You can also add a link to your online donation page in your Facebook page tabs. The main principle is that no one should have to play hide-and-seek to give to your ministry. 

Maintain Consistent Branding

Whether you know it or not, your church has a brand. From the font you use on the service bulletins to the color of your Facebook cover image, these are elements that parishioners and others recognize as part of your image. When creating your online donation page, you want to make sure this branding stays consistent. 

There are a variety of benefits to doing this. These include expanding awareness, managing perceptions, and reassuring congregants that they’re giving directly to your ministry. On top of these advantages, organizations that maintain consistent branding see revenue increases of up to 23 percent. With tithes consistently dropping, these sort of results cannot be ignored. 

Make Online Donation Pages Intuitive

Research consistently shows that ease of use is one of the most coveted features for those who spend money online. Whether they’re buying the new iPhone or sending a few dollars through their church’s online donation page, folks want things to be intuitive. They shouldn’t have to struggle to figure out your online forms. 

Fortunately, this can be simply accomplished with digital giving tools. You can utilize resources that process donations with basic information provided from congregants. At DonorWerx, we offer resources that make virtual tithing an easy process. Schedule a Discovery Call today to learn how we can improve parishioners’ experience with your donation page. 

Utilize Attractive Visual Elements

Even the most devoted followers of God are still human, and if they encounter an online donation page that’s visually unappealing, it may sway them to avoid donating online at all. If you already have a page for donations that isn’t doing well, take a quick look at its overall visual presentation. Does it appear a bit drab and basic? 

Fortunately, a few visual changes can increase donations to your church. Put impactful photographs front and center on the page. If you’re utilizing multiple online donation pages to better target parishioners based on donor profiles, include images and videos of the projects that they care most about. 

Communicate the “Why” Effectively

Churchgoers are still donating money to do God’s work, but an increasing amount of this is ending up outside of the church. This is because parishioners often question where their contributions are going after they give to the church. Your online donation page must be very clear on explaining why the faithful should be giving to your church. 

This again all comes down to effective communication, and what works with one subset of your congregation may be less effective with another. At DonorWerx, we can teach you how to segment your donors to more effectively help them understand why the ministry needs their help to do God’s work. 

Encourage Social Sharing

Many churches consider the “buck” officially stopped once a faithful follower has given online. A “thank you” page and an email containing an inspirational video might be sent out, but little is done until it’s time for another donation. 

Instead of going this route, take a moment to encourage social sharing on the page. Those who are giving to your ministry want to help in any way they can. By providing “share” buttons and other forwarding options, you could turn one virtual tithe into several. 

Make the Online Donation Page Mobile-Friendly

When deciding whether to use their own donation page or Paypal, many church leaders opt for the latter simply because it’s mobile-friendly. Considering the fact that mobile internet access has now surpassed desktop usage worldwide, this is certainly an understandable decision. Unfortunately, you’re losing several benefits by doing this. 

The unfortunate truth is that you cannot tailor online donation pages to your church via Paypal. You also lose the ability to target subsets of parishioners based on their interests, demographics and concerns. People demand mobile-friendly designs, and fortunately, there are tools that make this process simple. 

Our DonorWerx specialists can help guide you on creating better donation pages and more effectively communicating your missions to parishioners. Contact us today to learn how.

Take Your Online Donation Page Seriously

Churches across the nation are facing unprecedented times, and without taking effective actions, many of them will not survive the coming year. Fortunately, you don’t have to be among this statistic. By creating an online donation page focused on engaging congregants and increasing giving, you can get the ball rolling on maintaining your ministry’s financial health. 

Here at DonorWerx, we recognize how difficult things are becoming. It’s our goal to ensure your ministry not only makes it out of these difficult times, but that it emerges even stronger on the other side. Schedule a Discovery Call today to learn how we can help improve communication with your parishioners while increasing giving. 

Email: Church tithing and donations have been trending towards the digital world for some time, but when COVID-19 emerged, virtual giving became the rule rather than the exception. This means an online donation page is now essential to ministries’ success, but simply having a page dedicated to this isn’t enough. You need to construct this portion of your site in a way that increases the likelihood of giving, and we’ve created a guide to help you do just that.