Learn about some of the Web 2.0 tools that everyone is talking about and the fundamentals of a great website. We’ll tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. We’ll tell you what’s easy, what’s challenging, what you can try for free, and what might not be worth your time.
Consists of 2 workshops to help you get acquainted with online philanthropy:
* Philanthropy 2.0 – Web 2.0? What's Web 1.0? Learn about the difference as well as the basics on some of the more common social media tools being used including, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, Twitter and CanadaHelps Giving Pages. Find out how other charities are taking advantage of these tools and how yours can too!
* Websites 101 – Your website is one of the most important communication vehicles you have - is it working for your organization the way it should? Take your website from good to great by learning the fundamentals of what makes for a really good website, one that is user-friendly, attractive and drives up online donations.
4. CanadaHelps.org
What is CanadaHelps?
A public charitable foundation that provides accessible and
affordable online technology to both donors and charities.
For Charities
A cost-effective means of raising funds online.
For Donors
A one-stop-shop for giving.
CanadaHelps is a charity helping charities.
13. What We’ll Cover
• What is “Social Media”?
• Web 1.0 & Web 2.0
• Web 2.0 Tools
o YouTube
o Flickr
o Blogs / Micro-Blogs (aka Twitter)
o Social Networking
o Giving Pages
• Case Study: Apathy is Boring
• Principles of Social Media
• Debunking Web 2.0 Myths
• Keep in Mind
14. So-cial Me-d-ia [soh-shuhl mee-dee-uh]
Social media is media designed to be disseminated through
social interaction, created using highly accessible and
scalable publishing techniques.
Social media uses Internet and web-based technologies to
transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into
social media dialogues (many to many).
It supports the democratization of knowledge and
information, transforming people from content consumers
into content producers.
Stolen from Wikipedia
16. Web 1.0
• The ability to disseminate information
electronically: to display and promote an
organization, person, or idea on the internet
• Web 1.0 facilitates one-way transactions
• Fundamentally important for every website
19. Web 1.0 Fundamentals
• Solid and intuitive website design
• Website usability
• Short and simple messaging
• Compelling stories and e-newsletters
• Fresh and up-to-date information
20. Web 2.0
• Richer user experience
• interaction, engagement,
conversation, collaboration,
connections
• Encourages & allows for two-way
communication
• users now being talked WITH
instead of AT
• User-generated content
21. The Connections & Impact
Communicates in
multiple ways
CHARITY
DONOR
NETWORK
DONOR
More donors align to cause; Initiates a campaign
more funds raised
24. The Difference Between Web 1.0 & Web 2.0
Few Many
Many Many
Web 1.0 was about publishing and transactions.
Web 2.0 is about networks and community.
30. YouTube Tips
• You don’t have to be Martin Scorsese
• Check out www.animoto.com to create
compelling video quickly and easily!
• Keep it short and sweet
• Share your video: embed into your
website/blog, email the unique URL to
supporters and friends
• Connect with your viewers. Ask for
feedback!
32. Flickr Tips
• Encourage people to take photos
• Tag and title strategically
• Interact with users
• Make use of the tools on Flickr
• Create a group for your specific event
or contest
35. Blogging Tips
• The best blogs create a sense of
community and commitment to a cause
• Use your blog to tell your charity’s story
• Make it personal
• Reply to comments you receive – listen
and learn!
36. Social Networking
• The practice of
expanding one’s network
by making connections
through individuals.
• Allows members to
interact, discuss, share
quickly & easily
37. 34%
Percentage of offline donors
who would urge others to
support the same cause:
59%
Percentage of online donors
who would urge others to
support the same cause:
41. Social Networking Tips
• Start with one tool at a time
• Be find-able!
• Remember it’s a conversation –
listening is just as important as
talking
• Engage, encourage, empower
• Present opportunities to take action
42. GivingPages
• Micro-giving sites
• Allows individuals to raise funds
for their charity or charities of
choice
• Allows charities to create a
unique space to highlight specific
fundraising campaigns (i.e.
pledge events)
• Anyone can create and manage
one
44. GivingPages Tips
• Give your donors specific ideas, i.e.
wedding registry, birthdays,
host/hostess gifts, in memoriam
• Highlight a specific project or campaign
your charity is running; and talk about
IMPACT
• Run a fundraising contest through
GivingPages
• Share the unique URL with your
network of supporters in all your
communications, e.g., email signature
53. Be Real
• Leave room for personality
• Most online communities expect a less formal tone
54. It’s a Conversation
• Balance self-promotion with listening
• Social media is about personal connections
• Engage with your fans, followers and supporters
56. Measure Results
• Track the effectiveness of your social media presence
•Followers
•Conversations
•Conversions (volunteers, donations, support)
• Remember it’s not all about the numbers – focus on quality vs.
quantity
57. Tell Stories
• Personal stories make good content and build personal
connections
• Thought-provoking content will get shared more often
58. Let Go!
• You can’t control the message on social media tools
• Provide good/clear messaging, interesting stories and engage
with supporters
• Join the conversation
59. Set Some Boundaries
• Develop a set of social media policies for your organization
• Focus on effective use of the tools, not controlling online activities
• Set clear expectations of employees and volunteers
60. Integrate
• Include social media into your existing fundraising and marketing
plans
• Consider your online presence (website + social media) as a
communications channel
62. “It’s expensive.”
• Basic accounts are free and really all you need!
• Free blog tools:
www.blogger.com www.wordpress.com
63. “It’s only for young people.”
• “Young” is a relative term
• Almost everyone can get online!
64. Of all giving online:
15% From the ‘Greatest Generation’
Born 1901-1945
52% From Baby Boomers
Born 1946-1962
30% From Generation X
Born 1962-1980
The most significant characteristic
associated with online giving is higher
education.
65. “It’s hard to do.”
• It’s just a matter of time and practice.
• These tools are designed to be user-friendly!
66. “It’s only a fad.”
• Some tools may be a fad, but the concept behind Web 2.0 is not
• Social networking and engaging your donor base will never go out
of style!
67. “I need to do it because
everyone else is.”
• Focus on Web 1.0 first
• Walk before you run
68. “I will lose all control.”
• Be prepared to give up some control
• Create solid messaging and trust it!
78. What We’ll Cover
• What is Web Usability and Why is it Important?
• Principles of Web Usability
• Usability Testing
• Website Critique
• Web Stats
• Resources
79. What is Web Usability and
Why is it Important?
80. A visitor who is
satisfied with their
experience with a
nonprofit website is
49%
more likely to give
than one who was
dissatisfied with the
overall experience
81. Web Usability
• Web usability refers to ease of use and visual design of your
website
• The focus is on your users
82. Why is it Important?
• Good websites…
• Are liked
• Won’t drive people away
• Won’t be distracting
• Convey more information
• Will be more compelling
• Makes contributing easier
• Will be visited again
83. Return on Investment for Nonprofits
• More engagement from users
• Increase credibility
• Get more media coverage
• Gain more support for your cause
• Increase donations
86. Make Text Easy to Read
•Can you read
this?
•How about this one?
•cAn yOu rEalLy rEaD
tHiS??
•This is more like it.
• Use a standard font and proper size
• Use proper contrast
• Use proper caps
• Best readability is dark on light (like black on white)
88. Follow Website Conventions
•Banner
•Navigation
•Navigation
•Content Body
•Contact & Misc
Information
• There are patterns that have become conventions
90. Speed
• Make your pages load quickly
• Limit use of large pictures
• Interactive media can slow connection
91. Content
• Web writing is concise
• Keep paragraphs short and use bullet points
• Bold important points, but sparingly
92. Make navigating easy
for users
• Give the correct choices to the
users (make section names self-
explanatory)
• Avoid too much scrolling
93. Self-Explanatory Choices
•Culinary Delights •Cuisine Options •Food Menu •Menu
•Career Services •Employment Opportunities •Job Openings •Jobs
•Organization Information •More Information About Us •About Us
•Give Us Your Time •Volunteer Opportunities •Volunteer
• Don’t use ambiguous headings
• Give your visitors clear choices
94. Avoid Too Much Scrolling
• Keep it narrow
• Sideways scrolling is uncommon
95. Page Organization
•Nice Heading
•Picture
•Here is where the content
would go. It’s a nice place
isn’t it? Neat and organized
content is easy to read. Cool!
• A separate page for each section
• Headlines are key
• Pictures to compliment topic
97. Remove Ambiguity Regarding the
Consequences of an Action
• Make it easy to go back to
the home page
• Make mistakes easy to
recover from
98. The Back Button
• “Back” is one of the most used browser functions
• Make sure that it doesn’t break your website when it’s used
99. Visual Consistency
• First glance is most memorable
• Keep visuals consistent
• Reinforce their sense of security
100. Put the most important
things in the right places
• Have a clear description of
what you do
• Show your Donate Now
button prominently
• Complete contact
information
101. • Homepage should show your
most important parts
• Put your Donate Now button
“above the fold”
• Make it easy for your
supporters to give!
102. Show What You Do Clearly
• Easy to see and
understand
• Make it easy to
remember!
106. Show How People Can Get Involved
• Donate to your cause
• Volunteer their time or skills
• Share your story with their network
• Make your calls to action very prominent
108. Make it Easy to Contact You
•Banner
•Navigation
•Navigation
•Content Body
•Contact Information
• Not necessary to be on the homepage
• But have it easy to find
110. Testing Questions
1. Is it obvious what this site is about?
2. Is it easy to find what I need?
3. Are the most important things visible when I arrive?
111. DIY Usability Testing
Step 1: Find Testers
• Find 3-5 people who have some time (30 minutes, tops) to
have a look at your website
• Testers should not already be familiar with your site (no staff,
Board or regular volunteers)
• Testers should be representative of your usual website users
112. DIY Usability Testing Step 2:
Using your site
• Ask testers to comment as they navigate your site (to
give you insight about their choices)
• Ask testers to accomplish your main calls of action
Sign up for your newsletter
Click your Donate Now! Button
Find and apply for volunteer opportunities
Other ways they can get involved (buy tickets,
buy products, join a group etc…)
Find general information about your
organization’s mission and mandate
Contact your organization
113. DIY Usability Testing Step 3:
Observe
• Take note of:
• How long each step takes to complete
• Tester confusion at any point
• Frustration
• Ease of use
• Work with your web team to have the main
issues and frustrations address
• … repeat your usability testing whenever you
make major changes to your site
114. Survey Your Users
• Make a checklist that rates your website
• Free online surveys (www.surveymonkey.com)
• Put a link on your site
• Put it in your newsletter
• Try to get everyone to do it
115. Check Out Other Charity Websites
• See what they are doing right (or wrong)
• May give some insight and inspiration
120. Modified True North Website
•Donate Now!
button
•Moved what the
organization is about and
spaced them out for easier
reading
•Resized Image to align with
the homepage and also to load
more quickly
•Fixed
Section
122. Why Are Web Stats Important?
1. Understand your users
2. Know what people do on your site
3. Provides tangible feedback about your site
4. Leaves the guessing out of what works
123. Looking At Web Stats
• Web stats can be confusing
• Knowing where and what to look for helps
• Here’s what you can take a look at now
124. Visitors
• Gain insights about the visitors of your website
1. Unique visitors
2. First time vs. repeat visitors
3. Visitor loyalty
4. Length of visit
5. Browsers
6. Geographic profile & language
125. Content
• Top content
• Top landing pages
• Top exit pages
126. Traffic Sources
• Direct traffic: typed your address in a browser
• Referring sites:
• Know your top referring sites
• Are your ads working?
• Search Engines
• Keywords
127. Google Analytics
• Free service
• Comprehensive feature set
• Go to http://www.google.com/analytics/
129. Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
• Best seller
• Easy to read
• Great content
• Lots of examples
• Great section on Do-It-
Yourself Usability Testing and
Resources
130. Other Books
Prioritizing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen and Hoa Loranger
The (Usable) Web Style Guide by Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton
131. Online resources
• Usability.gov – A great resource for building usable websites
• www.useit.com - Jakob Nielsen’s site on web usability
• www.usabilityinstitute.com – A great free resource by Jack Belis
(Free website survival checklist here)
• Eyetrack III – A great website on eyetracking (Summary of
findings by the Direct Creative Blog here).
132. What makes a great website is focus and clarity
of purpose. A great website is unpretentious.
It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not. It never
wastes your time because it always gets to the
point. A great website helps you to act.
~Gerry McGovern
134. MyCharityConnects.org
What is MyCharityConnects?
CanadaHelps' online resource centre for charities – a website dedicated to
connecting charities and nonprofits to the technologies they need to succeed.
What can I find on MyCharityConnects?
• Free online resources for charities
• Information about technology , Web 1.0, Web 2.0 & social media
• Video demonstrations
• Webinars (online seminars)
• 2009 Conference materials
135. UPCOMING WEBINARS
June 16
Measuring the Impact of Social Media
June 23
Peer to Peer Fundraising with CanadaHelps GivingPages
July 21
Planning for the Holidays ... It's Not Too Early!
August 18
Orientation for Charities Newly Registered with CanadaHelps
www.mycharityconnects.org
138. “A nonprofit can become a highly visible source of vision,
information, and shaping for donor generosity.
Donors are great people. But most of them are not experts in
the causes they support. They're looking to you to be expert,
to apply their generosity for maximum impact. Or even to
invent some new better way to change the world that they'd
never dreamed of.
The best nonprofits bring vision and expertise to the table,
then set donors free to help them make good things
happen.”
Donor Power Blog – September 4, 2008