Having easily accessible online donation forms is an important factor in increasing overall donations, but it’s really only half the battle. To ensure that potential donors who visit your forms turn into actual donors, there are many other aspects to consider. Are your forms intuitive? Are they a good length? Do they look trustworthy? There are a whole host of reasons why people click the little red x on a page without actually donating, but the good news is, many of these things are in your control.
1. Google Analytics Tracking – If your donation forms are hosted by a third party, you can set up Google Analytics to track visitors’ behavior on your forms and help you make better decisions about how your form is presented. Here is a tutorial specific to Databank clients.
2. Do it Yourself Forms – If you are able to create and edit your own forms, take advantage of that. Tweak the number of fields, what information is required, etc to see if it results in more donations.
3. Single Page Donation forms – If your donation form is longer than one page and you can make edits to it, shorten it! Potential donors often don’t have a lot of time and if they think they will have to spend a long time filling out your form, it makes it less appealing.
4. Facebook Forms – According to the 2012 NTEN Benchmark report, the average 12 month value of a Facebook supporter is $211.18, yet only 33% of nonprofits are fundraising on Facebook! Facebook forms are a great way to bring your forms to where your donors hang out. Quick and easy for them, more donations for you!
*thedatabank offers single page donation forms, Facebook forms, and a Form Builder.
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