4 Must-Have Elements for a Successful Website

Your Non-Profit/Social Enterprise Needs a GREAT Website!

It’s not enough to throw up a template, add some photos, write some copy and call it good. In fact, even though I think you absolutely must have a website to succeed as a small biz owner, I would also say that having no website is better than having a bad website. 

So, how exactly do you ROCK YOUR WEBSITE? These are my essential elements of a kick-butt website: quality content, basic SEO, smart calls-to-action, killer design, and one super secret element I'll tell you about at the end of this post.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE

1. High-Quality Content

Relevant, informative and engaging content is one of the most important pieces of a successful website. Your site should include copy that communicates to your audience that the work you’re doing will truly help to solve some of the problems we all care about.

Write clearly, concisely and professionally without being overly dry, so your readers get a sense of why you and/or your organization do what you do.

You also need to make sure that the most important points stand out, because users usually read only 28% of the content on your site. Break your copy up into short paragraphs and use bullets for lists.

Professional-looking photography that includes pics of who you’re helping and how. People love to look at faces. Stock photos are also helpful in creating a mood and drawing your site visitors in.

2. Basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The most beautiful site with the best content in the world will do you no good if no one can find you.

Search Engine Optimization helps to make you and your site easier for potential donors/buyers to find. Content is still king in the world of SEO, so your first strategy is to write high-quality content that’s relevant to what you do and what your audience is looking for.

Do a keyword search and use those terms in your headlines and throughout your copy. Use clear, relevant and exciting headlines in blog posts. Include lots of images and videos to engage readers and make sure the filenames and alt tags include your keywords. Link to other pages on your site, to other blog posts you’ve written and to 1 or 2 authority sites that relate to what you are writing about. 

The good news is that Squarespace does a lot of the upfront SEO for you by setting up a site map when your site is set up. This helps Google crawl your site and get a sense of how to classify your content and help search engines find you, which is sooooper important.

3. Strong Calls-to-Action

Your website isn’t just for show. You want your visitors to do something, right? So tell them what to do; otherwise, they won’t do anything.

Whether you want them to donate to your organization, buy from you, sign up for your newsletter, read your blog, download a freebie – whatever it is - you need to make it super clear and super easy for them to know what to do and how to do it. So every page of your site needs a compelling and relevant call-to-action that stands out and encourages visitors to take a specific action.

Here are some tips for effective Calls-to-Action:

• Make your CTAs stand out with contrasting color and lots of white space around them.

• Start with an action verb like download, try, get, start. Add urgency with words like now, today and limited time.

• Make them clear, simple and short.

• Include the benefit they’ll get: plant 20 trees, help a family climb out of poverty, support pro-choice candidates, give a pair of shoes, etc.

• Convince hesitant prospects with testimonials, guarantees, and privacy promises close by.

• Support your CTA’s with positive imagery.

• Limit the number of CTA’s on each page so you don’t confuse folks.

4. Engaging, Attractive Design

If you think about it, your website is a 24/7 salesperson for your organization So it needs to make a positive impact on people when they come to it. And it needs to do it quickly (you have about 10 seconds to make an impression when someone comes to your site.

If your site loads slowly, isn’t responsive, doesn’t function well or looks chaotic, cluttered, and unprofessional, visitors won’t even stay on it long enough to find out what you do. And they definitely won’t be inclined to trust you and donate to your cause. 

The same goes for generic and boring website design. Lackluster design suggests that you really not that committed, and your visitors will quickly take off looking for someone else.

I’m not just saying this because I’m a designer. According to Adobe, 38% of people will disengage with a site if the content/layout is unattractive. 48% say a website’s design is the number one factor in deciding the credibility of a business.

So hire a talented professional to design your site, even if it’s a Squarespace site. Think of it as an investment in the success of your organization and a way to make a bigger impact on the world.

Running a non-profit or starting a social enterprise is hard work, and you’re busy doing what you do best, so be willing to outsource the things you’re not that great at to people who are. Not only will it take that designer a fraction of the time it’ll take you to do the same work, but it’ll also look much better and be more effective in the end.