A charity website landing page is specifically designed as a point of entry for online visitors and serves the purpose of converting them into charity supporters. As such, a landing page should be built with the function of enticing visitors to take the desired action. That could mean anything from signing up to volunteer, subscribing to a newsletter, downloading an annual report or making a referral.

I have put together the following list of essential elements, to get your charity’s landing page looking great and performing even better…

Enticing Headline

The headline should immediately grab the viewer’s attention and encourage them to read on. A headline should indicate to your website visitors that your web page contains the information they are searching for. You want the headline to portray your landing page as being useful to your target market/target audience.

Sub-Headlines

These provide a way of breaking up your landing page content into manageable chunks for visitors. Like the main headline, sub-headlines should be enticing and encourage the reader to read on. They should also help the viewer to navigate the page to find the information they need.

Enticing Copy

The content on your landing page should be top-notch! It should be well written, concise and to the point (pay close attention to grammar and punctuation). Think about the tone of voice you’ll use; will it be formal or informal? Include fact-based statistics if they are available. Everything depends on your brand image and who your target market is; keep this in mind throughout the development of your landing page. Based on your market research, you should know what information/answers your target market is searching for – base your content around fulfilling this. In short, make the landing page useful/interesting enough to gain the attention of the viewer, including call-to-actions throughout (I cover CTAs in a later point).

A Logical Layout Order

A landing page should build up a sales pitch in the lead up towards a call to action. As with your charity’s website in general, you want to lead the visitor through a journey demonstrating why they need to support your cause and what benefits they’ll receive by supporting your cause.

Graphics, Visuals and Images

Make use of visual elements. These help to break up and summarise large amounts of written content and give life to a website landing page. Visuals could include photos/videos, well-designed graphics, animations, infographics, charts or graphs. A picture paints a thousand words and can often convey a message better than just written copy alone. Video, in particular, is a very useful tool, you could provide a video introduction or testimonial of your service, for example.

Social Proof

Provide some form of proof for the claims you’re making on your landing page. Positive testimonials or quotes from your existing supporters can be a real asset when it comes to gaining enquiries, donations etc.

Credibility

Make use of any statistics you may have. Are there any impact results that you can use as evidence to substantiate your claims? Incorporating the logos of recognisable funding organisations, accreditation bodies, or even corporate partners can give your landing page substantial credibility. Make sure you get permission to use logos first!

Social Sharing Buttons

Provide visitors with a means of connecting with you on social media. Many modern websites have this functionality as a standard. Also, provide a means for people to share your landing page with their friends on social media with the click of a button.

Call-To-Actions

Have a clear line of action you want your visitors to take; whether it’s to donate, sign up, make a phone call or simply download. Make it easy for them to take action without needing to leave the landing page. Call to actions can work well when they have urgency (you could include ‘limited spaces available’ for example). Keep in mind that if you want to gain an enquiry/signup, the process to gain an enquiry/submit information will need to be as clear and user-friendly as possible.

Means Of Contact

Include a contact form, phone number and email address on the landing page so that visitors can choose how to contact you (if required). ‘Live chat’ software integrated with your landing page can further remove barriers to contact.

The above elements are not exhaustive and will be influenced by your type of cause, the purpose of your website and the outcomes you want to achieve. First, consider what goals you have and then implement the best methods for achieving these.

Once you have designed and launched your landing page you will want visitors to find it! Define a strategy including the ways you can promote your charity website landing page, for example, on social media or through search engine advertising.