To close out our series on helping your church have its busiest and best holiday giving season, let’s look at your technology and your website. This is the perfect time to assess your member’s wants and needs, and to put solutions in place to meet them.
Following our blueprint of the steps you can take to put together a successful e-Giving program, we’ve taken in-depth looks at how to put your vision and financial goals into a plan to communicate to your church’s leadership and members, and how to assemble your e-Giving toolkit.
Update your e-Giving technology
The smartphone and mobile web have become a regular part of life. More than 2 billion smartphones are expected to be in use this year, meaning they’re in the hands of more than a quarter of the world’s population, and studies have shown that the average smartphone users checks their phones more than 200 times per day. With so many smartphones being used so frequently, mobile giving options like Give by Text have become an important consideration for many churches.
Remember, most people don’t carry checkbooks or a lot of cash. When they feel the calling to give, they need a way to immediately act on their generous impulse. Solutions like Give by Text or a lobby kiosk allow members, as well as visitors and guests, to donate from the pew or in the lobby when they’re inspired by a message.
Spruce up your website
Mobile usability is critical for providing members a satisfying giving experience on a smartphone or portable device. Simplicity will be the key component to making sure that your website is helping, not hindering, members’ e-Giving efforts. Above all, put links to your giving page throughout the site and delete any events that have already occurred. From a usability perspective, mobile users commonly complain about site navigation, so make sure they’re able to easily tap, drag, pinch, press and flick their way through.
- Avoid small text that can’t be read clearly on smaller screens
- Use only mobile-compatible software
- Space links and buttons so they can be easily selected
- Use responsive design to adjust your content based on screen size
Other things for your “To Do” list
These tips aren’t specific to the giving season, but you should make a note to check on them at the appropriate time:
- Check your other technology: Whether for virus protection or content management, make sure your site has the most recent technology updates.
- Check your domain registration: Check to make sure your URL isn’t about to expire. Make a note to contact your domain registrar when it’s up for renewal so your site doesn’t go down, and so no one else can claim it.
We hope you’ve found this series informative and helpful as you prepare for your busy season. If there’s anything we can do to help, please let us know.
To help break down barriers that may be keeping your congregation from increasing the donation plate, download our article, Breaking Down Barriers to e-Giving.
Post A Comment