Happy 2015 to you all!
As more and more people become comfortable using their smartphones or tablets to complete tasks they previously would have used a desktop for, it has become increasingly important for nonprofits to ask questions like, how do we reach donors in this space? How do we make it easy for mobile users to learn about, or interact with, our organization online? These are complicated questions, but thinking about the answers is an essential task for any organization looking to move forward in 2015.
We’ve seen these mobile trends have a real impact in the work we do for organizations around the country. Many of the clients we serve will see mobile site traffic eclipse traditional desktop site visitors in 2015. Traditional direct response activities don’t change – our challenge will be to ensure that we can enable engagement (yes, we’re in the era of ‘engagement marketing’) and drive response for this new digital majority.
The increased use of mobile devices does not come without its own unique set of obstacles, of course. Primary challenges will be to both enable mobile response as well as exploit all of the benefits that a mobile device and operating system can offer to a nonprofit constituent. At a baseline level this means providing constituents with the right mobile experience and to have it include the key response mechanisms – such as the ability to sign a petition, make a sustainer gift or watch a video. From there, we will seek to leverage inherent mobile benefits and integrate them in to novel, online programs. We’re most excited about the use of digital wallets and mobile payment systems as well as the ability to integrate biometrics – tracked through a mobile device – in to event fundraising.
The key here is to make sure your donors feel just as comfortable accessing your website on a phone or using your app as they would logging-in on a desktop. This alone is not enough though; make use of the benefits a mobile operating system can offer, like digital wallets or future biometric integration. It is still unclear how these trends towards mobile usage will affect the nonprofit world in the long-term, but you can bet Charity Dynamics will be there to adapt and help your organization build on whatever changes may come.
May 2015 bring you peace, happiness and prosperity!