Good website design goes beyond the simple aesthetics of being an online business card.
In a world that is now dominated by the digital space, your website design could be the difference between a successful campaign or an underperforming one.
In fact, your entire email and social media campaign will often hinge on how well your website is designed and functions.
We’ve cherry-picked five core website design elements that should make a big difference to social impact campaigns.
1. Content Management System
WordPress is the most popular choice for social campaigners across the globe followed by Drupal and Joomla.
No matter which you choose, use a content management system (CMS) that is open-source software and easily customisable. WordPress certainly ticks all the boxes with a plethora of plugins to do anything a modern-day website requires.
Plus, there are thousands of freelancers and digital agencies who specialise in WordPress website design so you will never be left with an out of date or redundant site.
2. Call-to-action button, opt-in and social network icons
It seems logical enough when we talk about it but the importance of your call-to-action button, opt-in and social network icons cannot be stressed enough.
Let’s start with the call-to-action button. If you are a social campaigner and/or NPO/charity your business relies on donations, benefactors and givers.
Two important things to adhere to: placement and size.
Be sure to make your call-to-action button the most visible thing on your page by placing it near the top wherever possible. Also, a good idea is to use a large font size and big engaging button for these.
Getting visitors to opt-in to your database and to follow your social channels is the secondary most important actions after your core call-to-action. Ensure these are easy to find and prominent onsite too, both at the top and bottom of your pages.
3. The power of your landing page for campaigns
What is the difference between a landing page and a normal website page?
Technically not much except a landing page is designed specifically to direct a target audience to for a dedicated campaign.
A website home page and ancillary pages serve various purposes and often more than one purpose.
A landing page has one singly focused purpose: usually to generate leads, garner donations or, for e-commerce sites, create sales.
Whilst a well-designed home page will generate results, a dedicated landing page relating specifically to the campaign you are running has a higher return on results.
4. Simplicity in design and navigation
Design aesthetics play a major role in the overall user experience and, ultimately, how long visitors will remain on your site or take action.
You may have a lot of information to offer, but it is best to remain concise at all times and use as many images and video as you can, accompanied by copy.
If a user feels overwhelmed by the sheer volume of data on a page, they are more likely to exit.
5. Use a social sharing app
Social impact campaigns come with a degree of goodwill and an audience that is engaged in your cause is more likely to share this type of information.
Simple social media sharing buttons make it really easy for a visitor to not exit your website while sharing your content to their Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn pages.
These social sharing apps also ensure the correct information, images and taglines are used.
Conclusion
These are suggestions based purely around the user experience and how to get the most out of each visit to your website.
Other website design elements that should not be overlooked are website security, search engine optimisation and privacy clauses to ensure the visitor to your website feels safe.
Also read:
- Five Content Marketing Challenges And How To Overcome Them
- 2019 Global NGO Technology Report Take-Outs