Are the landing pages and blog posts on your NFP’s website optimised for mobile users? If not, the latest research shows that you’re missing out on a lot; from greater visibility to dramatic increases in supporters and donations.

Search Ranking Still Matters if You Want New Supporters to Find You

Earlier this year, Google changed its search algorithm to actually penalise sites that aren’t optimised for mobile use. What this means is that if your site isn’t set up to be easily accessed and viewed by users of mobile platforms, your site will see a decrease in it’s ranking on the search engines. This loss of rank can make your NFP’s website virtually invisible on the Internet and make it difficult for you to get your message out.

The Facts about Changing Internet Use

Regardless of changes in search, or your site’s ranking, the way that users are accessing and using the Internet is also undergoing a dramatic shift.  According to an article published earlier this year in the online journal Haptic Generation, Australians are radically turning to mobile platforms to both access the Internet and pay for services online.

Some of the reported findings include the facts that:

• 89% of Australians have a Smartphone.
• 60% have a Tablet.
• 66% use their Smartphone to access the Internet on a daily basis.
• 58% use their Smartphone to read and send email each day.
• 57% use it to access social media networks every day.
• Over 40% either currently use their Smartphone to pay with their credit card, or would like to.

Perhaps the most startling discovery is the fact that of the few remaining Australians that don’t currently own a Smartphone, 32% plan to purchase one within 12 months.

What These Changes Mean for Your NFP

What all of this means for the nonprofit sector is that NFPs really should take steps to increase the accessibility of their site to ensure that it’s easy to view and use on mobile platforms or face the prospects of decreased reach and support.

An article published on Salsa in May of this year clearly demonstrates the impact of greater mobile use on the nonprofit sector.

According to this report, supporters are increasingly turning to mobile platforms to make their donations, with donations made on mobiles increasing 205%, and donors giving an average of 59% more to charities with sites that are optimised for mobile.

How You Can Help Your NFP Benefit from the Latest Research and Changes

Nearly one third of all online donations still come from email campaigns, so NFPs that are proactive and take steps to make their site and emails easily accessible, viewed and shared on mobile platforms will likely reap the rewards.

Optimising your site for mobile use will also help to protect your NFP’s search engine ranking, which will increase your visibility while also increasing the amount of donations that you receive.  The same report states that supporters are 34% more likely to donate to charities with optimised sites, and the average amount of their gift increased as well.

Making your site easy to use on mobile is about more than the layout, or the style of your fonts and size of your image files.  The type and lengths of content that you post, as well as the links to donate and share, should all be set up to be easy and fast to use by mobile users.

If you aren’t certain if your site is optimised for mobile use, Google Developers offers a handy tool, as well as helpful tips, on how to increase your site’s accessibility via mobile platforms.

Taking a few moments to ensure that your NFP’s site is optimised for mobile will help your NFP to stay relevant, visible and competitive as the way Australians and others access and use the Internet continues to evolve and grow.