We may not know you, but if you have a charity or nonprofits organization, we can help you.
- If you have decided that charity microsites are what you need, then you can read more about how to build microsites for nonprofits in our blog.
- If you do not understand the role of microsites for the charity organization, then we can dispel your doubts and give you a good reason to create it.
Creating a microsite is similar and dissimilar to creating a website. Every week we get a lot of inquiries about what a microsite is, how it can be used, and if it delivers the promised results for nonprofit businesses. To answer all the questions, our dedicated development team created this post.
What Is A Charity Microsite?
A microsite for charity is a separate page or site that operates separately from the main one and often has a different design and URL. A microsite can be so different that those who know your leading site may not recognize your organization.
Most often, it is created in a friendly, entertaining, and creative format. The very name "microsite" conveys the fact that it is a smaller site. It has fewer pages and less content, a specific call to action, and is built with one particular digital marketing mission.
Sometimes microsites can be confused with the landing page, but they are different things:
- The landing page does not have a separate URL and navigation, and it also maintains the basic corporate identity.
- A microsite has a separate URL, often has a different design, and has full website navigation elements.
Charity microsites focus on one goal. It is useful if you want to launch an annual fundraising event, report sensitive events, or share some vital information, webinar, or program.
3 Key characteristics of effective microsites
- The domain and subdomain is different from the main website
- Microsites for nonprofits are commonly temporary
- It has a specific marketing strategy and purpose
Why use microsites for nonprofits?
As we have already partially mentioned, microsites campaigns for nonprofits can be used for several purposes. Most often they are created in order to focus on one marketing strategy.
By using charity web development you can:
- Reach a specific target audience and get your message across
- Create another platform separate from the main site, which allows you to increase your coverage
- Attract more attention to a new event or new fundraising campaign
- Explain the organization more deeply, using a friendly tone of voice
- Express your idea using various media formats, without fear of overloading the main site
What should be included in a nonprofit website?
Creating a successful microsite for nonprofits requires effort at all stages of its development and planning. Upfront research and planning help you avoid problems and budget losses. Later on, it may not attract donors and will simply exist on the Internet. To avoid such frustrations, check or add the below features for a good charity microsite.
What Makes A Good Charity Microsite?
1. Having a clear and visible CTA
The purpose for which you are creating a microsite is to get more donations. Use a CTA to convey this to your site visitors. A clear call to action button will always bring results. Change the CTA depending on the main goal of the microsite. Are you calling for a charity evening? Then it would be better to formulate the CTA as "To register for the charity evening" or something similar.
2. Ability to change the microsite depending on the needs
The fact that you launched the site does not mean that the job is done. If you want to achieve the best result, then you have to listen to the feedback from people. Change your charity microsites to make them convenient for your donors.
3. Blogging
Creating unique content for a website about a particular event will help you stand out and bring you closer to your organization. Write it the way you want to read it. Get to the point, focus on the main purpose. Finally, try to write differently than you do on the main site.
4. Availability of intuitive navigation
Your microsite will be visited by people of all ages. Help them easily navigate the site and find the information they need. Think like donors, and figure out how they can move on the microsite. Change the website navigation to keep it simple. The more convenient the navigation is, the more likely users will do what you want.
5. Integration with analytic tools and CRM
Make sure that the microsite for your nonprofit organization is integrated with the analysis tool or CRM. Think back to how the CRM system works to get it right. This way, you can get fresh data on key performance indicators, microsite visitors, and their path. This is not just another piece of data. It is valuable information that is the basis for improving the user experience, and therefore the entire campaign.
6. Availability to share information
Shareability will open your charity organization to those who don't know about you yet. At a minimum, you can add social sharing buttons. Add the ability to share your microsite information with others by using social sharing plugins. Social media integration on a website helps you get more donations and more conscientious citizens.
The Benefits of Microsites for Nonprofits
If you're not yet sure whether to create a microsite for your nonprofit, here's a list of the benefits:
- Increasing brand awareness. If you have a few sites, the likelihood of being noticed increases.
- Rising the number of donations. The microsite will become the main, convenient place to collect donations.
- Improving SEO performance. Content that is unique and different from the main site will greatly impact your search rankings. To improve your position use an SEO on-page optimization checklist.
- Getting valuable analytic data. Charity microsites provide valuable information about site performance like nothing else. Using it, you can fully understand what donors want and expect.
- Building a microsite has an affordable price — the cost of creating microsites for nonprofits is very attractive and quickly pays off.
- Testing new ideas, tone, and style. Microsite campaigns for nonprofits are a great way to experiment with site management style and design without the risk of harming the main site.
How Can You Develop A Charity Microsite?
To develop quality charity microsites that will produce the desired results, you should pay particular attention to its planning. Don't miss this important step. Here's an overview of the short steps for creating microsites for nonprofits.
Six steps to create charity microsites
Step 1 - Consider the aim and purpose of creating a microsite for your organization. Ask yourself who you want your microsite to reach?
Step 2 - Research the target audience of your future microsite. After that, you`ll be able to create a website that will fully meet their expectations and give them even more.
Step 3 - Take care of the SEO of the future microsite. Research and find relevant keywords and use SEO tips. This will help you step out of the shadows of other organizations and appear in the first results of the search.
Step 4 - Choose a domain name for the new domain or subdomain if you decide to host your charity microsite on a new domain.
Step 5 - Consider the navigation and design in detail. Decide whether the design of the microsite will be identical to the main site or not. Develop convenient navigation with web development experts.
Step 6 - Take CMS for your microsite. We will never tire of repeating that Drupal for nonprofits is the best and most convenient choice.
If you are looking for reliable specialists who can help you with web development and site support, then we are here. Just let us know! We have everything you need for this — all the skills and experience.
