Churches are afraid to talk about money for fear of driving people off. The same fear of talking about money exists when it comes to churches and how they post their online giving links. Most churches shy away from talking about money. They buy into the popular conception that churches talk too much about money. In reality studies show churches hardly ever talk about money. So when it comes to the church website most churches tend to carry on this down playing of a crucial part of discipleship, giving. Don’t make the same mistake. The following are my thoughts on how to make your online giving more effective.
1. Make sure you have online giving! Please tell me you have online giving? If you don’t then stop reading this now and call your web person and start the process. After you get online giving set up come back and read the rest of this post. For all the rest of you continue reading.
2. Make it plainly visible. I have been looking at the top 100 churches in America by size. Two of the top ten have no online giving listed. All the rest have giving listed but you have to hunt for it. While I am not advocating a flashing blue light I am saying that the giving button needs to be clearly visible. If potential donors have to hunt for the site they will move on without giving. Having a giving button visible is a visible reminder that giving is important.
3. The best giving links contain multiple options to give. Don’t make people put all their eggs in one basket. You should allow for one time gifts as well as setting up electronic fund transfer. Also it would be good to let people hit a button to give to designated needs such as missions or your capital campaign.
4. Make the giving page informative and inspirational. It is important on this link to tell people how they can give online. It is equally important to tell them why giving is important and what their gifts accomplish.
5. Make it easy to use. Giving electronically should be easy. The harder it is the less likely people will be to use it.
6. Make sure your giving page links from your other Social Media sites and your app. While you focus on making the site easy to use make sure your donors can get to the giving portal from a variety of platforms. Apps anyone?
7. Continually update and expand the giving site. Just as the rest of your website needs to stay current the same is true for your giving portal.
8. Always say thank you! Find ways to continually thank your donors and they will continue to support you.
Can people find your giving link? If they can’t how much money do you think that might be costing your ministry? None of this is rocket science. You might have some other ideas that will make sites more effective. I invite you to post some thoughts below. My desire is to see all of us rethink how we approach giving. That includes our online presence.
Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group
Find out how you can Turbo Charge Your Church's Giving!