A donor deciding whether to give, a volunteer wondering whether to show up and a family looking for your program all land on the same home page. They want different things within about ten seconds. The mistakes below are the ones we see most, and each has a fix that does not require a new logo or a bigger budget.
Mistake one: the donate button is hard to find or hard to trust
If a visitor has to hunt for the donate button, they will not. Put one clear button in the header and repeat it after your mission paragraph. Once they click it, they should see your organization name, what the gift supports and the donation tool they already recognize.
Be open about fees. Donation tools charge processing fees and some let donors choose to cover them. Those fees belong to the tool provider, and saying plainly how the gift is handled earns more trust than hiding it in small print.
Where visitors get lost
- ✓Mission in jargon — replace "holistic community empowerment" with who you serve and what changes for them
- ✓Programs buried in one long page — give each program its own short page with who it is for and how to join
- ✓No dates for volunteers — list the next real opportunity, even if it is a recurring one
- ✓Outdated events — an event from two years ago tells visitors the organization is inactive
Mistake two: program details that do not answer the family’s question
Someone looking for tutoring or a food pantry needs the address, hours, eligibility and what to bring. They often are on a small screen and in a hurry. Put those four facts at the top of each program page, then tell the story below.
If your service is for people who may not read English comfortably, say which languages are spoken by staff. We can include Spanish text for key pages where you provide or approve it.
A fast self-check
- ✓Can a stranger say what you do in one sentence — read your home page aloud to someone outside the group
- ✓Does every program page show hours and location — with a way to ask a question
- ✓Is the donation tool the one you really use — confirm the button opens it correctly on a small screen
- ✓Is there a way to reach a person — a contact form that goes to a monitored inbox
Mistake three: no sign of who runs the organization
Funders and cautious donors look for leadership names, a board list and a short statement of how you are governed. You choose what to publish and send us the wording. If you have an annual report, link to it as a document rather than describing it in vague terms.
What to expect, honestly
- ✓We connect your donation tool — we do not process gifts or hold funds
- ✓We do not promise donation totals — giving depends on your community and outreach
- ✓Third-party tool fees are the provider’s — we cannot change or waive them
One example of what your site could look like
This is one sample we designed. Yours is built around your business, your photos and your words, and we have more examples if you want to compare directions.
What it costs
Websites are priced one-time by size, plus Website Care at $30/month for hosting, HTTPS, backups, weekly checks and A/B testing. Every package includes a consultation, mobile-friendly design, copy we write for you, a contact form, essential search setup and 10 revision rounds. Monthly SEO is an optional add-on when you are ready for it.
Optional add-ons, billed separately
The prices above are for your website. These two are separate monthly products you can add now or later. Neither is part of the website price.
Monthly SEO, from $50/month: new pages published on your site every month. See Monthly SEO →
Business Spotlight, from $30/month: articles about your business, labeled as paid, published on The Company Chronicle. See Business Spotlight →
How it works
1. Consultation
We learn your services, customers and goals, in English or Spanish.
2. We write and design
We draft the words and build the site around your business.
3. 10 revision rounds
You review and request changes until it is right.
4. Launch and care
We launch, then Website Care keeps it hosted, backed up, checked weekly and A/B tested.
Keep reading
Websites for food banks · Nonprofit donation flow · Nonprofit website transparency · Recurring donations
