Slides presented by Allyson Kapin and Jared Seltzer of Rad Campaign at the May 2014 501TechNYC meetup. All nonprofits start out with good intentions when they start building a website. They want to tell inspiring stories that resonate with their audiences. They want to show their impact and raise a lot of money. But along the way, the website process gets bogged down with competing objectives and interests ­ not to mention the internal stakeholders who want the new site designed their way. This is why so many nonprofit websites suck. In this session, we discussed the latest website trends and how to make your website better. By the time summer rolls around you will be empowered to make the necessary changes to your website so it kicks ass.

1. 10 Ways to Make Your
Website Smokin’ Hot
Presented by:
Allyson Kapin & Jared Seltzer

2. Cause Summer is
Coming!

3. If you build it,
they will come!

5. There are 1.5M+
nonprofits in the U.S.

6. And 644,000,000+
websites you are
competing with.

8. 1. Show Restraint

9. And Keep it Simple!

11. 2. 2-3 People At Head Table

12. 3. Know Your Target Audience

13. Items on University
Homepage
• Campus slide show
• Alumni in the news
• Press releases
• Letter from the President
• Virtual tour
• Statement of school’s
philosophy
• Campus event
promotions
Source: http://slidesha.re/1lRXHYL
Items People Look for
on University Website
• List of faculty contact info
• Campus address
• Application form
• Department/Course list
• Usable campus map
• Parking information
• Academic calendar
University Homepage Example

14. 4. Understand Eye Patterns

15. • Logo - 6.48 seconds
• Navigation - 6.44 seconds
• Search box – 6 seconds
• Social networking links – 5.95 seconds
• Primary image – 5.94 seconds
• Written content – 5.59 seconds
• Website footer – 5.25 seconds
Source: Dr. Hong Sheng, Missouri University of Science using
infrared camera to monitor eye movements
What Gets The Most Attention?

16. F-Shaped Pattern

17. 5. Understand Psychology Of Color

18. What Do Colors Symbolize?
Blue: loyalty, stability, tranquility
Yellow: happiness, optimism, youth
Green: healing, success, hope
Black: power, mystery, professionalism
White: purity, cleanliness, innocence
Red: passion, sexuality, intensity
Purple: royalty, spirituality, luxury

19. 6. Don’t Use Sliders
Never! Ever!

20. Shocking Slider Data!
• Only 1% of users click a
slide on homepages
• 89% of the 1% only clicked
on the 1st slide.
Source: http://weedygarden.net/2013/07/carousel-interaction-stats/

21. Best Quote Ever!
“Carousels are effective at being
able to tell people in
Marketing/Senior Management
that their latest idea is on the
homepage. Use them to put
content that users will ignore on
your homepage. Or, if you prefer,
don’t use them. Ever.”
Source: http://shouldiuseacarousel.com/

22. 7. Show Action Non-Verbally

23. Animation As Visual Cues
Source: http://www.beyondkinetic.com/motion-ui-design-principles

24. Photos as Visual Cues
Source: http://www.beyondkinetic.com/motion-ui-design-principles

25. 8. Make Your Site Responsive

26. 9. Take Mobile Experience To Desktop

27. 10. Focus On Content

30. BONUS!

31. Write Better Headlines

32. Headline Tips
• Use numbers
• Tap into curiosity
• Use urgency
• Show threats
• Offer an action
• Connect to impact

33. Headline Examples
Terrorists Kidnap More Than 200 Nigerian Girls
Threat + Number =’s Great Headline!
Forget Hashtags! Here’s How to Really Help
Those 200 Nigerian Kidnapped Girls
Threat + Number + Action =’s Great Headline!

34. Data, Data, Data

35. Data, Data, Data

36. Data, Data, Data

37. A/B Test It

38. Let us leave you with one final
piece of wisdom:
HODOR!

39. Thank You!
Email:
Allyson@radcampaign.com & Jared@radcampaign.com
Twitter:
@womenwhotech @radcampaign