Regardless of what type of organization you are, if you are non-profit and engage in fundraising, you’re always trying to strike a balance. What balance, you might ask? The balance between not enough, and too much. After all, your sponsors keep you going, and fundraising allows your organization to do what you do – to meet and exceed goals, to help more people, to go further. Getting enough financial support from your donors isn’t optional for you – you have to meet those goals to survive as a non-profit. However, you also don’t want to alienate your donors, or potential donors, by asking too often or too aggressively.
Pop-up ads are viewed very negatively by a lot of people, and for good reason. They’ve been used by junk sites and scam sites for years to lure people in. They’re aggressive, too; they’ve always been aggressive in general, and they’re getting even more so. Some even require you to scroll through an ad before you can continue reading content. For this reason, website pop-ups are one element that many non-profits can’t seem to quite decide on. It seems aggressive; however, if done correctly, pop-ups on your agency’s website can work, and they don’t have to come across as obnoxious to your site’s visitors.
If your non-profit decides to try a pop-up ad, there are many services that can help you set them up, and it’s surprisingly easy. One online tool for setting up a pop-up is called SumoMe. So, how are today’s customizable pop ups less intrusive and more effective than those of the past? It’s partly about technology, but mostly about the organization using them. In fact, pop-ups that are used ethically can assist your non-profit in generating new donors, who can then become repeat donors – and everyone knows that repeat donors are the strongest foundation for success. Today’s pop-ups can be made less intrusive, so they’re easy to dismiss if a visitor is not interested. Believe it or not, when people see a pop-up that is clearly meant to be optional, they appreciate and respect that. It speaks well of the organization, instead of creating a stressful “I can’t get rid of this thing” situation.
An ethical pop-up means that, if visitors do click on your pop-up to donate or to learn, it’s likely not an accident. They’re there because they want to be, which is a wonderful and powerful situation. They want to learn more, they want to get involved, they want to donate. When you look at the pop-up dilemma in this light, it would be wasteful not to include a pop-up option on your website. Visitors will not be surprised by a pop-up, even those who don’t choose to click on it. After all, people understand that your organization is a non-profit, and fundraising is a part of what you do, even if they don’t choose to participate.
A website pop-up is a great way to give your visitors an early option to get involved with your organization and its goals. When done in a manner that respects your visitor’s time, they can be a useful tool that can boost your fundraising budget not just during fundraising campaigns, but year round.
