With 90% of your nonprofit’s supporters and donors now accessing the Internet on multiple devices every day, nonprofits really need to prioritize mobilizing their Web content.
Ideally, your nonprofit’s CMS (content management system) has been updated to include responsive design,
but the problematic reality is that most CMS services commonly used in the nonprofit sector are as behind on the Mobile Web as the nonprofits are themselves.
That said, the following excerpt from Chapter 9 of Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits will help your nonprofit get started with launching a mobile website or at the very least get the idea percolating and higher on your priority list for 2013. To learn more about launching a mobile strategy for your nonprofit, please see the upcoming webinar How Nonprofits Can Successfully Utilize Mobile Technology and Mobile Fundraising.
It’s ironic how Web design has come full circle. In the 1990s, websites were utilitarian in appearance and structure. Slow dial-up Internet access required that websites be as simple as possible for faster loading. A basic banner at the top, nonimage links for navigation, and text pages with few photos were all that the Internet could handle. During the 2000s, with the rise of broadband, came an onslaught of highly designed websites with Flash and JavaScript, pop-down navigation, and pop-up windows for slide shows, videos, and calls to action. The evolution of Web design aesthetics over the last 10 to 15 years has been directly correlated with the increase in speed of Internet access. Today, for the exact same reason, we’re starting from the beginning in mobile website design. Until we reach 5G or 6G speed, mobile websites will have to be very simple to avoid long, frustrating download times.
1. Keep Design and Navigation Simple
Navigation and secondary pages should be limited to five or less. Mobile users like things simple and can be overwhelmed by a multilayered mobile website. Be sure to feature a “Home” link prominently. Require only up and down scrolling, never left to right. The content background should be white with black text. You can add some color to your mobile website through navigation bars and images. It’s also common to provide a link to your “desktop” version in case the user has a tablet and wants to browse your “real” website. If you choose to hard-code your own mobile website, the standard width for a mobile website (as of 2011) is 320 pixels.
2. Limit the Use of Images
A simple banner at the top of your mobile website with your nonprofit’s logo and name is a good starting point. Make sure that it links to your mobile website home page. From there, do not use images for navigation, and limit news articles to one image. Fortunately, if you are using your blog’s RSS feed for mobile Web content creation, tools like MoFuse automatically shrink image sizes for faster loading and browsing. All images should be small and should be in either .jpeg or .gif format.
3. Feature Fresh Content Prominently
With the exception of mobile pages created specifically for group text messaging and QR code campaigns (donate, petitions, polls, and so on), most people will browse through only the fresh content on your mobile website. They’re looking for news and campaign updates, not detailed information about your nonprofit’s history, programs, mission, and values. A mobile website should not be modeled after your desktop site. The two have completely different purposes. So, make sure you feature your fresh content first (your blog feed) and calls to action after that. In time, as word gets out about your mobile website, the number of visitors will increase. Some may even bookmark it for browsing regularly. Currently, much of this browsing occurs on lunch breaks, while traveling to and from work, and while standing in line at the DMV, the grocery store, the airport, and other such places.
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