Let’s try a little exercise. Grab your mobile device and do two things…
- Buy something online. Head over to Amazon.com. You don’t have to break the bank. Just buy something you need or something that costs a dollar or two. If you don’t want to actually make a purchase, that’s fine too—just go through the buying process without making that final-purchase click.
While you’re doing this, pay close attention to the purchase experience. How easy is it to buy something from your phone? How quick (track the amount of time from start to finish)? Are there any frustrations in the process?
- Make a donation online. Think of a charity you like or already support. Even better, make a donation to your organization. Head over to the website on your mobile device and make a contribution. Again, no need to empty your bank account. Give as much as you’re comfortable with, the minimum amount necessary, or just go through the process without actually making that final click.
Answer the same questions you did for your purchase above—was it quick, easy, or frustrating? Also, ask yourself how the donation experience compares to the Amazon purchase experience—Was it better or worse? Faster or slower? Easier or harder?
Today’s Donors Have Been Conditioned to Expect More from the Digital Experience
Whether you actually completed the exercise and took both of these actions, or just thought about some recent experiences you’ve had making purchases or donations via mobile, it’s likely the Amazon experience was the easier, quicker, and overall more enjoyable experience. The takeaway is this: The bar has been raised when it comes to the digital experiences we create for our constituents.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a business or nonprofit, a big charity or a small one, the expectations people have of the digital experience an organization should provide today are the same. And those expectations are significantly higher than they were just a few years ago.
The reality is this: If an individual goes to make a donation on your organization’s website, and that experience does not meant the donor’s “Amazon expectations”, there’s a good chance they won’t complete the transaction.
How Can Your Organization Provide an Experience that Meets Today’s Lofty Digital Expectations?
The answer is this: Make it as easy as possible for your donors to take action. Whether it’s on mobile or on a desktop, you want to remove as much friction as possible from the donation process. Think about how you can take your digital donors from point A to point B in the fewest number of steps or clicks.
Think back to that Amazon purchase experience n the exercise above, and ask yourself: What can we do to make our digital donation experience more closely mirror the Amazon experience?
Learn proven tactics for transforming your organization’s digital donation experience. Download our free resource The Digital Donation Revolution now.