Your nonprofit’s website is the core of its online existence. It’s the go-to for all information your supporters might need, especially regarding events.
An event landing page is a guide to your upcoming event for new and existing supporters alike. A well-constructed landing page can increase hype, explain how your event ties into your mission, and boost attendance. From Walk-a-Thons to hybrid auctions, every nonprofit event needs to be promoted ahead of time and have a reliable source of clear information for guests.
Certain design practices can help your page stand out and garner support. Use these five essential strategies to design an event landing page that will make your next event a success.
Incorporate your nonprofit’s branding
Your nonprofit’s brand is a key part of your identity and establishes unmistakably that this event is being hosted by your organization. For your event landing page, drive impact by incorporating your brand’s mission, voice, logo, and font:
Mission: What is the purpose behind your organization? How will this particular event support your cause? Consider these questions and accurately list why supporters should care about this event.
Voice: Use the same tone and messaging from your website and other marketing materials in your event landing page to ensure consistency.
Logo: Display your logo prominently on your event landing page so supporters can feel confident that this event is being hosted by your nonprofit. If you don’t have a logo yet, make sure the design is simple, memorable, and relates to your nonprofit’s mission and values.
Font: Use the same fonts from your organization’s other marketing materials and rest of your website and ensure that they’re appropriately sized for readability.
Kwala advises creating a brand that makes your organization uniquely identifiable while emphasizing your mission and values. This helps supporters emotionally connect with your cause and feel like your organization is legitimate.
Add logistical details
You probably wouldn’t go to a party without receiving an invitation. How could you if you didn’t know when it started or where it was happening? In the same way, don’t leave any room for confusion when giving your supporters information about an event.
Remove the mystery by providing everything people would need to know if they attended. This includes:
- Location
- Attire
- Purpose of your event
- Agenda
- How to register
- Cost of attendance (if applicable)
Depending on your event, there may be other pieces of information to include. If you’re hosting a virtual event or campaign, include clear instructions on how to access your livestream or virtual platform. Other events, in-person and virtual alike, may also involve event ticketing platforms or online promotions that should be clearly linked to your landing page.
Above all, be careful not to leave anything out. Your landing page is the most reliable source of information for your event; make it trustworthy!
Include impactful visuals
There’s a reason social media is effective in catching people’s attention. Images and videos can give people an inside look at what to expect at your event. Consider creating videos featuring your volunteers or staff describing your event and why people should attend. Your supporters might be inspired from the most reputable review they can get: a direct testimony from someone involved in the organization.
If you’ve hosted this event in the past, you can also include images that show your event in action. This gives supporters a better idea of what they can expect upon attending.
If you haven’t hosted this event before, include pictures and videos that show your nonprofit’s other work so people understand how their contributions and attendance will actually make a difference. For instance, include images of animals your animal welfare organization recently saved because of donor support. A healthcare organization may highlight patients who received lifesaving care because of donors’ efforts.
You might also cater to your audience by meeting them where they’re at on social media platforms. If most of your supporters are active on Instagram, for example, share your photos and a link to your landing page there so that your audience can find it more easily.
Registration form tips:
The ideal registration form should have the following characteristics:
Limited number of prompts: This helps supporters sign up quickly and easily and ensures they won’t get frustrated. Make sure to only ask for the most essential information like name, contact information, and billing information if applicable.
Mobile-friendly: Make sure the process is convenient for your mobile users by making all prompts legible and easy to fill out on a mobile device.
Clear “submit” button: Make your submit button stand out by using bold font or incorporate striking colors so supporters can easily send in the registration form and not accidentally fill it out and abandon it.
An embedded registration widget might be part of the nonprofit CMS platform you choose for your website or available as a plugin or add-on. It will allow you to facilitate the external process directly on your page, so aspects like your event’s registration form can be consolidated with all the information about your event.
Add accessibility elements
Accessibility is an ongoing movement to make the web more accessible for everyone. According to Morweb’s tips on web accessibility, “this means that people of all abilities should be able to access and engage with digital content - including your nonprofit’s website.”
To ensure your website is fully accessible, include elements like:
Alt text: Brief descriptions of your image so people with visual disabilities can still engage with your content.
Contrast between the text and background: Text should stand out boldly from the background to increase readability.
Closed captioning and transcripts: This allows people with hearing disabilities to interact with your video content.
Simplified language: Avoid using technical jargon. If it’s absolutely necessary, provide explanations of what a given word or phrase means.
Thankfully, digital tools make web accessibility much more inclusive. Make sure to choose the right tools for providing information about your event and consider all the ways you can make your information available to everyone.
The Gist
Disorganized and confusing information makes your website purposeless. Rather, impressive websites are easy to navigate and clearly understood. Make it easy for attendees to show their support at your event by including all relevant information on your event landing page. Don’t stop at information: balance your page’s practicality with design. Use your organization’s brand and impactful visuals to capture your supporters’ attention. Remember: your digital content should serve your supporters.
Special thanks Murad Bushnaq, Founder and CEO of Morweb for the expert advice. Since its inception in 2014, Murad has acted as Creative Director and Chief Technologist to help nonprofits spread their vision online through engaging design, intuitive software and strategic communication.