It is "not an option" for charities to have websites which don't work on mobile, because donors are increasingly "giving on the go", a Google executive told a charity audience yesterday.
Speaking at the Directory of Social Change's Charityfair in London yesterday, Ilinka Zaharceva (pictured), global project manager at Google UK, said that charities without a website that works on phones and tablets are losing out on donations.
“Not having a mobile compatible website isn’t an option anymore,” Zaharceva said. “Mobile internet traffic overtook fixed internet traffic this year and it’s only going to get bigger”.
This statistic, said Zaharceva, means that people are choosing to donate more and more when they are “on the go”.
“People donate not only when they are in front of a computer at home, but when they are on the go, when they are using their mobile phones and mobile devices," she said. "Don’t miss out on the opportunity to reach out to people because your website isn’t compatible.”
Zaharceva also said that specific phone apps for charities were a good way of engaging with an increasingly, tech-savvy donor base. She particularly praised Cancer Research UK’s collaboration on the ‘Cell Slider’ app with developer Zooniverse.
“Cancer Research UK had so much data its analysts can’t ever hope to process it all,” she said. “So, it collaborated with Zooniverse to create an app, which basically teaches you to identify cancerous cells. It both spreads information but also acts like a game that people can play on their way to work”.
‘Content is king’ for charities on the Internet
Marie Schwob, YouTube consultant at Google UK, said that charities must have a “specific goal” in mind when it comes to using social media channels to communicate with supporters.
Churning out content about “anything and everything, even the office dog,” won’t help, she said.
“Content is king," she said. "It’s not about just creating anything and putting it out there.
“Before you put out your content, ask what action you want your sponsors to take when they’ve received your message. Do you want them to donate? Do you want them to share the message on social media? Do you want them to tell friends or family?
“Now ask yourself ‘what kind of content can we create, that will drive our donors and supporters to deliver that message?' Create your content to fit your specific message”.
