Page Performance
✔️Page Speed: Utilize tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and address factors slowing down your site. Aim for a loading time of under 2 seconds.
✔️Image Optimization: Compress images without losing quality to reduce their file size, using tools such as TinyPNG or ImageOptim. Consider implementing lazy loading for images and videos to load them only as they come into view.
✔️Minimal Redirects: Reduce the number of redirects to decrease loading time. Each redirect triggers an additional HTTP request-response cycle, which can significantly slow down page performance.
✔️Enable Compression: Use Gzip or Brotli compression to reduce the size of your CSS, HTML, and JavaScript files. This can significantly decrease the amount of time it takes to download the resource.
✔️Leverage Browser Caching: Configure your server to enable browser caching. This allows visitors’ browsers to store copies of your site’s pages, which reduces loading time on subsequent visits.
✔️Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML: Remove unnecessary characters (like spaces, comments, etc.) from these files to decrease their size and improve loading times.
✔️Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): Distribute your content across multiple, geographically dispersed servers by using a CDN. This reduces the distance between the user and the server, which can improve loading times.
✔️Optimize CSS Delivery: Ensure that critical CSS is loaded directly in the HTML document head to prevent render-blocking. Non-critical CSS should be loaded asynchronously or after the main content.
✔️Prioritize Above-the-Fold Content (Lazy Load): Implement lazy loading for below-the-fold content, and prioritize loading of above-the-fold content to ensure that donors and supporters have something to view as the rest of the page loads.
Security and Privacy
✔️SSL Certificate: Install an SSL certificate to secure your website and protect donor and supporter data.
✔️Privacy Policy: Clearly display a privacy policy that outlines how you collect, use, and protect donor and supporter information.
✔️Regular Updates: Keep your website’s software and plugins up to date to protect against security vulnerabilities.
✔️Data Backup: Implement regular data backups to prevent loss of information due to technical failures or cyberattacks.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Keyword Optimization: Use relevant keywords throughout the website content, meta titles, and descriptions to improve search engine rankings.
✔️Quality Backlinks: Build quality backlinks to enhance your organization’s site authority and search ranking.
✔️Local SEO: For local nonprofits, ensure your Google My Business listing is up to date and optimized for local keywords.
✔️Mobile SEO: Optimize for mobile search by ensuring fast loading times and mobile-friendliness.
Donor Experience (UX)
✔️Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure the website is “fully responsive” and provides a seamless experience on various devices (smartphones, tablets, desktops).
✔️Navigation: Implement a clear, intuitive navigation structure that makes it easy for donors and supporters to find your information quickly.
✔️Accessibility: Read and adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure the site is accessible to people with disabilities.
✔️Content Hierarchy: Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to structure your content for easy scanning.