The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed to economically assist Haiti after its devastating earthquake in 2010, tested two different landing pages for their online giving page. One had a prominent photo, the other didn’t. One landing page raised 10.2 percent, roughly $1.2 million, more than the other landing page.
Martin Memorial Hospital Center used two separate direct mail fundraising letters to send to their supporters. One of those letters increased donations by 307 percent.
How can you determine which test is better?
Whichtestwon.com, an A/B and multivariate testing website launched in 2009 by marketing journalists who want to help the marketing community learn how to test their products. Marketers can explore and test knowledge by quizzing themselves and determining testing wins for various landing pages, web pages, B2B, e-commerce, lead generation, email, video and social platforms.
A/B or split testing your nonprofit site or other online campaigns helps you listen to supporters. When you listen to supporters, you learn the platforms they use most and how they find your site, what they appreciate about your organization, and why they continue to support, donate and participate in your events. It’s an essential part of discovering and catering to audiences. Tests help you figure out which design works best for your latest event registration page or online donation form, and it also helps your nonprofit learn best practices for designing future sites, saving an extra step.
Nonprofits have options for tools for pages and online campaigns, such as Google’s free Website Optimizer or Google Analytics to measure relative success of a test. If you don’t want to completely redesign the page, change a few key elements at a time — such as choosing alternative photos or creating a more prominent donation button — so you can determine how effective each change is.
The more you test, the more accurately you’ll be able to determine and create what your target audiences want and what will get them to continue supporting your organization. How have you been using A/B testing in your fundraising efforts? Which of your tests won? Get the conversation started below.
