Attention Churches: Don’t Implement Online Giving Until You Read This

Preparing to kick off online giving at your place of worship? Want to ensure that you have a smooth launch and create the best possible experience for your parishioners? Consider the following before you take that next step.

Don’t Forget About Mobile

No matter where you go, a quick glance around the room will show you one thing: mobile is huge. You likely understand that on a personal level, but these statistics from Pew Research Center show just how big of a phenomenon mobile really is:

64% of U.S. adults own a smartphone.

46% of smartphone owners say they “couldn’t live without” their device.

88% of smartphone owners use their phone to check their email.

In the past year, 57% of smartphone owners used their device for mobile banking.

How Does That Apply To Online Giving?

Yes, mobile is important. Using a mobile giving app in addition to your other offering options is the best way to capitalize on this generation’s obsession with smartphones. But what does this have to do with online giving?

Did you know that 51% of the people who visit your church’s website are using mobile devices? Not only that, but websites that are mobile optimized result in 34% more donations than sites that don’t take mobile into account.

Wouldn’t you like to see an increase in church giving? You don’t want to offer up a poor experience for members who visit your website on their phones. To truly be successful, your website — and by extension, your online giving method — needs to work smoothly on mobile devices.

Send Regular E-Mail Newsletters

Does your church send an e-mail newsletter to your congregation? If not, you need to take a look at implementing one. E-mail is a great way to connect directly with your parishioners and keep them up-to-date on current church news and events.

Not only that, but e-mail newsletters are also the key to successful online giving. E-mail brings in around 1/3 of online donations for nonprofits. If you want your parishioners to make use of your online giving option, e-mail is the perfect way to drive them directly to it.