Online giving has many benefits for churches—not only does it increase consistency in giving but it also saves your church office time by eliminating the need to deposit checks and reconcile accounts manually. But the online giving user experience is just as important as simply offering online giving.
The user experience of your online giving should be frictionless. Your members or visitors should have no barriers to giving online. If you’re looking to improve the online giving user experience at your church, look no further! We’re breaking down our best user experience tips to reduce friction in online giving.
Online Giving User Experience Tips
The goal of improving your user experience in your online giving platform means reducing all barriers that might prevent people from being able to give online. Here are some user experiences to keep in mind when using online giving.
Bank or Credit Card Options
It may seem simple, but make sure your church’s online giving platform has multiple ways to pay—namely, by bank transfer or by credit card. Often, bank transfers incur fewer fees than credit card transactions. Bonus points if your platform offers payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, or the like! Remember, the goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to give.
Security
Security is of the utmost importance when dealing with sensitive financial data, and your online giving platform is no different. Be diligent in understanding how secure the payments are—you can look for data security standards, such as PCI-DSS, which demonstrate a commitment to maintaining privacy for your members’ data. Confidence in the giving platform itself can improve the user experience.
Mobile-Friendly
Lastly, make sure your online giving user experience is mobile friendly. If you’re using a major giving provider (like Vanco, which partners with Concordia Technology Solutions), the mobile experience will already be optimized for you! But because most people will be giving via their smartphone, whether in-person at your church via a QR code or at home while checking their email, you need to ensure the experience is seamless.
Ways to Promote Online Giving
Another way to create a better user experience of eGiving is to make the process of accessing the online giving platform easier! Here are some different ways you can direct people to give online.
Link to Church Online Giving Platform
The first and most obvious way is to just link your church’s online giving platform on your website! In your navigation, you could just link the Give button to go directly to your church’s online giving platform. Or you could place the link onto a dedicated giving page on your website, where you explain why we give as Christians. Either way, you’re guiding your members to give online!
QR Code
If you’re looking to encourage online giving during your worship service, consider placing a QR code that links to your church’s online giving platform in your bulletin, on your pew cards, or on your offering slide. Giving people an easy way to give if they feel called is the goal!
Text-to-Give
Lastly, you can implement text-to-give, which allows your members to simply text your church’s online giving platform and give that way. This is especially helpful if you don’t use slides during your service or many of your members don’t have smartphones.
Maximize your eGiving potential with Vanco, Concordia Technology Solutions’ preferred eGiving solution. Request a demo today!
