When was the last time you looked at your appeals page through the eyes of a potential supporter?
At Dreamscape, we recently analysed a group of hospice websites — specifically focusing on how their appeals are presented. What we found was revealing. Out of 12 non-hapi hospice sites:
- Only 3 had a clear call to action (CTA) for their appeal on the homepage
- A different 3 charities displayed a donation box on the homepage
- Some appeals were buried several clicks deep
- Others were missing entirely from the main navigation
In other words, a potential donor would have to go digging to find the very thing you're asking them to support.
That’s a problem.
💡 Visibility isn't vanity — it’s strategy
Charities often spend valuable time and effort crafting their appeals — beautiful stories, powerful photography, well-written asks. But if the journey to donate isn’t intuitive, all that effort gets lost in the noise.
In today’s digital environment, your online donor has a short attention span and high expectations. If your appeal isn’t visible, simple, and frictionless to act on, conversion rates will suffer — no matter how compelling the cause.
So, what should a high-converting appeals page include?
Here’s what we’ve found works consistently across high-performing campaigns:
✅ Prominent Homepage Presence – Make it easy. A homepage banner, hero image, or pop-up CTA ensures supporters see your appeal immediately.
✅ Clear, Emotional Ask – Don’t just explain what the appeal is. Explain why it matters — and what the impact of one donation can be.
✅ Frictionless Donation Journey – Minimise clicks. Provide quick payment options. Optimise for mobile. (Bonus points for using a platform like hapi, with express checkout, that streamlines this!)
✅ Urgency & Relevance – Is your ask timely? Tied to a calendar moment, campaign, or current need? Urgency drives action.
✅ Stewardship Starts Here – What happens after someone gives? A thoughtful confirmation message and follow-up email can turn a one-off gift into a lasting relationship.
Use data to refine your appeal
Your donation page is more than a destination — it’s a goldmine of insight.
By using fundraising analytics, you can understand where donors are dropping off in the journey, how long they're spending on each step, and whether your donation asks are pitched at the right level. Are you asking for too little? Could a small nudge in suggested gift values increase your average gift?
Tracking this data not only improves performance — it helps you build smarter appeals over time.
If you're not seeing the conversion rates you'd hoped for, it might not be your message. It might just be your digital delivery — or the donation ask itself.
We’d love to help you optimise your next appeal — and make it easier for supporters to say “yes.”
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