This year's Nonprofit Technology Conference 2011 was full of buzz about the mobile web. With smartphones now outselling personal computers, your organization's supporters and donors are rapidly going mobile… How can charities and non-profits reach out to a mobile audience?

Here are three recommendations for getting started:

1) Look at your own Google Analytics statistics

At Artez Interactive we are already seeing that over 10% of traffic on North American donation forms is coming from mobile devices like iPhones, BlackBerries & tablets. Do you know what the trends are for your own non-profit's web site?

Google Analytics is a free application that will help you understand how your visitors are accessing your content. When you see for yourself how mobile users are currently navigating your site, you may feel more encouraged to experiment with mobile web strategies.

Learn more about Google Analytics at Google Conversion University.

2) Learn about QR codes and give them a try!

You are probably already noticing the distinctive black-and-white squares popping-up on products, posters and transit ads. Have you thought about experimenting with a QR code on your marketing materials?

QR codes are free and quick to make, and they can direct your supporters to complete different actions on smartphones. QR codes can be designed to send your supporters to your mobile donation form or newsletter, or even to an app store to download your mobile app. All your supporters need to read a QR code is a free application like "Scanlife".



Test out this QR code - It will launch a mobile donation form on your smartphone when scanned.

Try a service like http://bit.ly to make a URL into a QR code in a matter of seconds! You can also google "Create a QR code" to experiment further.

3) Think about a mobile-optimized donation form

It's not easy or cost-effective for many organizations to instantly build an entire mobile web site. One of the first places you can start is with your charity's donation form.  

Think about how many email appeals and e-newsletters your charity sends to supporters ... Potentially 30% of those solicitations are read on smartphones. What happens when a person on a mobile device clicks a link to donate from your email and is directed to your charity's web site? Can they complete a donation on their mobile web browser?  

It's important to make sure your donation form is mobile-optimized to process safe and secure donations by credit card or PayPal. Test your own emails and web sites on different smartphones. Ask your staff members to pull out their phones and help you look at your links on a variety of devices.

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 Learn more about mobile strategies: Register for the free CharityHowTo.com webinar on April 20th: The A to Z of Mobile Giving

Artez Clients: We want to remind you that your Artez donation forms are all already optimized for the mobile web. Give them a try on a smartphone browser! If you have any questions about your mobile forms, don't hestitate to chat with the support team in your location.