4 Reasons Your Nonprofit Site Needs Event Landing Pages 

Picture this: A nonprofit supporter is scrolling through social media when they see a post advertising an upcoming event hosted by one of the organizations they follow. The event catches their eye and seems right up their alley, so they head to the nonprofit’s website for more information. But once there, they can’t find more details or a place to register.

This is the danger your nonprofit faces if you don’t have event landing pages on your website. Event landing pages are informational web pages or microsites that offer all the information supporters need to learn about your event (including logistical details and its purpose and impact) and to sign up. They can also provide a valuable hub for marketing your event and increasing donations. 

In this post, we’ll highlight four reasons your nonprofit website should include event landing pages. As you read through these benefits, keep in mind that the best nonprofit websites and microsites make it as easy as possible for supporters to engage more deeply. Think about the ways you can streamline your event registration and donation process as much as possible to make participation a breeze. With that, let’s dive in!

1. Event landing pages serve as a one-stop resource for all event information. 

Whereas your social media posts and emails might provide scattered event information, your website landing pages can offer all of the details supporters need in one online location. They can browse through all of your upcoming events, note the ones they’re most interested in, and access all the information they need to attend. 

Your event landing pages can offer information such as:

• The event’s date and time
• Location and parking/transportation information
• The ticket price/recommended donation amount
• The rain-out date in case the event has to be rescheduled 
• Supplies to bring
• The registration/RSVP link
• Videos/photos from past events
• Information about joining remotely if it’s a virtual event

Plus, when you create an event landing page, you can showcase your event’s unique branding. Whether you’re hosting a wine auction or a Jingle Jog 5K, you can brand each landing page with the event’s unique logo and colors. This helps enhance your event’s brand awareness. 

2.  Event landing pages can boost your SEO results. 

When your event landing pages are optimized for search engines through search engine optimization (SEO), you can increase traffic from search engine results pages. This can amplify awareness of your event and also increase event registrations. 

Ensure your event landing page is SEO optimized by incorporating these best practices:

• Choose a relevant keyword for each event landing page. For instance, if you’re hosting a benefit concert, you might choose the keyword “concerts in [your city’s name].” Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find a keyword that has a high search volume. Incorporate the keyword strategically throughout the page within your headings, subheadings, alt text, and meta description. 
• Fill your pages with useful information. Search engines prioritize pages that offer valuable educational information for visitors. Your landing pages should include rich details about your event’s history, purpose, goals, and ways to get involved. 
• Use an optimized URL. Your URL should be short and descriptive. You can even just use your keyword as the URL to make it brief and easily shareable. 
• Optimize your metadata. Create a concise meta description that describes your event’s purpose and incorporates your keyword. All images should have descriptive alt text and your meta title should be brief and specific. 

Use the SEO tools built into your website builder to make sure you’re doing everything you can to optimize your SEO performance. For instance, your meta description should be between 150-160 characters so that it shows up completely on search results pages. Also, view your pages in the mobile view to make sure there aren’t any formatting issues. Mobile-friendliness is one of the factors Google assesses to help determine site rankings. 

3. Event landing pages are easy to share for marketing purposes. 

A modern event marketing strategy requires a multichannel approach. That means you won’t just be marketing your event using your landing pages; you’ll also want to incorporate other channels such as social media, email, and even direct mail. 

One of the greatest benefits of having robust event landing pages is that you can have a single place to which you can link all marketing materials. 

Share your event landing page or microsite link in your:

• Social media posts 
• Email newsletters and updates
• Direct mail messages (you can include your optimized, short URL or a QR code to your event landing page) 
• Text messages to supporters 

Your supporters, staff members, and volunteers can also easily share your optimized URL within their social media posts leading up to your event. 

4. Event landing pages can be equipped with registration and donation tools. 

As mentioned, your event landing pages can offer supporters all essential information and a convenient way to register for your event on the spot. Supporters won’t have to spend a long time searching for your registration form — it will be immediately available on your landing page. 

You can also equip your event landing pages with a variety of other registration and donation tools, including: 

• An online donation form. Your supporters might be inspired to contribute an additional donation while registering for your event. Or, if they can’t make it to your event, they may want to contribute a donation to show their support from afar. That’s why your event landing page should include a button or link to your streamlined online donation form. Your form should be simple and easy to fill out, so only ask for the necessities, such as supporters’ names and payment information. 
• A matching gift tool. Matching gifts allow supporters to make an even greater impact with their donations without having to reach back into their own wallets. By embedding a matching gift tool into your online donation form, you provide an easy way for supporters to research their matching gift eligibility through their employer. This can potentially help you double or even triple your initial donation amounts!
• An event waiver. If your event involves physical activity or risk, such as a 5K, polar plunge, or sporting competition, you’ll need to require attendees to sign waivers before participating. This helps participants understand risks and keeps your organization free from liability. You can offer your event waivers directly within your online registration form to allow attendees to sign the required forms right away, ensuring they don’t have any participation barriers on the event day. 
• A link to your online merchandise store. Selling branded event merchandise, such as t-shirts, tote bags, or mugs, can be a great way to supplement your event revenue. Supporters can browse your online merchandise store when you include a link within your event landing page. 

More likely than not, your supporters will access your event landing pages from their phones, so ensure all of your event registration and donation tools are mobile-optimized.

Also, make sure you’re using the right payment processor to support your online transactions, such as ticket sales, donations, and merchandise sales. Morweb’s guide to nonprofit payment processors explains that you want to look for a system that integrates with your content management system, is PCI compliant, and offers tokenization and encryption to keep donor data secure. 

When your online payment process is secure and integrated with your website, supporters will feel more comfortable giving you their payment information. This goes a long way toward earning their trust and boosting the chances that they’ll consider donating to your organization again online. 

Ambitious nonprofits require ambitious marketing strategies. A well-rounded event marketing strategy, complete with streamlined, informative event landing pages, helps you reach the widest possible audience. And, when supporters have a positive experience registering for and attending your event, you can earn their ongoing support and trust.