Sarah from Seattle tweeted Bryan the other week, asking for some advice on how to use web analytics, and specifically “goals,” to help her with a nonprofit website supporting the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.  We thought it would be good topic to explore a bit, so we’ll start with the basics.

Even the most “nonprofit” website still has goals, and let’s face it, they’re still “business” goals. Keeping that in mind, I’m going to try to label some different types of business goals you could track in web analytics, and how to measure success.

1. Memberships & Donations – We won’t spend much time on this one because it’s pretty obvious.  Most nonprofits’ main business goal is to solicit memberships or donations.  And tracking them using web analytics is no different than ‘for profit’ sites.  The only caveat is that (unfortunately) human nature seems to dictate a longer consideration cycle for donations than, say, buying a fancy new smartphone.  Knowing this, it’s wise to track the content and micro-conversions that might lead to a donation (micro-conversions).  Think about downloading brochures and visiting particular pages about the mission statement, leadership, whether donations are tax-deductible, etc.
2. Logistics – For physical spaces like galleries, museums, and parks, there are goals related to logistics that indicate a strong likelihood of a visit.  These should be tracked as goals, and optimized on an ongoing basis.  Some examples here are downloading a map, visiting a page that lists directions and hours of operation, or even interacting with content related to “events.”  For maps, it would be great to track that a visitor had mapped from their location to the nonprofit’s location, as that indicates strong intent to actually visit.  For events, some sort of “add to calendar” micro-conversion would indicate strong intent.  Another great goal to track regarding events is getting prospects to sign up for time-sensitive “reminders” via email or SMS.
3. Opting In to Content Pushes – That’s an odd phrase, but my way of saying that nonprofits should be tracking goals where prospects allow you into their lives a bit.  Anytime a prospect opts to become more than an anonymous site lurker you achieve a portion of your business goal!  The Burke Museum has lots of great options already, so it would just be a matter of tracking goals related to: subscribing to their blog, signing up for their email newsletter, taking action to follow them on Twitter, and taking action to friend them on Facebook.  If you can’t track with 100% certainty that a conversion has occurred, track the action taken (e.g. clicking a Facebook icon) that shows strong intent.

Note that most web analytics programs won’t necessarily allow you to track all of these things as goals “out of the box,” but with some technical knowledge (especially JavaScript), perseverance, and creativity, they’re all quite achievable.

Calling all NPOs! What else are you tracking (or wishing you could track) as goals in your web analytics?

The concept isn’t new, but it’s one of the hottest buzzwords in online retail for a reason.

“Cause marketing” is the term being used to describe all manner of cross-promotional efforts between for-profit businesses and non-governmental/non-profit organizations. Typically, it involves a portion of for-profit sales going toward a given cause. Today, more than 1 of every 4 retailers are promoting charities at some level — and the Web seems to be speeding that growth. In 2006, IEG reported that cause marketing sponsorship in the U.S. totaled $1.34 billion. (In 1990, that figure was only $120 million.) This year, cause marketing is expected to reach $1.44 billion in the U.S.

Is Cause Marketing Worth It?

• 64% say they have purchased from a brand because it supported a cause they believe in.
• A 2001 survey suggested that 81% would choose one brand over another if a cause were involved, assuming price and quality were similar.
• 96% of women say it’s important, and 87% of both men and women say its important.
• It enables highly effective market positioning and branding by connecting the company with the values of their customers. For instance, Target has been effective with its 5% donation policy.
• MissionFish, the organization that powers eBay’s Giving Works program, reports that auctions that donate to charity can sell for much higher than similar auctions that don’t donate.
• Cause marketing often builds customer and community loyalty while increasing employee pride and productivity.
• Innovations from the likes of Google Checkout and Maatiam are bridging the gap between online retailers, consumers, and non-profit in ways that help everyone account for campaign performance and tax concerns.
• Companies like Working Assets built donations as the main element of their business model.
• In addition to the feel-good benefits, cause marketing tends to generate publicity, which can lower business costs, particularly in terms of customer acquisition. (Just make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.)

Potential Pitfalls

• As Holly explains, “Consumers are too savvy. They want to know who the charity is, what their exact involvement is, and how it fits in with your core brand.” In other words, people want to know their money isn’t going to a George Costanza-esque “Human Fund.”
• 70% of people want to see the company’s leaders participating in the cause.
• The company’s motives may be called into question, particularly if it’s experienced years of negative press (e.g., Wal-Mart).
• It must be accountable. Although there are often tax benefits for businesses engaged in cause marketing, it has to be a good deal for the non-profit as well. Not only must non-profits protect their own brands, they have tax concerns, too. As always, it’s important to look before you leap.
• ROI is a must. It could appear disingenuous when a company is spending, say, 7 figures promoting a particular cause when the campaign is only netting a 5-6 figure return. That type of situation begs the question as to whether the company really cares, or if it’s just a branding or PR stunt. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they just donate the money they’re spending directly to the cause instead of spending it on promotion? (The Microsoft Small Business Center has some great tips on how to avoid these types of missteps.)

It looks like this trend is here to stay, particularly in the U.S., where the government continues to cut social spending and the gap between rich and poor grows each day. Consumers will continue to expect a greater involvement from the private sector to put money toward public causes and will reward the businesses that do so. As long as cause marketing is conducted in a transparent manner, it can benefit to both business and non-profits.

It’s a sad day in social media when Facebook deletes Ranger Rick, the National Wildlife Federation’s beloved spokes-raccoon.

On Facebook, networks grow organically — often slowly — and by deleting Ranger Rick, the NWF’s entire 500-person network was brutally poached.

Sure, this public relations gaff seems more to do with a flawed policy and/or housekeeping algorithm than contempt for nature conservation, but it’s still absurd. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so scandalicious if it weren’t for the fact that Paris Hilton and Hillary Clinton fakes roam wild:

. . . Anyone think the actual Hillary Clinton is checking who tagged her wall today? And for nonprofits like the NWF, creating a group or mascot profile protects the privacy of the staffers who work to reach out to members through social networking sites. Does Hillary’s Facebook staffer wants to have his/her personal info out there for 35,000 supporters to see?

But here’s the bottom line — of all the fake profiles on Facebook, why has Facebook targeted the beloved Ranger Rick? A quick search shows six fake Paris Hilton profiles. Why kill off Ranger Rick? Would it really have torn a hole in the fabric of the space-time continuum to look the other way while Ranger Rick spread cuteness across the Internet?

Are non-profits an endangered species on Facebook?

If so, it seems dubious that sponsored (read: billable) groups like Wal-Mart are welcome to market themselves despite intense community backlash. I’m not saying it’s wrong for Wal-Mart to be on Facebook, but can an eco-journalist raccoon get a break?

After speaking with the NWF’s Online Advocacy Manager, David Pierpoint, the group emailed GrokDotCom the following exclusive statement:

National Wildlife Federation’s concern about having Ranger Rick’s profile deleted is centered on having the same opportunity and level of interaction with the Facebook community that candidates’ campaigns are given. If the door of political discourse is opened, then it is important that all voices have the opportunity to be heard.

We believe Ranger Rick (40th birthday this year) is not a senseless character, but a fully realized representative and educator of millions of our constituents’ voices who care passionately about important issues. We put our resources into creating that profile as a way to put a personal touch to those issues as 500 “real” people on his friends list. We received nothing but positive feedback from friends who received a “Happy Birthday” message from Ranger Rick or were told about an important event NWF was putting on. All of that is important to the relationships we want to have with those who care about wildlife and the environment.

Isn’t that what social networking is all about?

It is also important that not only NWF but many other non-profits are given the opportunity to work with Facebook and its community in a positive way, and we are open to those possibilities. But let the people decide who they want to be friends with, not Facebook.

Guess it’s back to reaching fans — “ages 7 and up” — in the trusty ol’ magazine for Ranger Rick. Looks like lip gloss beats recycled glossy once again.

What now for everyone’s second (third?) favorite Harvard dropout? Will Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg step up and free Ranger Rick, or will fans have to rely on the NWF’s MySpace profile instead? Care to email Facebook and tell them what you think?

Maybe Zuckerberg’s too good smart to sell for billions of dollars, but Facebook doesn’t seem to have a problem selling out for free.

Hmmm…

TIAA-CREF thinks you will. Their new advertising campaign created by Modernista emphasizes its status as a nonprofit organization. Their new campaign, starting this week, focuses on a new website, PowerOf.org.

According to the New York Times article “A Dot-Org Stresses That It’s No Dot-Com“:

“Think .org-onimically,” the headline of a print ad urges. “How much more objective can you get than .o-r-g?” another ad inquires. A third ad declares that “.org” represents “three of the most trusted letters on the Internet.”

In a television commercial, an announcer declares: “We are a financial services dot-org, not a dot-com. For nearly 90 years, our mission has been to put the heart of a nonprofit to work for those who serve the greater good.

“We do this the dot-org way,” the announcer continues, “with low fees, objective advice and a unique insight into the hearts and minds of those who give us hope for the future.” …

I think the campaign has dialed into some powerful emotions about nonprofits that will resonate with their audience. Unfortunately, they’re using the advertising campaign as the driving point to PowerOf.org, and that afterthought of a website is the weak link.

PowerOf.org is a poorly designed website — actually, it’s a mini-site, and part of TIAA-CREF.org. The scent trails are weak, the navigation is worse, the usability is poor — especially those tiny plus signs for “more-ons” — and the messaging is the usual financial services schpiel with a pixie dust sprinkling of the creative that could have been.

I think TIAA-CREF may be onto something, but I’m not impressed with the execution. Too bad they’ll spend all that money on traffic to a website that won’t deliver the customer experience to match.

What do you think?

The good news is that the conversation does seem to be growing. Small Business Trends offers some food for thought on how non-profits have the same needs as small business, including a follow-up on how non-profits can learn from business and vice versa. It’s worth reading. In some ways, non-profits have lagged in terms of innovation because they’ve historically behaved as though they’re different, or that the business world is somehow at odds with what they do. On the other hand, countless brave non-profits have been forced to innovate in other ways due to scarce resources.

It’s time to start leaning from each other.

(Future Now would like to help. To show that we mean business — there’s that word again! — we’re offering a free pass to next week’s Call to Action seminar in NYC. So far, we’ve only had one taker. If you or someone you know works with a non-profit and would benefit from this focused, one-of-a-kind crash course on improving their organization’s website, email them quickly. We’ll be naming the winner tomorrow. Businesses shouldn’t be shy, either. We’re keeping enrollment small so that everyone has focused time with Bryan and Jeffrey to go over specific challenges on your site. There are still spaces available, but they may not last. Come spend the day with us and see why your for-profitchallenges aren’t so different from those of our friends in the non-profit world. If you think selling online is tough, try getting someone to donate year-after-year. Now that’s customer loyalty. )

If you work at a non-profit and have some — ANY — control over its web strategy, tell us below why you should join us for next week’s Call to Action seminar.

Non-Profits contact us all the time to see about fixing their online strategy, but it’s usually tough for them to get the support of board members, web developers, or any combination of people, places and things that get in the way of making a difference online.

Your site is always up. It’s not just a brochure; it tells your story. Besides, why should business folk always have the best websites? You do good work! Tell us about it….

If you’re in New York next week and wish to learn directly from bestselling authors Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg, you should enter.

[Editor's note: If you'd like to be discreet, leave out your homepage address and just enter your name, email, and story below. We'll email you directly if you've won. There's only one free pass available, so don't sleep on it!]

Ok, now that we’ve got that on the table, let’s take a look at a new pink putter from Sweet Spot Golf. In this case, the pink color is used as a tie-in with The National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Here’s how Sweet Spot explains it:

Sweet Spot Golf is a proud sponsor of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. When you purchase this putter or any of our clubs in pink, we all give together to make a difference in fighting breast cancer.

We all give together? Explain to me how that works. Does a portion of the proceeds of the putter go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation? What does being a “sponsor” mean? Does Sweet Spot Golf donate money? How much? Why does Sweet Spot Golf care about breast cancer? Are they hoping women will appreciate their “sponsorship” of a breast cancer cause and thus buy their products?

I don’t know. I couldn’t find any answers. Just the repetition of the line “Make a difference in fighting breast cancer.” I’m still not entirely sure how buying this pink putter does that.

But I believe strongly in the cause, so if Sweet Spot Golf really wants to sell these putters online, here are few suggestions to help them do a better job:

1. Clearly spell-out what “sponsorship” means and how purchasing this putter is going to specifically make a difference in the fight against cancer. Is this a cause Sweet Spot Golf truly believes in? Or are they just doing it to promote their image and sales? Spell out the connection between the brand and the cause. Do this on the landing page AND on the product page.
2. Make it clear as to how you get to the product page. Right now, on the landing page, you see the product image, but nothing on the page is clickable. There was some text on the page, and when I took the time to read it — which many people won’t — it said “click on the shopping cart.” Why would I click on the shopping cart? I don’t want to add it to a shopping cart, I want to read more information about the product? And where is Shopping Cart? (Hint, it’s on the bottom right navigation, NOT in the active window!)
3. The visitor’s taken to a list of products, but if you want more information, hopefully you know enough to click on the image or the product number. A link here that says “more information” would be really helpful.
4. On the product page, give me more information about the putter. There’s some copy explaining the benefits of the putter, but how else is it unique? One point they should be pushing is the shaft length. Many putters don’t come in women’s sizes. I’m constantly having to have my shafts cut down. The fact that this comes in shorter women’s sizes is a real plus. Promote this!

Bottom line: if you’re trying to tie-in a cause, make sure you clearly explain your relationship with the cause and how purchasing your products benefits said cause. Women — and men — want specifics. And if women — and men — are your audience, don’t make them think and struggle to try to figure out how to navigate your site and take the actions they want to take.*

P.S. — Sweet Spot Golf, I wish you had these “breast cancer” putters in a color other than pink. Is there a way to buy a more normal-looking putter and still have my purchase somehow benefit breast cancer? I play a lot of golf with the guys and, I’m sorry, but I just don’t want to look like a “girly-girl” with my cute little pink putter. I believe in your cause, but I’m just not a pink kind of gal, and I don’t think I’m the only woman who feels that way.

[*Editor's note: After substantial digging, we did find a bit more information about their relationship with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, but they still didn't answer Holly's questions. As it turns out, you must know to click "pink" on the right-hand navigation, which then takes you to this unnecessary page, at which point you must click to "learn more".]