3 Bad Online Giving Habits That Drive Your Members Crazy

Online giving is a great modern method for accepting donations. But is your system set up in a way that feels convenient to your churchgoers? If you make the following mistakes, they won’t be happy — and you might miss out on their offerings.

Long Forms To Fill Out

One of the worst parts of going to the doctor — besides being sick — is filling out forms in the waiting room. Having an illness is inconvenient enough. You just want to get in to see the doctor so you can start getting better.

No one enjoys filling out long forms with personal information, no matter the circumstances. Why make your parishioners go through that hassle every time they want to make a donation? With online giving, they are expecting a fast and painless experience. If it becomes too complicated, they may decide not to give at all.

Requiring Donors To Log In Every Time

Another thing people generally dislike is remembering usernames and passwords. Any time a service or website offers to keep them logged in or save their password, most people will jump at the chance.

Your donors are ready to give, and they don’t want to have to enter a username and password every time. They want to simply give. If you want your online giving option to be appreciated by your donors, offer to save their login information.

Your Online Giving Is Not Mobile Optimized

Your parishioners likely have their mobile phones on hand at all times — even during Sunday service. According to Pew Research Center:

67% of mobile phone users check their device even when it isn’t ringing.

29% say they “can’t imagine living without” their phone.

44% sleep with their phone next to their bed.

As you can see, people spend almost all of their time with a mobile phone in hand. And mobile is even important in accessing the Internet: 63% of adult cell phone users go online using their phones.

If your online giving setup is not optimized for mobile devices, you could be providing an unpleasant giving experience for your members. To ensure that their offerings keep coming in, give them an experience they can feel good about. Make your online giving method easy to use on a mobile device.