4 Mistakes Churches Make in Mobile Giving

Mobile giving can be a wonderful asset to any church. But in order to unlock those extra benefits, it’s important to take certain steps to ensure a successful launch. If you really want your place of worship to get the most out of using the technology, be sure to avoid making the following mistakes.

Mistake #1: Lack of Promotion

What is the biggest mistake a church can make when using mobile giving to accept donations? Not telling anyone about the new service. If your parishioners aren’t aware that they can now give offerings using their smartphone, they will never make use of the technology.

Instead, make a conscious effort to announce and promote mobile giving to your church members. Share a demonstration video during service. Hang a poster in the lobby. Place print instructions in the pews or in your church bulletin. When you make sure to get the information in front of every single parishioner in your church, you will see more people begin using the technology — and an increase in donations will follow.

Mistake #2: Lack of Education

Even if you do a fantastic job of announcing your new mobile giving option, your parishioners will drag their feet if they can’t figure out how to use it. Yes, mobile giving is quite simple, but for churchgoers who are not familiar with learning the ins and outs of new technology, a little more education will help them get on board.

This is particularly true if your congregation is made up of mostly older members. 77% of seniors say that they need help learning how to use new technology. But that does not mean that they won’t get on board. If you take the time to educate them, they will happily use mobile giving to make offerings to the church.

Mistake #3: Not Making Forms Mobile Friendly

Just because a form is accessible by a mobile device does not mean the form is mobile friendly. In order to make sure you get the most out of mobile giving, everything that appears on the phone screen should be easy to read and maneuver. Forms should not be long and complicated to fill out.

Better yet, opt for a mobile giving app instead. By doing so, you will not have to worry about making the experience mobile friendly — because it already is.

Mistake #4: Ignoring the Benefits of Mobile Giving Apps

Mobile giving comes in various forms, and some methods are better than others. Whether you are using a form on a mobile website or text-to-give, you are taking a step in the right direction. But each of these methods have serious drawbacks, and when compared to mobile giving apps, they come up short.

For instance, text-to-give requires that your parishioner memorize a specific text code and number in order to send in a donation. Plus, they are limited to giving certain amounts, like $10 per message. Mobile giving apps, on the other hand, require no memorization, and donors can give as much as they desire in a single transaction.

Another key difference is in the speed of the giving process. As we mentioned before, mobile websites can be tricky. People often complain about slow load times, difficult to maneuver site designs, and complicated forms. If you use a mobile giving app, those issues will not be a problem. Your parishioners will be able to give quickly and easily, with just a few taps on their smartphone.