It's a competitive fundraising world out there! Many nonprofits are getting creative to diversify their fundraising streams, especially as various sources for funding seem to be decreasing. Grants and individual giving trends are shifting, leaving room for innovative funding solutions.
Having a variety of funding sources lays the groundwork for healthy, viable long-term success for many nonprofits. This creativity can include opening an online store for your nonprofit!
Let's explore some of the benefits of adding an e-commerce store to your networking and fundraising strategy and how to start your online store using the Soapbox Engage Shop app!
Table of Contents
- 4 Benefits of Nonprofit Online Stores
- How E-commerce Can Fit into Nonprofit Fundraising Strategies
- Soapbox Engage Shop App Features Nonprofits Will Love
4 Benefits of Nonprofit Online Stores
E-commerce continues to grow year over year. The total e-commerce sales for 2021 were estimated at $870.8 billion! That's an increase of 14.2%from 2020.
When done correctly, an online store can position your nonprofit to benefit from this move toward online shopping and create a steady stream of consistent revenue year-round for your mission! In addition to the obvious benefit of reliable revenue streams, there are other perks that nonprofits can enjoy from adding an online store!
1. Greater visibility for your nonprofit
It's no surprise that nonprofits are experiencing more competition than ever before. More organizations are trying to be visible and grab a piece of the fundraising pie.
An online store is a strategic way to make your nonprofit more visible because it helps you spread information about your message and work. As people purchase branded products, you build brand awareness in many communities.
Even valuable educational content helps increase your brand awareness and positions you as an expert in your area of service.
2. Improve your SEO
Improving SEO isn't a singularly good reason to add an e-commerce store, but it's definitely a perk to consider!
Almost three-quarters of searches on the internet start on Google, and the first five sites that appear typically get about 67% of the clicks. Websites with a high SEO ranking will appear higher in the search results, garnering more clicks.
While there are many effective strategies to improve your SEO ranking, a quality online store can help drive more traffic to your website. Shoppers will click through your merchandise, but they're also likely to meander over to other pages on your site, too! All of this extra activity can help improve your ranking in the search engines.
3. Online stores make it easy to gather potential donor information
Strategic nonprofits treat their online store as a lead-generation machine. When people purchase items from the e-commerce store, it's easy to gather their contact information so you can follow up and add them to your donor recruitment strategy.
Even people who make small purchases from your store are likely at least a little interested in your mission and vision. It's worth the time and energy to cultivate a relationship and educate them further about your cause and opportunities to participate!
4. Online stores offer consistent revenue potential with low startup costs
An online store offers a source of consistent revenue that can help you fund your nonprofit throughout the year. Whether you decide to sell branded merch or webinars or widgets, the sky's the limit!
Creating an online store with the Soapbox Engage Shop app is affordable and easy to use. It makes an online store a cost-effective strategy to generate more income for your nonprofit.
How E-commerce Can Fit Into Nonprofit Fundraising Strategies
Overall, an online shop is a powerful way to boost revenue for your nonprofit and diversify your fundraising strategy. It increases your visibility both online and in real life and offers a wide range of additional benefits.
Your fundraising strategy should incorporate a variety of connection points with current and potential donors. Effective online strategies for engaging your audience are essential for networking and fundraising success in the digital age.
Adding an e-commerce shop to your nonprofit's website can add another avenue by which people can learn about your work and donate to your cause.
Strategic nonprofits think of their online stores as part of their overall networking and fundraising strategy rather than an independent project. They develop specific goals and measure progress, just as they do with other fundraising strategies. This approach ensures you get a good return on your time and financial investment.
Choosing the Right E-Commerce Platform for Your Nonprofit
There are so many features and options to consider when choosing an e-commerce platform for your nonprofit. While every organization has unique needs and preferences, here are a few specific features to consider.
Choose a platform that integrates easily with other software: Since your online store will be part of your overall fundraising strategy, it's essential to choose a platform that integrates with other software you use, like your CRM and payment processing systems.
The Soapbox Engage Shop app links directly to Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics Integrations, so you can instantly save order details and follow up with individual customers. Since many nonprofits incorporate their e-commerce store into specific fundraising campaigns, the Shop app lets you link order forms with fundraising campaigns for easy tracking and reporting.
Be aware of processing fees and payment methods: Some e-commerce platforms charge dual payment processing fees to the shopping cart and the payment processor. These fees can really add up quickly. While you'll probably have to pay a small monthly subscription or hosting fee for your site, choose a platform that does not charge additional service fees.
Additionally, it's critical to offer your shoppers a range of payment options. With the Shop app, you can select from a wide range of high-quality payment processing services or allow shoppers to pay with their PayPal account or receive an invoice.
Pick an e-commerce platform that can grow with you: You might begin with a limited product line, but you'll want an online shop that can grow to meet your evolving needs.
Unlike a traditional e-commerce store, you might offer products or resources for a limited time, creating a "revolving door" of products. Choose a platform that allows you to easily add and remove products without limitations.
With the Shop app, you'll be able to easily create as many products and individual stores as you need. You can customize the store overview and confirmation experience with text, images, video, and other content to create a high-quality shopping and educational experience. Even as your e-commerce fundraising strategy evolves, the Shop app can change to meet new demands.
Choose an online store that offers valuable marketing insights: Since your e-commerce store will be part of your fundraising and networking strategies, choose a platform that offers data and insights into marketing and sales.
The Shop app gives you tools to create tracking URLs to use with different marketing campaigns and channels. This lets you track the performance of specific campaigns and marketing strategies so you can boost your sales.
Soapbox Engage Shop App Features Nonprofits Will Love
In addition to all the previously listed features the Soapbox Engage Shop app offers, here are some additional tools and features designed specifically with nonprofits in mind:
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Fully-customizable, mobile-responsive e-commerce store.
Add and update an unlimited number of products to your store at any time.
Automatically save and track customer information for follow-up and future communication.
Automated email receipts save you and your staff time.
Discount codes, coupons, and other pricing options available within your store.
Personalized, smart-shopping experiences are available.
Customize product categories and create individual shops.
Connects seamlessly with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics
Nonprofits are constantly looking for new and creative ways to diversify their fundraising strategies, improve networking, and grow awareness. An e-commerce store can help you accomplish these goals.
If you're considering adding an online store to your fundraising strategy, start with a demo and a free trial of the Soapbox Engage Shop app. You'll be able to test all the features and ensure it meets all your needs and expectations.
Here are three more resources to help you further develop your fundraising strategies.
- Nonprofit E-commerce Platforms: 8 Things to Consider: E-commerce stores can be a great way to diversify your fundraising income, grow your visibility, and create a greater sense of community around your organization and cause. There are many factors to consider when selecting an e-commerce platform. This post sets out a roadmap for launching and running your online store with minimal technological headaches.
- Add E-Commerce To Your Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy: Adding e-commerce capabilities diversifies your funding sources and raises money for your cause or programs. If establishing or upgrading your online store is part of your organization's strategic vision, this blog offers tips and insights to help you conquer that goal and select a user-friendly shop app.
- 10 Strategic Ways to Improve Your Online Donation Form: If you want to raise more money, you must make the giving process easy and pleasant. Your online fundraising growth is directly tied to the quality of your donation page. Your nonprofit and the people who benefit from your hard work could be missing out on a lot of valuable revenue. The great news is that there are some best practices and small changes you can make to ensure your donation page is a top-notch donation gathering machine!
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