{"id":59287,"date":"2026-08-04T13:42:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T17:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/?p=59287"},"modified":"2026-08-04T16:33:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T20:33:34","slug":"how-to-make-your-homepage-shine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/en\/charity-life\/digital-marketing\/how-to-make-your-homepage-shine\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing Your Charity Website: How to Make Your Homepage Shine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every charity has a story worth telling. But, all too often, that compelling story about the social problems you\u2019re solving, the people you\u2019re helping and the difference you\u2019re making is buried within your homepage \u2013 under long paragraphs, cluttered navigation menus or clunky page structure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember, your website is often the first place someone encounters your mission and organization \u2014 which means that your homepage and About Us page are not just casual or unimportant design choices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In reality, these are two of the important assets your charity can build to offer a first impression and tell your story.<\/span><\/p>\n

Best Practices for Designing a Charity Homepage<\/h2>\n

Your homepage \u2014 sometimes called your “landing page” \u2014 is the centrepoint of your website. It’s typically a visitor’s first impression of your organization, the place where people land when they discover you online.<\/span><\/p>\n

For smaller charities operating without a multi-page website, a well-thought-out landing page can be enough to cover your website needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don’t have a website or a landing page yet, learn how to leverage CanadaHelps Charity Profile as your digital homepage.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What Should a Strong Homepage Include?<\/h2>\n

Snapshot<\/h3>\n

Your homepage should present a snapshot of your organization. Effective homepages capture what your charitable organization does, your purpose, and your impact in a sentence or a few bullet points that contain key information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagery<\/h3>\n

Ideally, your homepage should feature 1-2 high-quality images. In the event you work in an area where photographs present safety or privacy concerns, using an emotive illustration, even something AI-generated, is sufficient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Skimmability<\/h3>\n

Skimmability is an important aspect of a homepage. Skimmability is the need to highlight and summarize key information in a way that visitors can understand at a single glance. Skimmability matters because users typically spend 3 seconds on any given section of a webpage. Charities should keep text passages short and punchy, since people don\u2019t spend time reading long paragraphs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Above the Fold Section<\/h3>\n

This is the portion of your webpage that is visible, without scrolling, when traffic lands on your homepage. The \u2018above the fold\u2019 section is prime real estate for engagement and driving conversions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 77%\u201384% of visitors will not scroll down after landing pour time and energy into perfecting the above the fold section, especially the following components:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n