Web users enjoy the convenience of shopping online, but are afraid of what they perceive to be a lack of security, according to the recent Pew Internet report on online shopping.

Can we apply these same perceptions to online giving?

Yes, and no. Donating online has all of the same perceived dangers as shopping online.

But is there any real convenience in giving online? After all, most donors don't really see that they have to make a choice between giving online and driving to your headquarters to make the gift in person. Getting people to give online is more about overcoming inertia - not giving at all - which, let's face it, is far more convenient than giving will ever be.

Never mind that online giving via credit card data is much safer than handing your credit card to the greasy waiter at the diner. The myth of online insecurity pervades. So what to do about it?

• Stress the safety of the process from start to finish. Test all of the security icons you can find to see which combination of copy and form design increases the donors' confidence in the safety of their transaction;
• Make it easy. According the Pew report, 58% of online shoppers say they have suffered one or more of the following feelings:
• frustrated by the lack of information they encounter while using the internet to find out about or buy goods or services.
• confused by information they have found online during their shopping or research.
• overwhelmed by the amount of information they have found online while doing online shopping or research.
• Speaking of easy, have you tested whether offering PayPal increases your donations? One of our clients gets about 60% of their web-generated gifts through their credit card donation process. Another 16% come in via PayPal and 24% come in the mail, on donation forms printed from the website. PayPal gifts average 18% less in size than credit card gifts, but most of them are gifts that would not have come in without that option.

Some good news in the Pew report: 39% of internet-saavy Americans do their banking online, a healthy growth from the 27% three years ago. Donations via online banking stand to grow as a result, something that may have higher perceived safety, greater ease of use, and perhaps lower fees.

If you would like your donation process audited by NPAdvisors' staff, please contact us.

Other articles about online giving:
Shopping vs. Donating Online
Is your online donation processing compliant?
Click through vs click away
NPA's Single page audit
Landing pages