Online Giving Obstacle: Frustrating Forms

Common Obstacles to Generosity (& the Easy Fixes)

Online giving is supposed to be easy and convenient. Yet one of the reasons 83% of gifts begun on charitable websites go uncompleted is because of too many frustrations and hassles with giving forms.

Creating a pleasant, enjoyable, hassle-free experience for guests is a top priority for most churches. You want your attendees to have positive experiences in every interaction they have with you, whether on your premises or online.

Unfortunately, many church donation software experiences are so frustrating, some of your givers just won’t push through the hassles.

Friction Can Grind Giving to a Halt

Friction is the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another. When you apply your car’s brakes, friction is what ultimately stops the vehicle. In this scenario, friction is good. When it comes to your giver’s generosity, however, any friction that slows or stops their intention to give is, obviously, NOT good. Their desire to give at that moment may literally grind to a stop. If and when will they ever return?

Your Givers’ Starting Point: Hesitance

Though charitable giving is a choice, it’s an emotional decision that can cause anxiety on its own. It is givers’ first brake tap. Then, security-conscious givers are naturally on guard when making financial transactions online—that’s their second brake tap. Their foot is hovering above the brake before they’ve even started the gift process.

Each time your giving platform adds a hassle of some kind, a flicker of doubt arises and they press on the brakes again. They hit another bump and press the brakes harder. At some point, more than three-fourths of them will reach their peak tolerance of hassles and simply abandon their attempt to give.

The biggest bumps in the road found in most church online giving platforms?

• Concerns about security when they give online and are taken away from your website to complete their gift
• Being forced to create an account in order to give, requiring yet another username and password to keep up with

If your givers have made it through this gauntlet, their resistance is already wearing thin. Any of these additional frustrations could be their tipping point:

• Too many fields or a confusing checkout
  The recommended number of fields for friction-free checkout is 5-7. How many fields does your online giving software require your givers to fill out? Do you really need all of them? Givers don’t think you do. It’s a good idea to ask a new giver about the experience. It might not be as easy as you think.
• Limits on gift amounts
  Can you imagine telling someone who wants to donate $50,000 that you can’t accept such a generous gift? Most church online giving platforms impose gift amount limits far lower than that.
• Lack of flexible payment frequencies for recurring gifts
  Does your online giving experience offer only default giving frequencies or does it allow givers to set their recurring gift schedule to fit their preferences?
• Tech issues: Errors, crashes, glitches
  Would you know if your online giving platform was performing poorly? These issues virtually ensure that givers will drop out before completing their gift.
• Non-church language on the giving page, confirmation page and email receipt
  What if your bulletin and signage throughout the building was peppered with fine print, “legalese” or another organization’s branding? Attendees would wonder where in the world they were … just as givers do when they encounter these obstacles on your giving page.
• Requirement to verify email address
  Online, requiring givers to give their email in the first place is too much for some. The extra step of having to verify their email address? Insult + injury.
• Mobile unfriendliness
  Phones are amazingly handy, but every issue is more frustrating when encountered by bulky thumbs on that tiny screen.

How Vision2 Helps Removes Frustration

Churches no longer have to limit themselves to payment processors or even church online giving software that puts limits on your givers’ generosity.

Vision2 removes the friction in online giving with:

• Self-contained checkout: Your givers won’t be whisked away from your website to complete their gift
• Impact-driven ministry designations: Overcome giving anxiety by engaging givers with imagery and ministry stories right on the giving form
• Guest checkout: No more mandatory account creation or login details to remember
• Personalized communications: From beginning to end, ensure your givers feel known and safe
• No limits: No limit to generosity

With features found in no other online giving software for churches, Vision2 provides a frictionless experience for your givers, allowing you to CONNECT with your givers the same way you engage with them in person.

Sign up for a demonstration today to see Vision2 in action!