Running a charity is no small feat. You’re juggling fundraising, community outreach, and managing volunteers: all while trying to make a real difference in the world. Often, your website feels like just another item on a never-ending to-do list.
But here’s the thing: your website isn’t just a digital brochure. It’s your hardest-working volunteer. It’s working 24/7 to tell your story, collect donations, and recruit the help you need. If it isn’t performing, your mission is missing out on vital support.
At Dorset Tech, we’ve spent years helping charities across Dorset and the UK build high-impact, affordable websites. We’ve seen what works and, more importantly, what holds great causes back.
Are you making these seven common mistakes? Don’t worry if you are: the good news is that they’re all fixable. Let’s dive in and get your site back on track.
We’ve all been there. You try to look at a website on your phone, and the text is microscopic, the buttons are impossible to click, and you have to zoom in and out like you’re using a magnifying glass.
If your charity’s website doesn’t work perfectly on a smartphone, you’re likely losing more than half of your potential supporters. Most people today will find you via social media or a quick Google search on their phone. If your site is a struggle to use, they’ll leave within seconds.
How to Fix It Fast:
Your supporters have a limited amount of time and a high level of goodwill. If you make them jump through hoops to give you money, that goodwill evaporates.
A common mistake is having a "Donate" button that’s hidden in a submenu, or worse, a donation form that asks for every detail including their childhood pet’s name. Every extra click or form field is an opportunity for a donor to change their mind.
How to Fix It Fast:
Inclusion is at the heart of most charities, but many websites accidentally exclude people with visual impairments, motor disabilities, or cognitive differences.
If your site doesn't work with screen readers or lacks proper color contrast, you’re effectively closing your doors to a significant portion of your community. Not only is this a missed opportunity, but it also goes against the values of a supportive organisation.
How to Fix It Fast:
Nothing kills a visitor’s trust faster than seeing a "Latest News" section where the last post was from 2021. It gives the impression that the charity might not be active anymore.
Your website needs to show that you are alive, kicking, and making a difference right now. Fresh content also signals to search engines like Google that your site is worth showing to people.
How to Fix It Fast:
We live in an era of instant gratification. If your website takes more than three seconds to load, people will start to bounce.
Slow speeds are often caused by massive, unoptimised images or cluttered code. Not only does this frustrate users, but it also hurts your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). If Google sees that users are leaving your site quickly because it's slow, they won’t rank you as high in search results.
How to Fix It Fast:
People don’t donate to organisations; they donate to causes and outcomes. If your homepage is just a wall of text about your history and mission statement, you’re missing the "why."
You need to show the tangible results of your work. Supporters want to know that their £10 or their five hours of volunteering actually changed something for the better.
How to Fix It Fast:
Many charities in Dorset do incredible work but remain the "best-kept secret" because they don't appear in local searches. If someone searches for "animal charity near me" or "food bank in Weymouth," does your site show up?
If you aren’t optimising for search engines, you’re relying entirely on word-of-mouth or social media algorithms, which can be fickle.
How to Fix It Fast:
Navigating the digital world can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Dorset Tech was founded on the idea that high-quality tech shouldn't be reserved for companies with massive budgets.
We offer the lowest web agency rates in Dorset (and quite possibly the whole country). Why? Because we believe in supporting our local community, especially our charities and social enterprises.
Your charity does amazing work, and your website should reflect that. If you’re worried that your site is making these mistakes, let’s have a chat.
We can help you audit your current site, fix those pesky technical issues, or build you a brand-new, lightning-fast platform that helps you reach more people than ever before.
Ready to grow your impact? Contact us today for an instant quote or just a friendly chat about your mission.
