The Client
The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all." Now the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency, ADL fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all. A leader in the development of materials, programs and services, ADL builds bridges of communication, understanding and respect among diverse groups, carrying out its mission through a network of 30 Regional and Satellite Offices in the United States and abroad. 

The Problem
The ADL’s website design was in need of an overhaul. Designed at a time when many of today’s standard web conventions were not yet in place, the site had fallen behind in its ability to engage users and drive constituent participation. Although inbound traffic was relatively strong, high exit rates indicated that the organization wasn’t harnessing the full potential of its constituent base. The ADL had begun the process of undergoing a complete site overhaul, including architecture and design, which promised to bring the site up to date. However, with the new site a year away from completion, the organization was eager to improve site donation conversion in the interim.

How We Solved It
Convio Success Services Team worked with ADL’s Web team to assess the existing website, and identified many opportunities to improve the visitor experience. Using a series of basic website best practices shared by Convio and implemented by the ADL Web team, minor site enhancements were made in three areas. First, the navigation was updated to include a top “primary” navigation bar with options that were determined most relevant and important, based on an analysis of historical site performance. Second, the homepage was modified to create a layout that focused on a single call to action or news item, and provided ample space for donation, registration, and activism opportunities. Third, the donation experience was improved through the development of a ‘one-stop’ landing page that presented all giving opportunities. Main donations forms tied to the landing page were updated with more compelling language and imagery, and streamlined form fields to minimize obstacles for donors.

The Outcome
Since the redesign, donation form completion has risen 57 percent to a monthly average completion rate of 22 percent. Increased traffic from the homepage to donation pages, combined with a higher conversion rate, has driven single-gift giving up 28 percent within four months of completing the updates. Other benefits included a 25 percent decrease in homepage bounce rates, and a 15 percent increase in average time spent on the homepage. Many of the usability enhancements gleaned through site usage analysis will help to inform content planning decisions in the future.

Convio products used: Web Content Management