Progressive Research (Part 3) Website Comparison
Alzheimer’s Disease Association (Singapore) Homepage
ADA’s website is very much Web 1.0 as the level of interactivity here is near zero. There is only a one-way communication here. Visitors can only read content and the web layout is unappealing.
Donations from the public is important to keep any not-for-profit organisations sustainable. Here, ADA’s donation page only allows potential donors to donate through mail by cheque. It does not show how donations are spent in the organisation.
Alzheimer’s Association (Chicago) Homepage [Visit Site]
Comparing ADA and this organisation’s website, we can clearly see the difference in design, content and layout. It is more Web 2.0 as there is more interaction between the site and the visitors and the level of interactivity is high. Visitor can participate in forums/discussion, play games and watch educational videos. The website is definately more appealing and more organised with a obvious friendly vibe to it.
The above is their donation page. Here the page offers different types of donation the donor can choose – Tribute, General and Monthly Donation. I see this as very crucial as it gives the donor a freedom of choice to the type of donation they want to give.
Equally important, the page shows how every cent is spent, where the money goes and more. This will give visitors peace of mind without leaving them wondering where their contribution/s go. By having this page, the organisation gains the trust of its donors.
The part that puts ADA’s website out, is their usage of social media to engage as weell as create awareness of its programs and campaigns to the public. This site has Facebook, Twitter links and YouTube – to showcase its campaigns and edu-videos . As you can see, they have “Shop for a Cause” online where they sell items in relation to the organisation. This is a another innovative way to get donations.
(Alzheimer’s Association’s YouTube Channel) [Take a look]
There are other interesting features to this website such as online games. As it is proven that alzheimer’s disease can be prevented if one has an active mind and a healthy diet, games are introduced for anyone to play. Tips for a healthy mind are also posted and discussed with the organisation as well as between other visitors .
Overall, this website is indeed more than just another good-cause society. The site has alot of educational content as well as interactivity between visitors. The site puts itself in the visitor’s perspective by making navigation easy and providing necessary content/resources for everyone. By having a well built site as well as the usage of social media, it gives the visitors a sense of confidence towards the association and thus, will continue supporting it.
