Christmas is almost upon us, and the holiday season is set to bring joy, fun times with family, and memories that will last a lifetime. However, it can lead to some uncomfortable conversations about religion and politics if you’re not too careful.
Unless your Australian Not-for-Profit has a direct religious affiliation, you’re much better off avoiding the situation through an inclusive website design. One that celebrates the holidays for what they are and ensures everyone feels welcome and warmly invited to engage with your content.
To help you along the way, here are a few Dos and Don’ts with holiday website design for NFPs.
The Dos
Do invite diverse holiday celebrations from all cultures.
Most people in Australia think of holidays as a secular event. Instead of the US being stuck indoors during Christmas and New Year’s around crackling fireplaces, Aussies are more likely to be found at the beach with a refreshing lunch feast.
That difference works to your advantage. You can avoid the entire conversation of being inclusive for Hanukkah, Kwanza, and other holidays by sticking to secular imagery. It is always fun to incorporate images or videos from different traditions to appear more inclusive, but you may be better served by sticking to fun things like Santa, The Grinch, or a Kris Kringle exchange.
If you’re really concerned, be sure all your messages have non-identifiable holiday sentiments like “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays.” As long as your content reflects your NFP, you should be well received.
Do make your website accessible to all.
While you’re considering what holiday content to produce to gain more followers or clients, think about the experience users will have on your site. You want to have the exciting design of a festive website, but without the off-putting animation, bright colours, or flashing lights that could trigger an epilepsy episode in viewers.
Stick to a simple rule of thumb. If your grandma (mother-in-law, great aunt, or some elderly relative you know struggles with technology) can view the website without any issues, you are good to go.
Do have fun with holiday traditions and social media integration.
Your NFP website should be a living, breathing animal. You want to update the main page with transitional material moving from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and beyond.
Pepper your pages with cheer and joy that naturally transitions with the flow of holiday dates. One fun feature is to include a Santa tracker, like the Google Santa Tracker, or add a live feed from Sydney’s Harbour Bridge for New Year’s Eve.
Best of all, you can integrate all these transitional features on your website with your social media accounts and vice versa. A modern website design will include plugins, extensions, or apps that display your recent posts celebrating the holidays around your NFP.
The Don’ts
Don’t go “too hard” on complex ideas and language.
It is always a good idea to feature stories about your clients, volunteers, employees, and donors. Putting a human face on your NFP goes a long way to boosting trust with your community.
However, you don’t want to get too lost in the weeds with your language over the holidays. It is much too easy to try and use complex ideas or jargon that only the locals will understand due to the nostalgia for unwrapping gifts or visiting your mate’s house for Christmas lunch.
A lot of nonprofits serve those with cognitive disabilities or low literacy skills. Try to use inclusive language whenever possible. Plus, Google tends to rank a website with smoother language higher than those using complex lexicon. Mostly because it is easier to read!
Don’t assume everyone celebrates the same way.
Australia may not be the melting pot of New York City or London, but there is plenty of diversity when it comes to family and holiday traditions.
Christmas may be a central theme for many nonprofits, but keep in mind people are different. A good example of this is families who may have lost a loved one during the holidays or someone with a different religion who gets annoyed by “too much” of any holiday.
Try to use language that allows everyone to have fun, along with your Christmas well wishes. Check out your social media posts, emails, and website updates so they use the language that best reflects those you serve.
Don’t forget to highlight the need for accessibility.
Everyone wants to feel heard and appreciated around the holidays. Your need for an inclusive website isn’t strictly related to politics or religion. It has a lot to do with creating a communication “machine” that works well for people with disabilities or special needs.
This holiday season, highlight the importance of how other websites in Australia should add accessibility features to their platforms like Be My Eyes to connect blind users with sighted volunteers for using website features, or Otter which is a live AI to transcribe all audio and video resources on a website.
When you demonstrate a commitment to being more inclusive, especially during the holidays, you lead the charge for better website design.
Make the Most of Your NFP Website
In all the rush to build a mobile responsive, easy-to-browse website, many NFPs forget to update and keep the site dynamic during all seasons of the year. Your website is a powerful way to connect with clients, donors, volunteers, and the greater world outside. Make the most out of it by leveraging holiday-themed content everyone can enjoy.
Learn more about building a new website for your nonprofit or updating your current online presence by contacting our professional team at Web 105. For years, we have helped Australian NFPs, healthcare providers, and government organisations build rewarding websites for their target audiences.
The holidays should be a time to celebrate, and our experienced website designers and developers can help you make the most of the season. Give us a call today, and let’s discuss your unique needs.
FAQs
What are examples of inclusive designs?
A very simple example of inclusive website design is Apple’s Emoji Library. You can find emojis representing a more diverse audience base without any extra bells and whistles to point out the change.
Why are the holidays important?
Joining your visitor’s holiday celebrations is a fantastic way to boost engagement and relationships. It shows you are a “living” website reacting to the same cultural events as your clients and deepens how they feel about the services you offer.
Does everyone celebrate Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is only celebrated in the UK, Australia, and Canada. You may have to have some fun explaining the holiday to clients from other areas of the world as an introduction to their time in Australia.