They are an essential tool for the online fundraiser, since most online direct communications with donors and supporters will suggest a visit to find out more or to make the donation. Using e-mail must form the cornerstone of a fundraiser's strategy for fundraising on the Internet. The past year has seen online fundraisers learning lessons quickly. Feedback on Web sites from donors and visitors is essential and should be encouraged, monitored and, most importantly, acted upon. Fortunately, it is very cheap to tweak and test the contents of Web pages until you get the response you want.
Online events continue to prove popular.
In the UK, Help a London Child, the adopted charity of Capital FM radio station, ran an online telethon for a week in March and raised 1,000 in secure online donations. Next year they plan to extend their successful auction to the Internet as well. Lots of aircraft equipment, trips, and signed photos of aircraft-owning celebrities attracted 500 bids from 300 people in the first five months. Fundraisers have learned that successful online fundraising involves effective online marketing and promotion. The central search engines and directories that millions of people use each day to locate specific information are an important part of this process.