Your Guide to Making a Good First Impression Online

No matter how strong your nonprofit’s reputation is, there will always be people who don’t know who you are or what you do.

Reaching and connecting with these new audience members is exciting, but it also brings another important question into play:

When someone finds your nonprofit online, what kind of first impression are you making?​
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The truth is that first impressions really do matter, and they only take a few seconds to make (or break), especially online.

As you’re going through your digital channels throughout Q3, use the following questions as a guide to evaluate whether you’re making the impression you want to be.

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Your website

A nonprofit website that makes a good impression is always up to date, easy to navigate, and very clear about what you do and who you serve.

To find out if your website does all of that successfully, ask yourself:

✔ Is everything visually cohesive and on brand?

✔ Is it immediately clear who we are and what we do?

✔ Is our website copy accurate, engaging, and inviting?

✔ Are the stories and testimonials up to date and accurate?

✔ Do all of our links work (especially the registration/donation links)

Your social media

Someone new to your nonprofit’s social media will more than likely scroll through the last few posts and videos to see what you’ve been up to.

To check if your social media represents your nonprofit well, ask yourself:

✔ Do we have any abandoned profiles that can be deleted?

✔ Is there any content that’s no longer aligned that I can remove?

✔ Does our profile have an updated photo and an accurate bio/links?

✔ Do any posts have outdated branding (and if yes, can they be removed)?

✔ Are our most important/relevant posts pinned or featured where they should be?

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Your email list or newsletter

All of your nonprofit’s emails and newsletters are important… but none quite as much as the very first email you send to a brand-new subscriber.

To make sure the first email someone gets from you is impactful, ask yourself:

✔ Have I made it feel personal and not transactional?

✔ Have I used their first name (and spelled it correctly)?

✔ Do I clearly + succinctly share our organization’s “highlights”?

✔ Do I only use one call to action, and does the link work properly?

✔ Are there clear ways for this person to reach out if they have questions?

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Building relationships starts before you realize it does

And often, that relationship starts with an online search — before that person attends an event, donates, or even talks to your team.

So, if you confidently answered “yes” to all of these online checklists, then congrats! You’re probably making a strong, memorable first impression to folks finding you online.

If you answered “no” to any or most of them, don’t worry. A lot of these are quick fixes that can be accomplished in an afternoon or outsourced to an external marketing person (like me!) if you need extra support.

As the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

All you need to do is your best to make sure it’s as strong as can be.

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See you in two weeks!

Catrina

Catrina Ossmann, Clever Ideas Marketing®, works with nonprofits and community organizations to increase awareness and reach with consistent and effective marketing.

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© 2026 Catrina Ossmann - Clever Ideas Marketing®