An elevator pitch is a polished two-minute presentation that encapsulates your company's purpose. 

In eight years as an entrepreneur, I’ve never been asked to give an elevator pitch in a meeting.

Most humans frown on anyone who talks at them for two minutes straight. 

In my experience, anyone who has shown even a whisper of interest in my work has been willing to give me 30 minutes or even grab coffee. (Kansans will take a meeting with anyone.)

Asking questions and listening are skills you need to find investors and close deals.

An elevator pitch is showmanship reserved for reality shows like Shark Tank—not the real world. (Jason Fried from Basecamp opened my eyes to this.)

When someone is interested, they’ll make time to hear you out.

But what if you can’t get coffee with someone because you don't know who they are? They found you on the internet, and they’re trying to decide whether they want to meet with you. 

For this, we have websites.

You can only do so many coffee dates and Zoom calls in a month, but your website can introduce you to hundreds or thousands of people every month.

But that only works if you understand the psychology behind how people use websites. If you thought two minutes for an elevator pitch was short, buckle up. 

You have roughly 20 seconds to demonstrate credibility with your website. Use those seconds wisely.

How does charity: water do it?

The charity: water team is one of the best in the world at telling their story and demonstrating their impact on their website.

Here’s a breakdown of why they are so good. 

First 50 milliseconds

In the first 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds), web visitors will judge your brand and decide whether you are plausibly trustworthy. The first impression your colors, typography, and logo generate will determine whether users give you a few more seconds. (If you thought Shark Tank was ruthless, welcome to the internet.)

charity: water’s branding is clean, minimal, and the color yellow often indicates fun and optimism.

First three seconds

In the first three seconds, you must answer the question: What does your organization do?

The headline “Bring clean and safe water to every person on the planet” perfectly encapsulates their work.

It’s clear and doesn’t include any buzzwords or hyperbole. Most people can read those words in about 2.5 seconds, and visitors interested in this mission will scroll to learn more.

I love the call to action in the top right corner { GIVE 💧} because it's not asking for money, it’s inviting potential donors to give water to those who need it—a subtle but effective reframing. 

Seconds 3-5

If the user is interested, you must answer their subconscious question: Why should I care?

I love that they open the section with the heading “Why water?” My only nitpick is that "because clean water changes everything” verges on hyperbole.

However, including “health, education, women, and economic growth” in context gives the user a spark of curiosity. 

It's easy to imagine a potential donor thinking, “Wait…what does water have to do with economic growth?”

That question may be all it takes to win a few more seconds of their attention.

Also, notice how the top menu vanishes as the user scrolls down, leaving only the primary call to action. This keeps the website clean and the user focused on taking action. { GIVE 💧} 

Seconds 5-8

Now we must answer the donor's question: How can I help?

Many nonprofits frame their website copy as, “Help us do this great thing by giving us your money.”

The website isn’t about you.

The phrase “You can help provide education, income, dignity, and health – especially for women and children” is intended to center the donor’s experience. charity: water is merely the vessel by which donors get to do this remarkable action. 

Also note that this is the third time they’ve asked for money in less than ten seconds. They aren’t shy.

Seconds 8-12

Now we need to answer the question: What will be my impact?

I LOVE the way they use data to demonstrate credibility.

When nonprofits show their work, it gives potential donors so much more confidence.

charity: water also describes the feedback loop that follows a donation.

GPS coordinates and photos of the work are a powerful demonstration of impact.

Seconds 12-15

But what if the potential donor is not ready to give?

If the user has scrolled this far, they are interested in what you do but may not be ready to give, particularly if this is their first time on the site.

This is a great time to provide a secondary call to action that invites the user to start a relationship.

Email marketing is the perfect on-ramp for people interested in your cause.

The footer also invites the user to learn more about the organization. Published financials are one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate trustworthiness to the more skeptical.

Seconds 15-20

Where will the money go?

“We know it’s important to you that your donation is being used effectively. It's important to us, too.” 

Once again, the copy leads with what the donor cares about.

While most users won’t click on any of these links to past years of audits and 990 filings, the fact that they could is enough to give most donors confidence.

Twenty seconds later, the user knows:

• What charity: water does
• Why and how they do it
• How the donor can be involved
• What the donor can expect from being involved
• And confidence that the organization is trustworthy

What does your website communicate in 20 seconds?

Websites are arguably the most valuable tools in your tech stack

Your website, of all places, is not the spot to save money or cut corners (i.e., don’t ask your nephew who is “good with computers” to build your website).

You have 20 seconds to convert a stranger into a supporter. 

Hire a good brand and web designer. These are rarely the same person (unless you are working with the wildly talented Rikki Janae, who created my brand, website, and all the lovely illustrations for my newsletters). Contacting a branding or marketing agency specializing in storytelling for nonprofits like Solace Media may make sense. 

And remember: Your website is only as good as the underlying process it describes. 

• You can’t show a map of your work if you don’t collect the data. 
• You can’t tell people how many wells you’ve dug if that data is buried in spreadsheets. 
• You can’t share your 990s online if you haven’t filed them for the last two years. 

To demonstrate trust on a website, you must first be trustworthy. 

Otherwise, it's just window dressing. People need way less than twenty seconds to see through that.

Until next time,

Ted