Websites
29/April/2016
Almost all businesses today have websites. They understand that it is super important for the identity of their company to have a website. However, few think about the purpose of the website. So what is the purpose of a church website? Most churches desire to have unchurched people attend their church, so the purpose of the website is to communicate about the church and the gospel to someone who does not attend. The website of your church is a window into your worship service and church atmosphere.
We know that most first time guest will visit your website at least once before attending for the first time. This means that your web presence is the first contact for an unchurched person. First impressions are important so we want to make sure that our website reflects our church identity. For each church this will look different.
Let’s look at three things that all church home pages need to have. First, in the main screen window of the home page we need to see the worship service times. It is important that you place them in times that are clear and easy to read. Remember they are checking out your church via the website prior to their first time setting a foot on campus. Second, the home page must have the church location. You would be surprised how many churches do not have their location on the website. The third item that you need to have on your home page is a “what to expect” button. This is the place to express what the music is like as well as majority dress. Having a specific place for them to gain a better picture into your worship service style will help them understand if they want to take the next step and attending in person.
The last thing I want to mention about church websites is the maintenance. If you have skilled professionals in your congregation, ask them for help. Most churches do not, and even if they volunteer their time remember that you need to keep maintenance to a minimum. This is why I recommend having stable information on the church website and push all current and upcoming information to social media channels that are easier and cheaper to keep and maintain. At this point I only recommend low cost, low maintenance, websites for churches.
If you have any questions about church websites or would like me to recommend a church website specialist let me know.
We know that most first time guest will visit your website at least once before attending for the first time. This means that your web presence is the first contact for an unchurched person. First impressions are important so we want to make sure that our website reflects our church identity. For each church this will look different.
Let’s look at three things that all church home pages need to have. First, in the main screen window of the home page we need to see the worship service times. It is important that you place them in times that are clear and easy to read. Remember they are checking out your church via the website prior to their first time setting a foot on campus. Second, the home page must have the church location. You would be surprised how many churches do not have their location on the website. The third item that you need to have on your home page is a “what to expect” button. This is the place to express what the music is like as well as majority dress. Having a specific place for them to gain a better picture into your worship service style will help them understand if they want to take the next step and attending in person.
The last thing I want to mention about church websites is the maintenance. If you have skilled professionals in your congregation, ask them for help. Most churches do not, and even if they volunteer their time remember that you need to keep maintenance to a minimum. This is why I recommend having stable information on the church website and push all current and upcoming information to social media channels that are easier and cheaper to keep and maintain. At this point I only recommend low cost, low maintenance, websites for churches.
If you have any questions about church websites or would like me to recommend a church website specialist let me know.
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