The Do’s & Don’ts of Church Websites
What makes a good church website?
As with anything else you build, you must start with a foundation.
In this case, focus on your purpose. Your website’s purpose is to connect with people.
Imagine your online presence as the church bulletin. Bulletins are used to communicate times, events, news, and more. The downside is that unless you are an in-person member, others don’t have access to the physical copy.
So, how are you going to gain members? Use your website to communicate with not only the people in the community but also people curious about joining. Use our do’s and don’ts as a template to guide your church’s website format.
Do - Showcase a Statement of Faith
One of the most important aspects to showcase on your site will be your affiliation and what you believe in. Are you the right church for the visitor?
Let them know immediately and clearly with an about us or statement of faith. The more personable the statement is, the more comfortable the visitor will be in falling into place with the right community.
This is especially important if there are several churches that use the same name or do not include the denomination in their name. While you might think it is obvious, outsiders and even religious members visiting a new area might not know their beliefs line up if it is not clear.
Do - Keep it Simple
The average time spent navigating a website is less than 15 seconds. It is important to relay a simple message, fast.
Especially those on the outside of the community looking in, people don’t want to search your website for too long. Don’t overflow your pages with too much information.
When a reader has to search for their answers for longer than they’d like, they are likely to switch sources to find it quicker. Keep visitors on your site by showcasing the most valuable information in a clean, simple format.
Don’ts - Detour Visitors
If you have 15 seconds to capture the audience’s attention, give your visitors a clear direction.
Be sure to include a newcomers tab. Giving outsiders a destination creates a welcoming environment that visitors are attracted to.
While active members of your community will visit your site, they are not seeking the same information that someone new to their faith journey might be. Get them started with key information on a delegated page.
Do - Update With New Information
Maintain the website as if it is the weekly bulletin.
If you wouldn’t put outdated information on the physical flyer, don’t neglect your key outreach channel.
Your online presence is equally if not more important than sharing information on paper. If you have new information to input, similarly, delete any old events, times, or news.
Keep your website easy to maintain by following the previous tip of keeping it simple. If there are too many details on any given page, it becomes more difficult to track, and subsequently easier to ignore updating.
Don’t Forget a Call to Action
No website should go without a Call to Action or CTA.
A CTA is a common marketing tool used to guide site users to engage with a given goal.
Maybe you have a CD of worship songs available to buy. Include a ‘Buy Now’ button. If you have a weekly newsletter, add a “Receive our Newsletter” button.
The goal for a CTA is to create an actionable step, it can be as simple as “Submit a Prayer Request.” Of course, the obvious next step you should be asking for is to attend a service. Which brings me to the next tip:
Do Make Your Service Times Clear
If the ultimate goal of this outreach tool is to attract newcomers into your services, make it obvious.
The visitor should not be left wondering where to go and when to be there. This is when good maintenance comes into play.
While there might be a regularly scheduled time, such as Sunday mass, include special services that may be irregular. Annually, Christmas, Easter, or other Holy Days of Obligation schedules may change.
Don’t leave outdated service times on your website and risk an interruption during the middle of mass.
With these tips, you can create an engaging and effective website for not only your parish, but new members.
Drive new community members by giving them access to newcomer information. Let repeat visitors interact with their community by submitting prayer requests. Most importantly, use these tools to create a welcoming environment for all site users that will attract them back into the church.