Church Web Sites
Pick which description applies to you:
"My church doesn't have a web site at all."
Without a web site, your church isn't "in the game." You lack the fundamental visibility that most people today expect. So, if you don't have a web site at your church, start one today!
"My church put up a basic web site a few years ago and hasn't changed it."
The Internet changes faster than the weather. New technology arrives, new design norms appear, new expectations of what a site will offer appear. If your site looks dated, then your entire enterprise will come across as dated. That's just the way it is in the Internet world.
Three steps:
- Examine the sites you visit often (your bank, your favorite stores, Yahoo, Microsoft). Not other church sites, but the sites your current and prospective constituents use and consider normal.
- Compare these sites to your church web site. Don't be sentimental or lenient; be as rigorous as any web citizen is likely to be.
- If your site comes up short -- looks old-fashioned, lacks functionality, loads slowly, seems too wordy or lifeless -- then change it immediately.
"My church has a great web site!"
Make it better. And tell people about it. Your web site is your new church sign, your new visible presence in the world. Prospective members will visit your web site before they visit a Sunday service.
Don't hesitate to use a professional developer. Your web site isn't a place to be saving money.
For an in-depth look at church web sites, please go to the Communications Strategy section of the Church Wellness Project.
