E-Commerce
As Internet users become more comfortable with buying and paying on line, Multichannel Churches have an opportunity to enhance their efforts with e-commerce.
Seen broadly, e-commerce enables your constituents to:
- Sign up for events and, if a fee is involved, make payment.
- Purchase church materials, such as books. You don't need to have a space or inventory to have a lively book store or gift shop.
- Make their financial commitment.
- Pay their financial commitment, by one-time or recurring transactions (credit card, bank draft).
- Make special donations.
- Send funds to mission or relief projects.
You can pair e-commerce with other features. For example,
- Allow online voting for church officers -- and then enable members to make a financial contribution toward leadership training.
- Send a report on a youth mission trip -- and then invite constituents to make a donation toward next year's trip.
Such transaction do more than enhance fund-raising. They enable all constituents to feel a sense of belonging and participation. Even shut-ins, seasonal visitors and off-site participants can deepen their ties by making a contribution.
