Church Website Rant

from website – https://fbceunice.wordpress.com

So we were on our trip to the Creation museum and Amanda was trying to find us some congregations to worship at while on our trip.  She would go to their church website and found this to be very frustrating.  Most church websites fail because they are woefully outdated, and don’t give you the basic information you need.

All churches today should have a website.  If you are meeting regularly in a location you need a website.

The website is your online billboard.  It is an advertisement for you.  You can use your website to do all kinds of things.  You can teach the gospel, share your audio sermons, and allow it to be a place of information for members and visitors, but it is mostly a billboard.  Most of your church members are not going to visit it regularly.  They go when they have a need, typically to find out information.

So what should every church website have on it – bare minimum and easy to find.  Did you read that – “easy to find?”  Put these items on the main home page.  Make them so if people are on their phone and traveling they can easily find them.

1. Your schedule and meeting times.
2. Your location.  Have your address clear and easy to find.  If you can have this address linked to a map like Google Maps or MapQuest then even better!  A picture of your facility is also helpful.
3. Your phone number.

These three items should be easy to find and access on your website. If you do nothing else, but keep these items updated and current then you have done better than many churches.

Some other content for your website would include:

• Access to your bulletin
• A few short paragraphs about your congregation (include what you do in worship and some basic doctrinal beliefs.)
• Information on your minister and other staff members.
• Upcoming events and activities of the church
• Social media presence: (Church Facebook page or Twitter Account).

If you are a leader of your congregation let me encourage you to visit your website.  Consider it from a visitor’s perspective.  Most people will not give you more than a minute to give them the information they are looking for when they visit.

We are representing Christ, let’s not let our website give a bad first impression!