A Visitor's View of Church Websites

Most of the churches we attend are small churches.  Most of them do not have anyone who sits in the office.  If you call to leave a message, the message may not be received until much later. Even if the service times are on the answering machine, how do people get the phone number in the first place? The web, however, has often been the means we have used to find out about churches.  As the number of people who do not have a landline phone grows the web will become even more important as the first point of contact for a church. There are some things that churches should consider if they are going to maximize the benefit of their website.  As someone who is frequently visiting new churches, here are some things you may want to do.

Your most important reader is someone new to the area or an unchurched person looking for a church so your home/first page should include the following in a prominent location, large font, contrasting box.
   
     1. Service Times
     2. Physical Address - linked to a mapping program if possible.

Do not bury these in "About Us" or "Contact Us". The more a prospective visitor needs to work to find these two essential pieces of information the more likely they will be to pass by your church in their search.

This information will allow a prospective visitor to quickly determine when to visit and where the church is located, how long it takes to get there, etc.

It is also helpful to put "branding" information in a prominent place on an "About Us" page. Including your denominational affiliation, or independent status. Words like "Independent", "Fundamental", "Evangelical" will help prospective visitors who care about these things evaluate your church.

If you have a calendar page keep it up to date, and include location information for any off site events.

1. Don't leave up announcements for things that have already passed.
2. If your weekly schedule changes, change it on the calendar.  Don't encourage someone to come to a service that has been cancelled or moved.

If you have an e-mail contact on the web site make sure you monitor that e-mail and respond promptly to questions. Remember that prospective visitors may have left e-mails with several churches in the area. It can also be a good means to initiate a gospel presentation.

View your site with as many browsers as possible to ensure it works in all of them. Do not forget to consider smartphone users. Many new movers will not have a phonebook, a landline phone or internet service when they conduct their first church search. Many will turn to their smartphone first. Find out how your web site looks on iPhones, Androids and BlackBerrys.

Professional web designers like to put in lots of graphics, moving elements and even music. Remember these all take up bandwidth and slow down a web site, or make it functional on fewer platforms. The primary purpose of a church web site is not to entertain but to inform. If a picture, video or piece of music does not convey information about your church find an element to replace it that does inform the reader. 

When I was a pastor I would "Google" my church name and the terms a prospective visitor might use at least once a year. I wanted to know what was out there about my church, and whether a visitor looking for a church would find us easily. Put yourself in a visitor's shoes and see if you can easily find out how to get to one of your services, and what to expect when you get there. In Maine once a year was often enough, in a major metropolitan area more often may be needed.

My last comment is not about the web, but the church signage. Please put your service schedule on the sign. I know modern signage ordinances make that nearly impossible in some municipalities, but posting a professional looking sign on or next to the front door will at least get the information to those willing to drive up and look. I have not visited some churches because there is not enough information available on the sign or the web to determine when the services are. If I as a motivated church seeker can't find the information, the average unchurched person will be unlikely to darken the door of those churches.

--Charlie