Do I Even Need a Church Website?

Each church out there is probably in a different place when it comes to a website. Some churches have websites, some don't. Some updated their website this morning, while others may have not updated their website in a year. Some might have websites that don't actually serve a purpose. That's probably not what you were expecting me to say.

Now, I would bet that most churches could benefit from a website in some form or another. But, each church needs to work on developing a strategy based on their current situation, with a vision for where they want to be in the future. For most churches, that will probably include a website. However, each church needs to ask themselves these questions:

1. Who is looking at my website?

2. What information are they trying to find?

Websites communicate information: contact information, the story of who the church is, events and announcements, etc. The internet is a gold mine of information. Whenever someone needs to find out information about a topic or relating to a question they may have - they go to Google. When someone is looking for a new church, most likely they will look it up online. If they want to find out information relating to a church, they're going to go look online. If they can't find your website, if it's hard to navigate, or if it doesn't look aesthetically pleasing, more often than not, they're going to go somewhere else.

When developing your website, you need to keep the above questions in mind. Tailor your website and content to your audience and the information they are looking for. Make pertinent information easy to find: contact information, service time, staff information, what to expect if they attend, the calendar, etc. If it's not easy to find, chances are that visitors will miss key information.

You also need to make your website beautiful. In this age filled with technology and endless resources, people have come to expect a high level of usability and design. It has become a standard to expect companies and organizations to create beautiful websites and content, and too often they abandon a website if it is not beautiful. As Christians, I believe that we are called to a higher standard of excellence than the culture around us. Regardless of if more people will stay on your website because it looks pleasing, we ought to create beautiful websites because we are made in Christ's image. Just as his creation is full of beauty and wonder, we should strive to make all that we create full of beauty and wonder.

However, sometimes taking on a website can be a daunting task! Maybe you don't have the time to devote to creating a website, maybe you aren't sure how to even go about it. The good news is that there are people and resources available to help you out. I'd love to help you out. If you're interested in a free website consultation, head over to my contact page and shoot me an email, I'd love to help your church develop an excellent, beautiful website.