Why Your Church Needs A Good Website

As the Internet becomes more prevalent in our society, it has become commonplace to turn to the Internet for shopping, finding directions, researching products, and even to find a church or seek answers to spiritual questions. As churches and Christian Ministries begin to understand this dynamic, they are increasingly beginning to understand the importance and the need for an effective web presence – not just a web site, but a real presence on the web.

A web presence is more than just a nice looking web site with fancy graphics or flashy pictures. It is a way to connect to your audience and draw them in. An effective web presence provides a way to build trust in your ministry. It explains why what you have to offer is relevant to them.

Having a quality web presence is essential to a successful online endeavor. In many cases your website will be the visitor’s first impression of your church. Therefore, it is essential that your website reflects who you are, your qualities and your personality as a church. If not, your website may be the visitor’s only impression of who you are.

Our goal is to aid your church or ministry in developing a more successful web presence. We will equip you to better reach your audience. The more educated you are in your approach the more likely you will be to succeed in your efforts. And ultimately, the more successful you will be in playing your part in building God’s kingdom.

Key things to consider in developing your web presence:

1. Set your goals. These should be directly in line with the main goals of your ministry or church. Make sure they’re measurable. Establishing your goals drives the rest of the website affecting decisions on your content, functionality, design, promotion, and more.
2. Target your audience. This helps you to focus on their needs. You need to understand who your audience is and how best to meet their needs.
3. Focus your content . Websites need substance. Your content should meet your audience’s needs and help them make informed decisions.
4. Express your reality . Your web presence is a reflection of who you are. Show that you pursue excellence in all you do. Explain your relevance and keep it consistent through all of your ‘corporate’ materials.
5. Streamline your design.
   • Navigation. Clear, consistent navigation makes it easy for your visitors to find exactly what they need.
   • Graphics and other Design Elements. A picture is worth a thousand words. Use graphics strategically to better convey your message. Optimize your graphics file size to ensure quick downloads and a better experience for your visitor.
   • Layout. Visitors will rarely be patient enough to read long, drawn out pages. Providing headings and quick, concise content allows readers to obtain the basic information and determine whether they want to read further.
   • Accessibility. Your website should be available to as broad an audience as possible. Consider those with vision impairments and those who use wireless devices, such as cell phones and PDA’s. You don’t want to miss out on large numbers of people because your website isn’t appropriately equipped.
6. Increase your website traffic. You want people to find you. Consider search engines, links from other sites, printed use of your web address, using your own branded email and other strategies to drive traffic to your site.
7. Call to action . Encourage your audience to visit or to contact you. Make it easy. Provide multiple ways to contact you and be sure that you respond.

The world isn’t static. Reconsider your web presence every six to twelve months. If you have added new ministry opportunities, if your church or ministry is moving in a new direction, this will enable you to stay in step.

We are dedicating this newsletter to being a katalyst for your online success. We welcome your feedback: ResultsKatalyst Feedback. Stay tuned for upcoming issues as we explore each of these areas in more depth.

We would love to assist you in taking these essential steps. Call us at 1-800-686-5385 or contact us via email.

Donald Cranford has been in Marketing, Product Development and Product Management in the technology industry for 14 years. He founded Katalyst Solutions in 2004 to assist churches, non-profits and small businesses in succeeding online.