Church Website Design | Part 1

Pray, then pray some more then have your members pray for God’s wisdom and will for your church. After you finish that then go Pray again, I am serious, that is the most important thing you can do.

Websites for churches are very different than a business website but also have many things in common.

Website for a business?

• A business website is designed to bring people to buy your product
• A business website is designed to drive customers to your location
• A business website is designed to make people aware of your business and your services.
• A business website is designed with a lot of thought and planning
• A business website needs to be well planned and designed so people can easily find what they are seeking.
• A business website targets your customer avatar to those most likely to purchase from you.
• A business website needs to be easily found on Google and other search engines.

Website for a church:

• A church website needs to bring people to seek Christ
• A church website is designed to bring people to your campus
• A church website needs to make people aware of your church and your service and missions
• A church website needs to be well planned and designed so people can find easily about your church.
• A church website should be targeting your community likely to attend your services
• A church website needs to be easily found on Google and other search engines.

Wait a minute, those are not major differences, in fact they are very similar in some respects. The only difference is what we offer has a permanent warranty, is free, but more important than any product or service it will last for an eternity. It will never disappoint you and will never fail you. Our Christ will comfort you when you are sad and He will bring you peace when you are mad.

As I said in my previous post, we need to use today’s technology to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Today almost every person has a computer or smartphone. People under 70 frequently use the internet to search for information. New people moving into town are likely use the internet to find a church before choosing one to visit.

How do I get started?

The first thing you need to do is sit down from the perspective of someone who does not have a clue who you are and where your campus is located. Think from the prospective of a new person, who has moved into town, and is looking for a church home. You need to think like a prospective new member. What groups are available to best serve them and where can they can serve. Do a lot of planning and then do more planning. I cannot stress it enough, planning before you do anything else, before you write one word of content. A church website needs to almost be two sites that are interlinked. One for the potential visitor and another for the member who needs information or resources.

 

Who are These People?

You cannot get everyone in the world into your front door, so you need to think about who in your community you are trying to serve. You will get an idea by looking at your current members. Are they mostly in their 60’s or are they young families in their 20’s and 30’s. What type music do they like? Do they dress in coats and ties or more casual? Who makes up the community around you? Most people are not going to drive 50 miles to attend your church, so look in a 1-20 mile radius.

What is your message?

The message is already given, Preach and Teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If that is not what you are doing, then you need to find your foundation again. Does your church have a vision statement or mission statement that is clear to everyone? At Shearer Presbyterian Church, ours is “Knowing Christ and Making Him Known to Our Community and the World”. Your vision statement is the general focus for your website. Everything on it should lead or point to that vision. It makes you unique from any other church. If you do not have a vision statement, then do one as soon as possible. It gives you focus for all you do in your particular church.

I hope you find these insights useful and enlightening. My point is don’t just throw up a website and hope for the best. It can be a huge asset to your church. I am trying to keep these post short, so, not to bore you too much at one time.

God Bless

David Christian, RE

Part 2 next week will be on an expansion on planning a website