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Good church websites contain content that both the members and visitors find useful.  If your website doesn't inform the reader where they can find your church or how to contact you, then it won’t be very useful to them and your traffic will diminish.  Here’s a checklist of the essential items that all church websites should have in order to see great results.

 

People that may want to associate with your church, like potential members, want to know first what you believe in to see if it coincides with their beliefs.  You could write your faith statement as part of your About Us section.  However, ensure the statement is easy to understand and welcome everyone who is reading it to visit your ministry.

 

When a new Christian in your area is interested in joining your church, you should make it as easy as possible for them to find it.  Thus, be sure to have a clear address description that includes the street and also a postal address in case someone wants to send you mail.  Additionally, if you want to make it really clear for people to get to your church, implement a Google map into the website.

 

On the services page, describe the weekly services for new visitors to know the specific days and times so they never miss out on hearing a sermon.  Other services like counseling sessions or baptisms might seem trivial but they need to be included if they’re held on a regular basis.

 

Sometimes making detailed announcements during the service can be time-consuming and boring for the congregation.  But, a page that is dedicated to posting announcements can solve the problem.  If you have an upcoming event or plan to expand the church, that’s where the information should go.  As a general rule, try to keep the content on your church website simple by using easy words and don’t hesitate to include pictures or videos to show your worship teams in action.

Like a great church website design, the right social media strategy can help you engage and keep your online audience.  Even though many churches try to engage their followers, they are unsuccessful and this is often because they mainly publish self-promoting posts or use the wrong techniques.  If you’re struggling to improve your social media presence, the following tactics should be helpful to your ministry.

 

Before you turn to social media and update your followers about the ministry, consider how each message will be perceived.  When you always post about your services, you might give the impression that you only want to promote the church.  As a result, engagement could slowly dwindle and your social media presence might suffer.

Instead, post valuable information on how you’re changing the community as a whole.  Likewise, offer constructive solutions so you come across as a church that truly cares.  That way, you not only engage your followers but also attract the attention of other people on social media.

 

Perhaps you have a great worship session or some unique counseling service that brings families together using a new approach.  Rather than telling people to join so they too can enjoy the benefits, it might be better to just celebrate the achievements.  Once people think about the many wonderful experiences they could have, they won’t need to be lured to your church as they will come on their own.

 

Inspire your followers with quotes from famous authors and scripture.  The best approach is to use thought-provoking messages that make people want to voice their opinions.  For instance, you could talk about procrastination and use a new perspective to help your followers deal with it.

If you want to enhance your social media presence, it will require effort, patience, and persistence.  Publish posts on a regular basis but don’t overwhelm your audience with too much information.  Additionally, ensure your church website design is exquisite so people have a good impression of your ministry when they follow a link on social media.

Are you struggling to capture your congregation’s attention when making announcements?  This is a problem that many church leaders deal with and want to improve about their ministry.  Unless you have a great strategy for issuing an announcement, most members will rarely remember what was said and not get the overall message.  By avoiding the following hurdles, you can transform your announcements from boring to interesting and informative.

 

Perhaps the people that give announcements have a habit of taking the audience on a long journey where they present too many facts.  For example, if you’re talking to church members about a new building project, there’s no need of naming the contractors one by one.

Instead, avoid unnecessary storylines and keep each announcement as brief as possible by getting to the point while maintaining clarity.  One alternative that pastors should consider is to use ministry websites for posting the full details.  Rather than talking about an issue in detail, ask members to visit the ministry website for more information.

 

Many ministries ask their members to take action without thinking it through.  While asking for responses, they use body language that tells a member they don’t really want a reply.  If you’re asking your congregation to volunteer for a certain project, make sure you look passionate about it or the announcement might not be effective.

Try telling members exactly what you need them to do and be confident while doing so.  Additionally, let them know what’s at stake or they may assume everything will turn out fine regardless.

 

If you use excess religious jargon when issuing announcements, you will likely confuse most members and visitors.  As a result, they might end up losing interest in what you’re saying so consider using vocabulary that a 4th grader would understand.  Ultimately, churches that want their announcements to be interesting must keep them concise and reserve the details for ministry websites!

With National Back to Church Sunday right around the corner, it’s a great time to think about outreach and how to attract more visitors to your church.  One of the most important tasks as a church is to spread the word of God to as many people as possible.  While traditional methods like word of mouth and direct mail still work, digital outreach is by far the best method in today’s increasingly digital society.

 

Church websites are one of the most effective means of connecting with your existing congregation while reaching out to a new audience.  Especially when you consider that the internet is currently the most helpful search tool for people throughout the world.  Think about placing your sermons on your church website and display other relevant information such as your address, contact number, and the order of services.

 

Social media is undoubtedly the number one meeting place in the world according to several sources.  For that reason, create a Facebook page and open an account on other popular social platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to connect with your followers.  The key to success on social media is to post regularly and engage your followers in discussions that provide value to their life.  Remember, video and images are highly effective nowadays for attracting an audience.

 

Emailing is still a valuable tool, and by using it strategically, you could not only spread the message of salvation but also see your congregation grow.  Keep your regular attendees updated on specific matters of the church like the progress of future projects and follow up with new visitors.

When you combine these methods, it ensure's you reach new people while keeping your existing church members engaged.  Church websites are the perfect place for showcasing your ministry so try using your social media presence and your email campaign to send traffic there.

Churches nowadays understand the importance of mobile-friendly ministry websites better than ever.  But even though many are installing measures to help members access their online platforms easily, there’s no escaping one choice.  That is whether or not to use mobile websites or mobile apps or maybe both.  This article explains the difference between the two and helps you choose what suits your church best.

 

These are websites that have either been constructed for use on mobile devices or designed with responsiveness that allows adjustments based on the device used to access them.  Most ministry websites use the latter principle, adjusting themselves appropriately whether users visit them using a computer, a tablet, or a smartphone.

 

Unlike mobile websites, which are accessible using a web browser, mobile applications have to be downloaded and installed on the user’s device.  After doing so, then they can be utilized so users are able to connect with your church on a more personal level.  Through the mobile app, there are several other features you can make available to members.

 

Since mobile websites are easily accessible, they give you a wide reach and are helpful when passing along a general message.  If you’re looking to publicize your church or spread the gospel to as many people as possible, it’s best to use a mobile website.  Mobile apps are for personalization, and they usually help you connect with members of your congregation or those that donate to your ministry.

A mobile app is extremely useful when it comes to issuing notifications, organizing bible studies, and receiving tithes.  So, which option should you choose?  If you don’t already have a mobile website, having one made for you must be your first priority.  Afterwards, focus on developing a mobile app while keeping in mind that users quickly drop mobile apps that are unresponsive or too complex.

For one reason or another, some members of your church might be unable to attend a Sunday service.  You might have a camera in place and a church website design that allows members to view the service live from home, and that’s a great strategy.  But, haven’t you seen church services where the camera was pointed at the podium the entire time?
Normally, those scenarios result from using a single camera which most people quickly lose interest in.  If you want to keep your audience engaged, try using several cameras to provide a comprehensive view of the service.  Here’s how to do it.

 

To get started, you need a good camera that has at least 1080p HD quality and zoom, a switcher, an audio interface, and a capture device for getting video from the camera to the computer.  Depending on the funds of your church, you may not be able to invest in professional level equipment since it requires a serious budget.  Be prepared to spend at least $2500 for these items and keep in mind that quality is a vital factor when it comes to video.

 

Aside from switchers, consider getting all the required components online as you will have a vast range of products and brands to choose from there.  You have both hardware and software options for the switchers, but the latter is better due to associated convenience and cost efficiency.  For instance, Telestream’s Wirecast Studio sells for about $700 and comes with a variety of functions like adding graphic overlays.

Perhaps you lack the knowledge for setting up cameras, and there may be some technical difficulties that arise even when the system is running.  Ask within your congregation to see if there are tech experts that might be willing to assist.  Also, have a church website design expert optimize your ministry website for video so viewers get the best all-around experience!

Growth is a subject that many churches are not willing to discuss, and in fact, some churches rudely object the idea of ministry growth.  While big churches are investing in technology like church websites, other small churches want to maintain the status quo.  The following explains why various churches dislike the word growth and explores possible perspectives that might help them reconsider their stand.

 

Some members and pastors of smaller churches in less populated areas work very hard and serve faithfully, but the church still doesn't expand in most cases.  Consequently, they end up feeling like their effort is wasted and quit trying to boost the size of the congregation.

When a discussion about church growth comes up, the pastor and key members might feel uncomfortable and assume a sour grapes mentality to ignore the idea.  Solely because they were unable to achieve growth, they make it appear bad and claim it’s against biblical principles to be greedy.

 

A few ministries believe that when a bigger ministry shows ups, it will cause members from their congregation to change their place of worship.  As a result, they see no need in trying to gain more members since those who are gained could be lost to bigger churches.  Like any other organization though, a church should focus on offering value as that makes a difference whether a member leaves or remains loyal.

Big churches use church websites as a means of facilitating communication among members while reaching out to a larger audience.  Additionally, they use these websites to inform and entertain their followers weekly.  If you can offer this level of value, you will not only keep more people around but also gain new members.  Every church has the capacity to grow that is willing to make attitude changes and use the latest technology.

Like any other organization, a ministry needs to embrace certain behaviors in order to succeed.  For instance, many successful churches are utilizing ministry websites to reach out to a larger audience and attract more members while spreading the gospel.  This post suggests a few behavioral tactics you can use to improve the overall experience of your services.

 

Often, members of a church’s worship team and prayer group are probably not getting paid for their time as they’re volunteers from the congregation.  In most cases, they have jobs or businesses to run so they might forget about a meeting scheduled for next Saturday.  If a few members of the worship team fail to show up, there’s likely to be chaos.

To avoid such problems, consider adopting multiple communication lines that are effective and easy to use.  Messenger apps, emailing, and text messaging are some of the tools you can employ to issue updates as well as reminders for upcoming events.  A strategy that always works is to send a reminder on the evening before the day of the event.  Many churches also use ministry websites for communicating with their members.

 

There are numerous worship songs all over the internet, both old and new.  But, if you observe carefully, you will realize that most of the top ministries use a specific system of songs that work for them.  Look for songs that suit your church perfectly to keep your congregation engaged and ensure there are specific selections used on Sunday in an alternating fashion.

Finally, realize that your church would have a difficult time without the services of dedicated worship leaders and other volunteers.  While you may not have the finances to reward them with money, it’s important to reinforce positive behavior for the ministry to thrive.  Let them know just how much you greatly appreciate their contributions through emails, announcements, public addresses, and newsletters.

Before a potential member ever steps foot in your church, they are likely to browse the internet for information to help them decide which church they should attend.  What better way to show them your ministry is best for them than to have a great church website?  Here are some elements your church website needs to have in order to be helpful to visitors and members.

 

With any website, you should always consider the ideal audience you want to attract.  Think about the age and location of the individuals for whom your church website is intended.  It needs to appeal to your target audience and to do that, you should envision what they prefer and bring them into the picture.  That way, you will know the precise church website design to implement, as well as the kind of message to relay on the website.

 

Content should be uploaded that clearly informs the audience of most aspects about the ministry.  If a visitor wants to contact you, what method should they use?  Perhaps someone wants to make a donation, or a member wants to pay the tithes via online.  Be sure to display the details on how they can make their contribution.  Aside from that, consider displaying the order of services as a reminder for members and visitors.

Additionally, high-quality pictures and videos make the church website design more appealing as it adds life to the text.  For instance, upload pictures that show what your church is like so new visitors can get an idea of what to expect when they attend a service.  Content should be engaging so visitors are compelled to visit your church.

Also, try placing a video or a link to a video of a live sermon on the church website.  Often, a video that shows the volunteering works of the ministry is highly effective towards securing more members so ensure that kind of video is on the website!

According to a reputable source, Facebook had over two billion active users as of March 2018.  With that in mind, consider the impact videos make as they are gaining popularity and that more than two thirds of the people in your area are likely on Facebook.  Posting live video often should be a part of any church’s Facebook page to attract more people to the church.  Here are additional reasons why this form of content might be beneficial for your ministry.

 

Have you noticed how organic posts are being discovered less frequently than before?  It appears that Facebook is prioritizing live video when choosing what kind of content to display before the audience.  If you’re looking to boost your views on Facebook, you’re more likely to achieve it with live video.  Some churches have reported over 100 times more views while posting live videos than when using organic posts.

 

Have you wondered why social media networks are pushing live videos?  One of the main reasons they do this is because they have discovered it gains the attention of most people.  Your followers are ten times more likely to comment on or like your live video than a pre-recorded video.

When people engage with the video, they usually want to know more about your church.  This might indicate that they enjoy the content in your videos and would like to attend a service or follow your website versus other church websites.

 

Based on research, audiences are preferring videos that reveal what happens behind the scenes to regular broadcasts.  When they see these videos, they often get access to unique content and get a sense of reality.  Try filming a video that shows how church members prepare for a Sunday service.

The ultimate goal of using live video is to improve the ministry so more people notice the church rather than just get likes and comments.  For that reason, be sure to ask people to check out your church website when using live video so they forget about other church websites.