Must Haves for Your Church’s Website

 Does your church have a website? If yes, you’re off to a great start if you are looking for a way to inform visitors about your ministry, update your  service times and show pictures of your community events. According to IMinistries.org, on average nearly half of your church’s website traffic  comes from new visitors. Also, 46% of church attendees believe your website affects their decision to attend, so it seems obvious that your ministry  website is crucial to increasing your congregation’s reach.

Here are some questions to ask if you are hoping to make your church website even better:

Does my church website use responsive design?

If you’re wondering what responsive design entails, here is a helpful resource to get you started.  It basically means that whatever you are working hard to put on your website is able to be seen on all devices. Responsive design means that you don’t have to change your content just to fit it on an iPhone versus a laptop. Additionally, responsive design has become a key component in Google’s ranking algorithm.

Does my church website have relevant content?

One of the best things you can do for your church website is to keep it updated with relevant content. While your church potluck from two years ago had a good turnout, your website visitors will want to see what you’ve been up to recently. Teaching other staff members how to update your website will help, that way you can have updated information without spending too much of your time making sure it is put on the website.

Is my church website easy to navigate?

What are the key messages you want to relay to your audience? If you are marketing your site to be visitor-friendly, find out what your visitors would want to know up front. Service times, mission statements, staff bios and other general information pages are a great start. For your congregation members, make sure you have your social media buttons, recent sermons and online giving links readily available if your church has this service.

What have you found to be helpful when it comes to developing your church website? Share your thoughts in the comments below.