The first thing most people see about your church is its website, so making it appealing and easy to navigate is crucial. A modern interface will go a long way, so make sure your website is up to date and aesthetically pleasing. We know that website creation can feel like an impossibly difficult task, but the good news is you don’t have to do it alone.
With many online resources available to help you create your own church website, you are more equipped than ever to take the leap and go online. Whether you are a small community church or a large sprawling network, a website will transform the way you and your congregation interact, making communication easier than ever before.
Read on for our top tips when building an effective church website.
Communication Is Key
The most important thing to consider when creating a powerful website is whether or not it achieves its central purpose. This may sound obvious, but countless websites fail to communicate to the viewer, leaving them to feel more confused than informed. Make sure your information is clearly laid out with subheadings and useful links so that visitors feel satisfied after they go online.
Less is more when adding content to your website, as large chunks of text will often go unread. People tend to skim over boring-looking information, so instead, break it down. Who are you? What is your central message? What do you do? There are only a few pieces of information that online visitors genuinely want to know, so make it clear, concise, and to the point.
Create a Welcoming Environment
If your website is the first place potential members come to when deciding whether or not your church is for them, it is vital to make the website inviting. So, display news of your upcoming events loud and clear on the homepage with specific details of date, time, and location, and make certain that people know they are invited to come along too.
On top of this, why not include a gallery section with photos of your previous events? A picture speaks a thousand words, so seeing big smiles and happy faces on their screens will help new attendees to visualize themselves there too. Plus, it provides a platform for you to share images with your regular church attendees so they can see the photos of past events easily.
Designing a Church Logo
The power of a logo is huge, as it brings everything together under one consistent image. Creating one is a great moment for your church’s creativity to shine, as a logo should encapsulate the central message of your community. There are countless different ways to do this, and the key thing to keep in mind is that your logo should be a symbol you can rely on.
Once you have your logo sorted, upload it onto your website and let it take center stage. This memorable identifying mark will assist the goals and visions of your church through its consistency, so make sure it's featured on all of your signs, letters, emails, and more. You may already have a solid logo for your church, now make sure it's always visible.
The Next Step: Building an App
If you have had great success with your church website, why not take it to the next level with an app specially created for your community? These days, most people have a smartphone, and clicking on an app is much easier than searching for a website. People are getting lazier as we have everything at our fingertips, so adapt your church to this change with an app to go with it.
Boost communication channels by giving people access to your online platform at just a click of a button. With an app, you can send push notifications to encourage regular engagement while sharing important news too. Make your online community more dynamic with an easy-to-use app that enhances church communication systems too.
Church Management Software
If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, we have good news. Many church management software options will do all of this for you! Tithe.ly is a great church website builder option if you are looking for help with any of these things, as they allow you to effortlessly create a website for church using aesthetic templates that will be appealing to every member.
Interested in taking it a step further and building an app? Ch Meetings allows you to create a unique app for your church that’s branded to your central identity to boost engagement. It will feature your logo as its thumbnail, your church name on the app, and will be totally yours. Custom-build your own app to take your church to the next level.
Your church’s website design acts as a digital front door, so make sure the central principles of your community are expressed on the homepage. Good church website design means breaking up the information clearly with different pages and links, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming to read. If you feel out of your depth, why not equip the help of an all-around ChMS that will provide countless other benefits too?