Website Tips

Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid on Your Church Website

Is your church Website a strategic part of your ministry? The most innovative churches have figured out simple truths about effective Web design. Want your site to bear fruit? If so, then here are 10 things to avoid!

10. Don't play music or videos on your home page without warning. It's a big

no-no and users will leave your site quickly. What to do instead: offer media content for your users who click to view it-allow them to request it before it plays.

9. Don't overlook your outdated content. There are few things less professional than a Website with last month's information. What to do instead: use a content management platform that can help you automate when information starts and stops appearing on your site.

8. Don't have just one person editing the whole site. This can create bottlenecks, over-reliance on a single person, and a crisis if/when that person is not available. What to do instead: Share editing responsibilities with your ministry teams. Give each of them a login to edit the content in their sections of the site, but retain control using a workflow management tool.

7. Don't vary your navigation from page to page. Users should always know where they are and how they got there. What to do instead: keep a clean, visible set of navigation options that are consistent throughout your site. Also consider the use of "breadcrumbs" or other navigational aids.

6. Don't use a splash/intro page. Users do NOT want to sit through a video or presentation; they have come to get your content! What to do instead: use your home page to communicate newcomer info, and allow users to click on the links that interest them most.

5. Avoid large photos of your church building on the home page. Not only do these take up lots of space, but they send a message that buildings are more important than people. What to do instead: Include an "our location" page where you can place images of your building. Or, if you have an iconic building that people in your town would recognize, then artfully integrate images of the building into the desing framework tastefully.

4. Reduce or eliminate the number of photos of your pastor on the home page. Churches who over-emphasize the pastor tend to impute a celebrity status to their pastor, which can be off-putting to visitors who are looking for solid, authentic Biblical community where Jesus is the focus. What to do instead: include a single photo of the pastor on your home page, or just have a link to "Welcome message from our pastor." People want to know who the pastor is, but he shouldn't be the center of attention.

3. Don't use proprietary video formats, or make your visitors download a media file before they can watch it. Formats like Quicktime and Windows Media and RealMedia are not mainstream for all users. If you use them, some of your visitors will encounter confusion and frustration. What to do instead: we recommend standardizing on Flash as your primary video format, since it is nearly ubiquitous on both Mac and Windows.

2. Don't be anonymous! Users want to know basic information about your location, your staff, and your phone number. What do to instead: Make sure that visitors can clearly see where you're located, who you are, and how to contact you.

1. Don't forget that your Website is a ministry platform for Jesus Christ! Treat everything you put online as if you are giving God your best.

These tips are brought to you by the team at SiteOrganic. SiteOrganic is the only church Website solution that delivers The Organic Blend of smart design, easy tools, helpful service, and effortless integration with the latest technologies. Contact our experts today to find out how we can help you make your Website the most strategic part of your ministry communications portfolio.