Want to communicate better to your members and community? Try improving your website.
Here are four church website improvements to add to the top of your to-do list. Why? We’ve moved from reliance on a print hub (i.e. church bulletin) to a digital hub; therefore, people prefer getting information from a website rather than being forced to locate printed material. A church website is only a simple click on a phone.
You should be able to change content on your church website. If not, forward this article to whoever does! These church website improvements will benefit every church ministry, as well as attract guests to consider your church, since visitors like to peruse your website before deciding to attend!
1. Give your congregation what they want as quickly as possible. Based on church website metrics, we know church members look for 3 things on church websites: a) times and location, b) team page and lastly, they want c) “Calendar” or “Events” in the main menu leading to a listing of church activities. So, add main service times (including online or on-demand links) and a map link (for directions to your location) near the top of your home page. Some place it in their top header area so it’s on every page. Then, make sure you have a “Team” page under an “About” main menu item. Your web audience wants to know who is in charge of a ministry, some brief information about each team member and how to contact them. Lastly, simplify an “Events” page, making your event listing clear so it states who’s invited. It’s probably wise to have the option to view the events on a calendar. Adding that link requires a few more steps, but it’s worth it.
2. Give potential guests what they want as quickly as possible. Guests want to know service times and clear directions (see #1). And interestingly, they’re looking for a team page too. They want to SEE the team and know a few important things about each leader. It helps them decide if they’d feel comfortable under your leadership. Ensure you have clear, current, similarly-cropped images. They’ll judge what they see; so head-and-shoulders is best. Finally, visitors want an “About” or “New to this church” page to describe your organization. So, after you do the church website improvements above, add these pages, giving them important church information, why you want them to visit and finish with benefits of attending this church. Show pictures or videos of a service, main entry area, or other locations they’ll experience.
3. Edit every page’s content so Google loves them. Pages need a main headline describing the page as it would be searched for. Resist sub brands (i.e. Awanas) and use searchable keywords such as “Kids’ Weekly Ministry.” Then use those exact words from the headline at least 3 times on the page—especially once at the first of the initial paragraph. Resist long paragraphs and use bullet points to keep the information scannable and brief. Google wants every page to be a bit longer than 300 words, and wants 2-3 links to other pages on your website that would interest the reader. Since no one reads entire pages, think about the story your headline, subheads, links and bullets create.
4. Google your denomination plus “church name” (i.e. First Baptist) and check this little known area. After you get your Google results page from your search, scroll down to the “people also ask” area. This suggests what enquiries are being made in your community about your denomination. Add these questions along with the answers to your “About” page. Or you may want to create a “FAQ” (Frequently Asked Questions) page or area on your website for these and others. This will help Google link people to your website for answers to their questions. They may discover their church home, and Jesus!
These improvements will go a long way to help communicate better with your members and your community.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Mark MacDonald is a communication pastor, speaker, consultant, bestselling author, church branding strategist for BeKnownforSomething.com and Executive Director of Center for Church Communication, empowering 10,000+ churches to become known for something relevant throughout their ministries, websites, and social media. His book, Be Known for Something, is available at BeKnownBook.com.)
