3 Mistakes Churches Make When Designing Their Websites
You can’t expect visitors to come to your church if they can’t find out when the services take place. Newcomers are also hesitant to visit when they aren’t sure what to expect. Perhaps they’re wondering:
Is this church more casual and contemporary or formal and liturgical?
Will I feel out of place?
Will I hear a message that is in line with my core beliefs?
Can I wear jeans?
Do they have a special service for kids?
Effective messaging is important to any business, whether it’s a medical practice, a shopping site, or a non-profit organization. We especially love working with churches! When a religious organization comes to us for a website redesign, we often notice a few mistakes on the current site that are easy to fix with the new site creation.
Don’t Make These 3 Mistakes
1. Failure to make vital information easy to find from the home page
We suggest having a home page menu that is easy to navigate so visitors will be able to find what they need with one click. Some important information to include:
• Service times
• Physical address
• Phone number and email
• Important announcements such as service cancellations or changes due to inclement weather
2. Failure to make the site mobile-friendly
By mobile-friendly, we mean that the site should provide an excellent user experience on a phone or tablet. There’s no arguing that more and more people are searching the internet on mobile devices compared to desktops and laptops. In fact, roughly three out of every five searches are conducted on mobile devices. With that in mind, it’s crucial to think of your mobile design first.
In addition to looking great, a mobile friendly site:
• Makes it easier for the user to find important information
• Eliminates the need for “zooming” and “pinching”
• Is much easier to read
• Can be accessed across all devices
• Adjusts for the size of the screen, so you won’t have to scroll right or left
3. Failure to use quality photos
Your church is much more than a mere building, so why do so many church sites have a fuzzy picture of their chapel front and center? If there are pictures of congregants, they are often blurry, as if taken from a phone and uploaded without editing or adjustments.
Whenever possible, use professional photos of actual members. This not only helps your design, but it also assists visitors by helping them find a familiar, friendly face when they attend. Your photographer can highlight how you worship – whether it’s with an electric guitar or a pipe organ.
While quality headshots of the pastor and staff are very important, they should not be on the first page of your website design. Most visitors or potential new members want to know if this is a place they can call their new church home. Visitors typically have contact with ushers, greeters, elders and several members before even speaking to a pastor.
We specialize in web design for faith-based non-profits and churches.
There are few things we find more rewarding than doing a website that reaches people and works toward the greater good. Churches help those less fortunate and take the command of loving their neighbors seriously.
These are a few of the reasons we’ve enjoyed designing websites for Christ Community Church and Harbor Church.
Want to know more? Please contact us. We’d love to work together!
Since its inception in 2000, Proclaim Interactive has combined excellence in design and think-out-of- the-box digital marketing to become one of the most award-winning firms in the region. Proclaim Interactive provides website design, social media management, SEO and general marketing services designed to amplify clients’ messages. For more information call 910.795.4143.