The Role of the Website in Church Marketing

Two Purposes 

Newcomers and members use the website in two very different ways. It is important to keep that in mind as you make your design. 

Outsiders 

For those who are not yet connected with your church, it provides a window into your world. It should describe in great detail what to expect when they get there. Therefore, it needs to make a good first impression, so keep it simple and familiar. It should provide helpful information and next step guidance and, finally, it helps in search engine ranking. 

Insiders 

For those who are already members, it serves as an information hub, an easy way for people to keep track of what is going on and a way to share information with family and friends. 

For Newcomers 

Newcomers use the website in two ways: 

1. 1. To find a church that meets their needs or preferences. 

2. 2. To find out what to expect when they get there. 

Being truthful about who you are, the things that makes your church a special place, is very important. What is on the website needs to match reality. If your strength is powerful teaching, it is OK to highlight that. If your strength is community and social interaction, it is OK to highlight that as well. Just be as accurate as you can. 

For Members 

For members, the website serves a different role, a more inward looking one: 

1. 1. Somewhere to find out what is going on at the church. 

2. 2. A way to share information about the church with others. 

In the past, this role was served by pulpit announcements, bulletins and newsletters. Much of it still is today. With the emergence of powerful smartphones, people increasingly use them for all their information. You may not be able to completely eliminate printed information, but there are many things you can do to encourage people to use the website instead. One of them is to design the site in such a way that the most relevant information is right at their fingertips, literally.  

It is easy to slip into using tribal language in your online communications. It is necessary to keep in mind that the reader may not be an insider who knows all the terminology. 

Rethinking Your Church Website Strategy
For your website to be successful, you need to figure out who will be using it and what they will be using it for.It does not matter what you want it to look like if that does not meet your visitors' needs. So start with who your visitors are, then go on to what they need. Only then can you begin to guide them to where they need to go.