1. A church website design that reflects “people”, not buildings.

   People are searching for others whom they can relate to in order to establish a relationship. Buildings represent “institution”, not one on one fellowship.

2. Announcements and calendar of events.

   The page that gets the most visits on any church site is the events page. Surveys on many church websites have revealed as high as 60% of visitors are looking for information about what, where, and when. A website can be a cost saving advertisement medium.

3. A way for people to find out how to get involved.

   This is for someone who is new to your church and really wants to get plugged in. All churches need volunteers, but most do not have an easy way for someone to learn about the need, or how and who to contact to get involved.

4. A way for users to register online.

   Whether it’s just registering for a newsletter, registering for events, or having an entire section of your site for registered users, you need to get people to tell you who they are. A good website program will have this option as a standard.

5. A way for users to contact you from the website.

   A simple email link will not do. You need to provide as much contact information as possible, including address, phone, email address, and an online form so site visitors can submit an email directly from the website.

6. Directions, service times, and office schedule.

   It’s easy to provide a link from Mapquest, but much more personal and helpful to have written directions from a “human being”.

7. A well kept “Resource Download” area.

   Whether it’s a download area for bulletins, sermon notes, or audio and video downloads, you need something to keep people coming back. Think “Web Ministry”!

8. Online Giving.

   This can be as simple as you want, or it can be integrated into church accounting software. But it is a must! Many people will setup automated recurring giving because that is how they pay bills, and make purchases online. Many people do not even carry a checkbook anymore. And the old-school thought about “paying tithes with a credit card is a sin” is out the door since most bank check cards come directly out of the individual’s checking account.

9. An in depth listing of ministries in your church.

   Be sure to have them in an order that makes sense, with a full listing of ministry meeting times, and leaders contact information. Keep in mind that “children’s ministries” are what many young families search for first. If you are going to really showcase any ministry in your church, you may want to start with kids.

10. FRESH - UP TO DATE - CONTENT

    . There is no worse reflection on your church than if your website is outdated and stale. Many large churches do not realize the importance of a good web ministry, while most small churches do. The problem is that the small churches can not afford a full-time web person, and the large churches can “not” afford to “not” have one. Look for a website company that provides you with a simple way to edit and update your site. Most database driven website software allows for easy updates with only a few minutes of training. Don’t get caught in a situation where you can not afford to up date your site after the initial build.

Church Website Packages
Mark Montgomery is a leading website developer in the non-profit world. He has developed over 300 church websites and currently operates Mediamark Website Solutions.

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