Effective Church Websites People Actually Visit

Perhaps I could entitle this article “What I Know About Ministry Websites Now That I Did Not Know Then”.

I made some erroneous assumptions about church websites in the past that are now being clarified for me now that I have my own website. In fact, I have some suggestions on how churches can tap the internet in fulfilling their purpose and mission.

1. Use Words With Spiritual Impact To Make A Spiritual Impact

When it comes to using church website software, I believe that church web developers fail to view web sites as a platform from which to share their message, doing so in terms non religious people understand.

While most website building tools are not developed from a spiritual perspective, they can become spiritual web building tools that harness the power of words to make spiritual impact. (I have always believed it was the person’s faith that made a product or tool “Christian” rather than some quality within the tool.)

2. Create Church Websites That Endure In Sharing Your Message About Eternity.

In using church site software, church webmasters are usually here today and gone tomorrow.

Even the church my daughter recently worked for, with attendance nearing 1000 each Sunday, could NOT get into their own church website to make changes. The reason? The person who originally built their church website masterpiece has moved on!

An even if they do have access to make changes on their website, the overworked pastor or an even more overworked church secretary do not know the first thing about website building basics let alone the unique aspects of whatever program was used to build the site.

One of the best discoveries I made was that there are website building tools that are easy to understand and simple to implement in building websites that are judged to be effective because of the amount of traffic visiting the site, rather than fancy art work.

3. Tap The Business Side of the Internet To Create Ministry Income Streams.

Churches and Christian ministries often fail to see the potential of the internet as a income producing business opportunity.

Now I’ve heard church leaders say it is wrong to view the church as a business enterprise. But then the same enterprising church leaders buy property, often promote and sell books, charge for attending concerts and retreats, and even purchase the very offering plates used for the collection.

Let’s be honest about the fact that buying and selling is what businesses do — and so do churches!

There is a business side of ministry. So why not at least have a website that promotes the businesses of your church attendees? After all, the more money they make the more they have to give!

Do more than use your website to promote services and your church location. People are searching for information. They are seeking answers to the tough questions of life. And most pastors have a computer hard drive that is full of the answers people need, answers from God’s point of view.

A sermon worth preaching is a sermon worth putting on a website!

The best tactic a church or ministry could take is to understand search engine optimization, building church websites to match the terms people are actually searching for.

4. Churches Do Like to Count Sheep So Have Use A Web Host Who Will Provide Statistics For Ministry Purposes.

So many churches have websites that no one visits! Some are pretty, even beautiful. Yet these ministry focused websites are ineffective websites when it comes to the one thing churches like to do — count people! An effective church website will have thousands of people visit each month and eventually each day.

For instance, I know exactly how many people visit my website each day and the totals for the month as well. I know that visitors came from over 60 countries around the world to see my site. Let’s see, if I remember right, Jesus gave what is called the Great Commission to go into all the world to make disciples (Matthew 28:19).

5. A Highly Effective Church Website Meets Spiritual Needs By Giving Solid Answers To The Questions People Are Asking

A website should be aimed at meeting spiritual needs helping people overcome fears, addressing heartbreaking life situations, speaking to peoples greatest concerns, and providing spiritual resources for life’s toughest situations.

The internet is a tremendous tool enabling churches to share the message of God’s love in a way that goes far beyond their church facility geographically. An effective website can enable a local church to be an international church.

So don’t just have a website — have a church website with traffic, one that declares your message to thousands, even when the doors of your church building are closed. With a highly trafficked website, your church facility is always open, declaring your message of faith!