Having an online presence is essential for churches in today's digital age. Church websites are the primary platform for potential members to learn about the church's mission, values, and programs. As such, churches need to create a website that accurately reflects the church's message and creates a welcoming environment for visitors.
Unfortunately, many churches are making common mistakes in their website design that can turn visitors away or even lead to legal issues. Here are some of the most common church website mistakes to avoid and where to find a reliable church website developer:
Poorly Designed Website
According to statistics, a visitor to your website has only around 10 seconds to form an opinion about it. You have ten seconds to persuade someone that visiting your website is worthwhile. First impressions are significantly impacted by poor web design.
Credibility is demonstrated by good design. It shows how seriously your church takes professionalism and how much effort was put into making a website that accurately tells your story.
A successful design may show relevance. The online presence of your church must be kept current. Customers now look for information online, so if your church's website doesn't include what they need, they might choose one that does.
An intelligent design ultimately improves how people view your church as a whole.
Giving Current Members Precedence Over Newcomers
You might be surprised that 37% of Americans seeking a new church would look for nearby churches online. A whopping 59% of young adults fall into this category. As a result, the primary goal of your website should be to enlighten and entice new visitors.
This is crucial to remember while you create your church website because it will enable you to choose which information is most vital to include and which would be more appropriate for a weekly email newsletter, the church bulletin, or social media.
What time do services begin? And any additional fundamental queries a new visitor may have to be addressed on your website. What does an ordinary service entail? Is child care available? How can I communicate and relate to people more deeply?
A landing page layout and a FAQ section are the two ways you can deliver this information. Quick facts can be found in FAQs, even though similar information is frequently accessible elsewhere on the website. Making a brand-new visitors page with all your vital information can be preferable.
For outreach reasons, designing a church website with visitors is appealing since it enables you to create it with a specific goal. It is much simpler to avoid the problem of having too much information that confuses visitors when the critical content is guest-focused.
Mobile-Unfriendly Website
A user-friendly website on all devices—phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop PCs—is essential. A website that is not mobile-friendly increases user abandonment by five times. Visitors may become frustrated and think your church is outdated if your website is not mobile-responsive.
Then, what does the phrase "mobile friendly" actually mean? Put, your website will adjust its size to accommodate the device used to see it. The structure and organization of the website remain the same, even though it is now stacked rather than horizontal. To simplify navigation, the top navigation transforms into a drop-down menu.
A mobile-friendly website is also beneficial for SEO. Following SEO or search engine optimization, Google ranks your website on search results pages. A mobile-friendly design will help your website be rapidly identified on Google.
Overly Mundane or Boring Site Content
76% of users believe usability is the most crucial aspect of website design. In essence, customers demand simple access to the information they require. While providing your customers with sufficient knowledge is essential, your website shouldn't go overboard. Undoubtedly, there must be a balance.
Your website should have the most crucial details about your church. Consider yourself a new visitor as you decide on which information to include. Because of your website's data, do visitors feel welcomed and informed about the church?
How do you decide what material goes on your church website, then? The following are the items we must have to survive:
Straightforward and easy-to-use top navigation menu
Option for making donations online
Details on the church, in particular, the children's ministry
Your name, phone number, address, email address, and social media accounts
Brief employee bios and polished portraits
A "New Here?" or "What to Expect" section for new visitors
Changes to "Upcoming Events" or the church calendar
Easily accessible archives of sermons
You can work with a local web designer to help integrate these features into your website.
Conclusion
Affordable church websites can be a great way to reach out and connect with a larger community. However, several common mistakes must be aware of to ensure your website is effective. These mistakes include failing to include essential information, having an outdated design, confusing navigation, and being unresponsive. By avoiding these mistakes, your church website will be user-friendly and help you reach a broad audience.
JPIXEL is here to serve your website design needs as you serve the needs of your community and congregation. Contact us if you need a church website developer!
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