Is it time to update your church website?
I have walked into many churches over the years where it is clearly apparent that first impressions are important to them.
There's a beautiful bright sign at the entrance, more signs to tell visitors where to park, and greeters with cheerful smiles to welcome guests at the front door and help them get to where they need to be. I love it when churches do this well and it is all very important.
Often these churches have given a lot of thought and spent many resources on a welcome center and literature to help first-timers learn more about them—not to mention the occasional gift bag with a book and a candy bar (hopefully a Snickers).
But did you know that your lobby and the greeters are actually the second impression most visitors get of your church? Overwhelmingly their first impression comes from your website.
The vast majority of first-timers will spend a good amount of time on your church's site before they decide to visit or not. This is why it's important to not cut corners on the quality and intentionality of your website design.
The sad fact is that if your site is in poor shape people are likely being disinvited who might otherwise visit. You may never get the opportunity to greet them in person because they were “turned off” by your website.
Just like you would frown on a lobby that has yellow construction tape around an area, an old tattered couch in the corner and an outdated banner drooping from the ceiling, neither should you be okay with a website that needs attention.
The good news is there are a number of experts who can design a website for your church quickly and affordably.
These people are experienced and have studied what's important to include, current design trends, and how to represent your church in a manner that communicates clearly what your ministry is all about in a welcoming way.