WHAT DOES MY CHURCH WEBSITE NEED TO DO?

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DOES MY CHURCH’S WEBSITE REALLY MATTER? Recent studies from Arbitron are proving what many may have already imagined to be true when it comes to the popularity of the Internet. For those ages 12-44, the Internet has become the most important medium. If you were to ask individuals from this group which they would rather give up — TV or Internet — the majority would choose TV.  

Unfortunately, despite compelling evidence that church websites make a big difference in the likelihood of a new member discovering your church, a visitor staying at your church, and a current member actively engaging in your church, many executive leadership teams continue to see the church website as a cost rather than an investment.

Our findings at Monk Development support this trend, not just in popular culture, but also when it comes to churches. In our research, 61% of respondents we surveyed said the church website was “somewhat to very important” in their decision to attend their current church. That’s more than half of church-goers who may not attend their current church if it weren’t for their a satisfying experience with the church’s website.

You might be thinking to yourself, “yeah, but so what?”

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ISN’T GREAT? WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? IT’S JUST A WEBSITE, RIGHT?

Here are potential consequences for churches who ignore online content management: Your current church members won’t find the information they need. They’re most likely calling the church office to get it, tying up valuable staff resources and time (maybe yours!). Your current church members will not know how to gain access to the programs, ministries and services you’re providing. Your current church members won’t be giving on a regular basis because they don’t have a process that’s easy enough for them.

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Potential church members won’t come to your church because they can’t get the information they need in the primary place they go to look for information: the web. Ultimately, you miss out on opportunities to minister to people of all kinds. Plus, people are engaging online before they ever walk in the front doors of a church. If your website doesn’t make the cut, people won’t go. It’s that simple.

WHAT DOES MY CHURCH WEBSITE NEED TO DO? We like to think of your website as your front porch. Just as you would invite a new neighbor to sit on your front porch, and share a glass of lemonade, and maybe a few stories, this is what you do on your website. You might share some basic information about yourself, but more than that, you share yourself there. This is the entryway to your house.   What you say matters on your front porch matters. What you serve to drink matters. The way your neighbor feels when he or she walks away matters. And you want to do everything you can to make sure he or she feels welcome, right?

In addition to being the way people hear about your church, your website is also the first impression you leave with first-time visitors who are checking you out. It is also the way your current members engage on a regular basis with your ministries and events. Every church website leaves an impression. Good, bad, bland, fun or welcoming. ple of this? eo p d in m re e it s eb w h Does your churc

HOW DO I THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT OUR CHURCH WEBSITE? It’s easy to push responsibilities of operating a functional website — the planning, the necessary structure, the day-to-day upkeep — into the future, or onto someone else. The obstacles in the way are many, and difficult to overcome. Shrinking budgets, lack of expertise, lack of help and other problems seem more pressing or urgent. But if you, as a leader in your community, are not thinking strategically about your website, no one else will.

First, if you’re not tech-savvy, that’s okay. Make sure you surround yourself with people who are and then give them the authority to make decisions in this area. If you don’t think there are “tech-savvy people” in your community, think again. Look for those between the ages of 12-44, like suggested from the Arbitron study above.

If you are low on finances, volunteer staff, or a sense of strategy for how to run a functional website, you may have to bring in some outside help (like MonkDev) to fill in the gaps where your staff and volunteers can’t. But the investment will payoff for your community. We’ve helped dozens of churches translate their mission online.

Many of these people are tech-savvy without even knowing it.

You’re strategically-minded in every other area of your church — from preaching schedule, to volunteers, to children’s ministry, to youth, to outreach events, and on and on. Why would this sphere be any different?  

Let us help you overcome a few of the obstacles standing in your way.

SIX QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

QUESTION 1 What’s the purpose of our church’s website?

How you use your website will grow over time. But start with some clear ideas and initial plans. Look at what other churches are doing, clarify the immediate needs of your ministry and make a list of the things that are most important for you and your church, right now.

Content Management Systems used by churches take on one of two flavors: The first is a full-featured website system specifically designed for churches. This website would be custom-built, tailored to your church’s needs, and wouldn’t require much daily input on your part. At MonkDev, we provide regular maintenance that keeps your site not only looking great, but also functioning so your community can get the most out of their experience there. Plus, you’ll get amazing support the whole way. The second is a free or low-cost CMS (like WordPress or Squarespace). The obvious advantage of this is upfront cost. The downsides can include time and expertise it takes to get the site up and running, and to implement daily updates. Also limited flexibility, and the effectiveness of the design can be a problem.

QUESTION 2 What kind of website solution is best for our community?

QUESTION 3 Are we properly stewarding our church’s ministry dollars?

When you compare providing your own internal solution (again, on an open-source platform like WordPress) against going with a hosted solution like Ekklesia 360, the numbers certainly speak for themselves. A church in the South we spoke with recently hired a full-time web programmer to oversee the development and administration of their website. His full-time salary was $60,000 per year and his main duties included writing code, administering content on the site, fixing broken portions of the website, and overseeing the maintenance and upkeep of the site itself. His sole responsibility was producing and maintaining the church's website. In fact, the workload had grown to be so significant the church is now considering bringing on an additional part-time person to handle the additional workload. The part-time salary for this new position is $28,000. When you add the two together, you have nearly $90,000 in yearly staff costs dedicated solely to the upkeep and maintenance of the church website. Contrast this against going with a hosted web solution provider like Ekklesia 360. Our most affordable solution is just $750 in upfront costs and most custom projects are less than $10,000. And even when you add additional yearly hosting fees, the entire project from start to finish is less than $15,000. For many churches who can’t afford a full-time web developer, a hosted CMS solution ensures your church's ministry dollars are being well spent.

Since a user forms an opinion about your site within the first few seconds he or she sees it, we love to work with clients to make sure their site is a perfect fit for their community and the message they’re trying to communicate. This is the beauty of working with a group like MonkDev to develop a custom design. QUESTION 4 What options do we have for getting a custom design?

There really is no comparison, and the options are limitless. If you decide to go the free or low-cost CMS route, make sure you look at the specific templates available and the options for personalizing it to your church. Also check out the design flexibility. Can you set up other designs for special pages or sections? When the time comes to replace the design, how difficult will it be and how much will it cost?

At MonkDev we believe that a beautiful design is only as strong as the user experience that comes with it. This can take a lot of management, but it’s also part of the unique service we provide at Monk. If you go with a full-service design company like MonkDev, we don’t just design a great website and hand it over. We’re committed to keeping your site looking great, functioning smoothly, and keeping your user happy and your content upkeep low. If you choose to go with a low-cost or free CMS option, you will need to find a person (or people) who have basic technical expertise, and drive to stay up with changes in technology. Work with that person to develop a system for regular upkeep.

QUESTION 5 Who is supposed to be in charge of the website? Where does the “buck stop”?

QUESTION 6 Is this CMS a good fit for our church long-term?

As your ministry and technology move forward, your website needs will develop. The two work in tandem! Check on the availability of features such as online giving, event registration, and information (database) management. Even if these features are beyond your immediate plans, you want to consider how you are setting yourself up for the path forward. Today’s web is an exciting medium. Make sure your ministry is well-positioned to use it.

THERE IS A DANGER IN IGNORING THESE NEW WEB-BASED REALITIES. In closing, it might be best to illustrate the concepts in this ebook with a story. Recently a client shared how his family found their current church after moving to a new city. “Before we stepped foot [in a church],” he shared, “we went to their website. If it didn’t have what I needed on the site–online giving, easy-to-find directions and whether or not they had childcare–we didn’t even bother going to the building.”

His last comment was what really grabbed our attention: “It was clear [the church] wasn’t thinking about us.” He’s not alone. At MonkDev, we talk to church leaders all across the country who make the mistake of not thinking through their web strategy before they preach the first sermon. It almost always leads to confusion, frustration and inefficiency throughout the organization. It impacts their team negatively for lack of a clear communication flow.

It impacts their congregation for lack of resourcing. And, as we’ve already seen, it impacts their future congregation for lack of planning and thinking through what wouldbe members are looking for online.

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MISSIONAL PROCESS DESIGN AFTER WORKING WITH MONKDEV EagleBrook increased newcomer engagement by 57% The Village Church reduced their website content by 80% Mariners small group engagement increased by 82% Learn more about our strategy sessions.

EAGLE BROOK CHURCH

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MARINERS CHURCH

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