Your church website has one question to answer... is it safe for me to come and visit this Sunday?
As I mentioned before, I have had the "mixed blessing" of being a long-term church shopper following moves to different cities with my wife and boys. We are talking about reading hundreds of church websites and setting foot in at least 50 different churches. Finding a church has always been a source of angst for me. It feel like a series of really bad dates! In this blog post, I want to let you in on the kind of information that a church shopper is looking for when they go to your church website. Your website is the qualifier. The person needs to be able to get the right information to decide if they would be comfortable visiting a live service. Three things can happen once they get to your website:
- They make an informed decision that perhaps your church just isn't right for them. This is completely okay!
- They decide that you are worth a Sunday morning visit to learn more.
- Your website is so bad they think your church is out of business or lacks the right information so they decide it isn't safe to come see you.
Here's the thing.. most churches say the exact same thing on their websites. They teach from the Bible, all are welcome, and then there is a long mission statement that nobody has ever read except for the pastor.
So what information do you REALLY need to have on your church plant website? Read on!
Every Church Website Should Include
Here is your checklist as you build that new church website. This is the information that made my decision to visit a church much easier when I was trying to find my new home church. There are no right answers to the questions below, you are just letting people know what to expect.
- Service times. Front and center.
- How long is the service?
- What is the format? (Worship time vs sermon time vs hanging out time)
- How big or small is your church?
- How long has your church been around?
- What does the music sound like? Give some me some links to songs on YouTube that I might hear on Sunday.
- How do people worship? Hands in the pockets vs clapping vs hands in the air vs dancing in the aisles?
- What is the denomination, affiliation, etc?
- Are the sermons any good? Can I hear one before coming?
- If I visit this weekend, is the lead pastor talking? About what?
- Do you have a kid's ministry program during the service?
- Do you have a program for my teenage kids?
- How do people connect Monday through Saturday? Do you have small groups, men's or women's ministry, sports teams, etc?
- Who is the pastor? Give me a written bio and a quick introduction video. "I started this church because..."
- Where is the church? Directions and parking.
- What is the church doing to help our community and the world?
- Is there coffee? (maybe this just a Seattle thing!)
- Show them some pictures so they can connect with your different demographics, see what people are wearing, know what it looks like inside the church, etc.
Most Church Websites Are Clones!
By providing the specific information listed above, you put it in the church shoppers hands to make an intelligent decision on their own. As a church shopper, what I really want to know is will I be comfortable in your service and does your church meet my individual needs. There is nothing more discouraging for church shoppers than visiting a church for the first time only to discover in the first 10 minutes that there is no way in heck that you'll ever come back. You've just wasted one more Sunday in your quest for a home church.
Church Planters... Don't Pretend to be Big
Don't think that just because the mega church down the road has hired a big name media firm to build their website that you need to follow suit. Funny enough, too much polish on a church website can actually scare people away. Be exactly who you are... a church plant. A small community. Risk takers who want to advance God's word. A place where everyone matters. A church where you can't be anonymous. A place where people have "skin in the game" when it comes to building this dream.
Above All, Be Yourself
Choosing a church is an extremely personal and intimate decision that you will NOT make for that person. This isn't a sales pitch, this is a matter of providing them with the information they need. Be 100% honest and fairly specific about who you are and what makes your church tick. If you try to put on a generic facade most people won't connect with the experience and might not take the chance to visit you this Sunday.
