Don't have a heart attack and don't poop your pants, but it's another survey Saturday!!!
Here's the question: What church has the best web site out there? Especially thinking of a person far from God checking out the site and thinking, "This is actually cool, I might be willing to go check out this church."
So whose site is super fantastic?
- featured on newchurches.com
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Survey Saturday!!!
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9 comments:
dunno how many people that are far from God spend alot of time looking at Church websites. Its like the PR hillbilly said they would probably just draw Christians. I'm thinking if I'm a guy far from God I'm on the net for work, sports, porn, or something like that. Even if I was thinking about going to a Church I think I would not be to likely to seek them out on the web. If I did though I think churches that try and have super cool sites may even creep out most people. They would think what kind of freakish cult is this? Most that are far from God I would imagine have a traditional view of church and if you freak them out on the web they probably won;t go much further.Having a service like say Forefront is I think different than a website because it's interactive with real people, but a website is too easy to form an immediate prehudice against. With all that said most websites are too busy and try I think to be too hip, but I don't know maybe it works and I'm just not aware.
sure it's true that nonChristians aren't sitting aruond looking at church websites. however, we reach a lot of nonChristians at forefront, and I think almost every one of them checks out our web site before they come. whether it's a friend who invited them, or they heard our radio ad, they seem to always check out our web site first. and that means our web site is (basically) our first (or maybe second) impression. so you could easily make the argument that it's MORE important than the service they attend (as far as forming their opinion about what this is like, whether they're going to stick with it, etc.)
Funny how every post turns into an opportunity to share an opinion.
I too am interested in your readers response to your question because every guest we've had in the last 6 months first went to our website and it sucks! So, we're building another one. Hope to hear some great suggestions.
Hey Vince that's cool so many first time visitors check out your site first. How do you gather that kind of intel? Do you survey or is it more just them saying when you meet them, "Yeah I visited your website before I ever walked in"
I like the new lifechurch.tv site. The black is cool.
I've worked in IT for years; I think what's ON the site is actually less important than the gloss; at least in my informal unchurched person research.
I think what I'm saying is, a website to reach the unchurched should be built by somebody who builds sites for other stuff besides churches.
It needs to look cool. It needs to have the right information (which is an opinion thing), but, it can't look like your budddy Joe that took a flash class in college designed it (no offense if you have a buddy named Joe).
All the megas I follow do a good job with the "gloss" factor - NorthPoint, Granger, Lifechurch, Mosaic.
I can't call out a specifically good unchurched church site. But I can call out a ton of bad ones!
Yeah I think having someone who designs other site might be a good idea and I just visited some of the big names and the one thing that all of the seem to have is TOO MUCH stuff Navigation should be short and easy I think without countless choices. Maybe a basic clean site and then a button if you want to access all the fluff that opens a whole new window. Tons of buttons and cool drop downs clutter the mind. Look at how basic itunes and ebay are so easy and plain
Great question. At Cross Point a good number of those "outside" of the faith tell us that their first contact with us was through our website. That's kind of scary given our site.
I agree with travis. I think Lifechurch.tv is a great site. We are in the process of redoing our site right now and are trying to be very strategic about what it says to those that might be searching for their spiritual next step.
Pete
I wonder about demos, can you and how many people can you attract wuth web design. Is the single thirty something mom going to connect with19 year old college guy. How big of a group can you draw feasibly?
I can't echo Vince's sentiment enough - I believe that the website is THE front door to your ministry. Unless your target demo is over 60.
Churchmarketingsucks.com recently did a poll where 70% of the respondents said they visit a churches website before visiting the church.
I think (my opinion) that we get into trouble sometimes designing websites that have what we want on them. To again echo Vince (and Vince, you can ding me if I'm putting words in your mouth):
You know how when you cringe when you invite that guy from work to church, and he finally comes, and the pastor decides that it's a good week for a business meeting? Okay, take that and channel it to your website. Look at it through an outsider's lense.
As far as the demographics question: I think you draw who you draw. A well designed site should appeal to lots of demographics.
I agree with everyone who said it needs to be clean and simple, not too busy.
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