How can people find you?
Think about the last time you tried to find information about a business or product. Did you look it up in the phone book? (I'm guessing, "no"). Did you ask a neighbor? (Probably not your first move). I'm willing to bet the first thing you did was to search for it online. In fact, the term "Googling" (whether or not you actually use the Google(TM) search engine) has become so common in our vocabulary that it is actually difficult to write or say, "performed an internet search." For most of us in the developed world, "Googling" something is our go-to source of initial information. Where is this place? What time do they open? What services do they offer? "Google it!"
What happens if someone "Googles" your church name? What happens if someone searches "churches near me?" What will they find?
If they do not immediately find your high quality church website, you are already behind they curve. People want to find exactly what they are looking for with minimal effort. And when they find your website, they want to be immediately wowed and impressed with its professionalism and ease of navigation.
I can't tell you how many churches we find that have either no online presence or an exceedingly underwhelming online presence. Visitors want to find your site easily. They want to immediately find what they are looking for. And, they don't want your site to look like someone built it with a word processor and a low-budget scanner. If visitors to your site are not immediately impressed, they are not going to stick around to find out what wonderful programming you have or how moving your worship service is.
As soon as visitors land on your page they want to:
- be wowed by the professional appearance
- be able to immediately find the ministry or information they are looking for (taking 7 clicks to get to the children's ministry page won't cut it!)
- be able to find out how to contact the church directly (while "Googling" may be their first stop, they probably want to speak with a human at some point. Don't make them have to fill out a form to get a question answered. And, don't make them have to email someone to find out how to email someone else.)
- feel like they already connect with the people in your church (remember, the church should reflect the community it serves. This goes for your website, as well.)
Fortunately, there are lots of very creative people who know how to do this well. If your church doesn't have a dedicated Webmaster or Communications Director, contact us and let our experts help build your perfect website. A quality website can greatly enhance your ministry. If you don't believe me, just "Google it."