Your website is typically the first impression potential members will have of your church. Before visiting your congregation in-person or attending a live stream, most people will check out your website. The user experience needs to be seamless and engaging.
Here are 7 pitfalls you should avoid to keep your church website member-friendly.
1. Too Much Text and/or Not Enough White Space
Your webpages (especially your homepage) should tell a story using more than just words. Keep your website interesting and engaging with photos of your congregation and videos of past sermons.
Similarly, white space is incredibly important with any web design. It not only airs out the content’s appearance, it makes it easier for users to comprehend what you’re trying to say to them.
2. Poor Navigation
Your website design needs to provide quick and simplistic navigation. Make sure your website opens a new tab if a link directs to an external website. That way your members don’t accidentally leave an interesting page. If you have many pages, consider implementing breadcrumbs.
3. Old Announcements and/or Events
When it comes to content, you should think of your website as a living and breathing thing. It dynamically changes as your church changes. Make sure any announcement board and events page have up-to-date information. To keep the space clean, remove old
4. Flashy or Otherwise Unattractive Graphics
Don’t have brightly colored animations or obviously dated images. Regularly update your graphics, especially if you’re using stock photography. Try to avoid stock photography as much as possible by cultivating high quality images of your church building and congregation members at sermons/events.
5. No (or Poor) CTAs
Call-To-Actions (CTAs) are vital to move users through your website. Make sure you are using actionable words like “learn more” or “sign up”. CTAs should explain exactly what the person is getting when they click them, but with as little text as possible.
6. Lack of Contact Info
Your website should show every type of contact information your church uses! Phone numbers, email addresses, your location, live chat, office hours for church leadership, etc.
7. Not Fully Responsive (Mobile Optimization)
None of the above tips matter if your user accesses a static website on their phone. You should have a completely responsive website so that images, buttons, and everything else is easily accessible no matter what device a visitor uses.
Don’t have time to design your website with these tips in mind? Start a free trial with our website builder and church management system. At JSL Solutions, we’ve served churches with technology for 20 years. Contact us by email at [email protected] or live chat with us using the bottom right button of this webpage.