Media Outreach

I’m thankful for First Impressions! They have taught us some of the things that visitors appreciate in a church website. So, what are our visitors thankful for:

1. Staff pages - They like seeing pictures and being given some biographical information about the people who lead the church!
2. Good links - They like to be able to click on a link and have it take them somewhere, preferably a predictable somewhere.
3. Quick loading pages and images - They want to see the information they are looking for right away; not have time to go get a cup of coffee while they wait.
4. Directions and maps – They like it when the website has both of these easily accessible. They can’t very well visit the church, if they don’t know where it is!
5. Welcoming and Inviting Feel – They like to feel wanted. Whether through words or graphics, they appreciate websites that greet them with open arms.
6. Focused Homepages – While visitors like to have certain information easily accessible, they don’t necessarily want it all on the home page. They prefer simple and sweet homepages followed up with clear navigation.
7. Simple Navigation – Visitors like to be able to find relevant information easily. This means having sites that are laid out well and labeled clearly.
8. Updated Content – They really like for information about the church, particularly about events to be current and relevant.
9. Intriguing Design – They enjoy a site with well thought out image and color usage that is pleasing to the eye but not distracting from the message.
10. Statement of Beliefs - They want to know what the church stands for, what to expect in a typical service and doctrinal stance, especially for churches not clearly associated with a well-known denomination.

These and more insights were gained this year through listening to feedback from church website visitors through First Impressions. We are looking forward to helping churches further improve their online ministry with more feedback in the year to come!