Media Outreach

While are many wonderful things you can do to continually enhance your website, there are just as many things you can do to degenerate it as well.  More than 8 out of 10 people will attend your church after first visiting the website.  The quality of the site can only increase if you want to stay relevant in our culture.

1. Laziness – sitting back and watching the digital world pass by is no way to cast your vision.  Glean your pages for old content.  A monthly audit is the least you can do. You don’t even have to leave your recliner to update the website.  If you’re not updating the site more than at least once a month, chances are the site is not a tool for your ministry or outreach.  Remember, the quality of the website is a direct reflection of the quality of your ministry.
2. Tight Purse Strings – refuse to redesign.  While budget is always a consideration, the industry standards for a redesign are every year and a half.  So, if your budget is not one that allows for a redesign every 18 months, go ahead and alter it to plan accordingly.  The average redesign is between $895 and $2000 depending on features, design, etc.  If you split it up into monthly savings, it’s only $50 to $111 a month.  If you don’t value your web presence, no one else will.
3. Do it Because You Can – not all flash or graphics will accomplish your goals and meet your vision.   Have you ever been to someone’s house that saved every magazine, newspaper, book, trinket, souvenir, t-shirt and toy they ever got and displayed them?  It’s overwhelming.  You feel cluttered and uneasy.  Your website should be no different.  Just because you found a website with free flash downloads, or you know someone that makes flash for you cheaply, doesn’t mean you need to place it online.  Oh, and if your website has flying doves, crosses or any other java creature fluttering on the screen, it’s time to lay them to rest….in peace.
4. Give Reigns Over to Every Volunteer – while it is beneficial to have ministry leaders control the content area, it is vital to maintain continuity from page to page.  Setting up a table structure, or typing up general guidelines to remind people of the website vision will keep the website looking professional.  Having a chosen font, text color, image size and general layout will help your volunteer as well.  I know your time is precious as a leader, so I’m not asking that you take the website over…just drop those vision and formatting reminders every few months.
5. Assume Traffic Will Flood to Your Site – just because you told all your friends and organization members about your site over email one time, your website will not maintain traffic without significant intentionality.  At this day in age, social networking and blogging aren’t just “nice ways to connect with people.” They are vital tools that can boost traffic to your site, while reaching people that would never just stumble upon your website.  Don’t assume that signing up on a social network alone will do the trick. It will take strategy and a little time each week. But that time will more than pay off.  Check out these articles to help with your social media and blogging strategy.

It’s a good thing faithHighway has a team of over a dozen consultants waiting to help you with a new website or keeping up your current one. Give them a call. It could make all the difference in the world…

New to fH?  Call 877.703.2484 and press 1.
Current client? Call 877.703.2484 and dial your consultant’s extension.

Photo By: Zevotron