7 website errors your church or ministry might be making (+ quick fixes) | Gear Up 2
There are 7 common errors churches make on their website… And, those mistakes often hinder their growth, b/c people visit your website before they ever attend your church. The online world is the new “front door.”
Here’s the run-down…
The mistakes
❌ Mistake 1, Insider information = using words, acronyms, abbreviations and other ways to communicate that the average person you are trying to reach does not understand.
❌ Mistake 2, Not recognizing who is coming to your site = forgetting to organize it in such a way that the newest person can quickly find out who you are, what you do, and why they would want to attend, where to attend, when to attend, etc.
❌ Mistake 3, Irrelevant info = Talking about things that are not pertinent at this point in their journey, such as a long doctrinal statement, extensive bio of the pastor (including where he met his spouse), what degrees he has, the names of his kids, etc.
(Note: some of the content you include is likely more important, but it’s just not relevant— yet. They want to know when and where to show up, what to do with their kids, and what to wear.)
❌ Mistake 4, Out of date = not paying attention to your site and letting it lapse.
❌ Mistake 5, Sending people away from the site to social media = never do this. We’ll explain why later.
❌ Mistake 6, Not having a next best step = you should always invite them to engage with you at a deeper level.
❌ Mistake 7, No way to give money = some people will want to donate, especially if they are following you online and not attending each week.
Now that you know what not to do, here are 7 things to do:
✅ Clean & concise, clutter free = we build a site at the end of module 7 in the actual course...
✅ Capture their contact info = use an opt-in, tailored to where they are in their journey, and you will know how you can serve them better, as well as understand how to follow-up with them.
Note here:
👉 you might provide your membership class (online views will not cannibalize the in-person experience)
👉 you might provide tips on parenting
👉 you might package a sermon series on high-needs topics— like finances, time-management, marriage, etc.— and offer them as a free audio course…
(See the module on opt-ins and offers for more on how to do this.)
✅ Contact info for you = make sure they can email, call, or complete a form— all 3 is best.
✅ Content delivery = provide them with a taste of what you teach.
✅ Collect money = have a clear place to donate.
✅ Call to action = offer them a “next best step” to engage with you, ideally related to your discipleship path.
✅ Connection & community = invite them into a relationship at some level.
Pro tip: people will visit you online before they visit you in-person in most cases.
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Gear Up course = https://www.amplifyonline.info/GU
How we can help your church = https://www.amplifyonline.info/CH
How we can help your non-profit = https://www.amplifyonline.info/501c3
Schedule a non-sales call = https://www.amplifyonline.info/talk
Blog video = 4-minute overview of 3 kinds of websites, and the one you need = https://www.amplifyonline.info/blog/three
