This post is part of the series "10 Reasons Why Your Church Should Have a Website." You can read the first post in this series here. And check out other info and posts from this series here.
A church website can be super beneficial and perhaps even critical to the life of any church. The sad thing is, many churches throughout the U.S. still don't have a website - and so they're missing out. I think it's important for church leaders to realize just what a website can produce and that, "despite the myriad of options available to the modern church," a website stands out above all other digital platforms (Shearer).
One of the biggest things a church website can do is bring in new people.
A church website can provide essential information for visitors. If you think of the internet as a main highway, then a website is like a billboard. It lets people know where to go, when to go, how to go and why. I've talked with a couple pastors about why their church has a website or why they want to start one, and this was one reason that kept popping up. It's probably the most effective thing a church website does.
What kind of information would you store on your church website? Anything and everything a visitor would want to know! It can go from pretty basic (like the church address and service times) to more detailed (like the worship style and what to wear). If people are discovering your church online, then you'll want to put your best foot forward and provide them with everything they might want to know.
I hope this was helpful to you. Tomorrow I'll be discussing the second reason why your church should have a website (which goes right along with this one): it attracts young people. If you have any thoughts or questions, please leave a comment below!
Sources:
A church website can be super beneficial and perhaps even critical to the life of any church. The sad thing is, many churches throughout the U.S. still don't have a website - and so they're missing out. I think it's important for church leaders to realize just what a website can produce and that, "despite the myriad of options available to the modern church," a website stands out above all other digital platforms (Shearer).
One of the biggest things a church website can do is bring in new people.
How does it do this?
Well, first off, a website can bring visitors into your church by letting them know your church exists. BrightLocal has done a lot of research throughout the years and found that 90% of people search online for local businesses and organizations.
That may not be very impressive. But here's another stat: foot traffic in businesses dropped 57% from 2011 to 2016. This illustrates the fact that the vast majority of discovery and interaction for local organizations happens online, and this correlates to churches as well.
In his 2012 article "Church Website Statistics," Clark reported some insights about church attenders from studies done by Monk Development:
- 33% of church attenders say they first learned about their church online. Taking into account that the number of adults who use the internet has increased (on average) by 1% over the past seven years that number is likely now closer to 41 percent.
- 46% of church attenders say their church’s website was important in deciding which church to go to. Again, that number has most certainly increased significantly in the past few years.
To put it simply, websites have become main entrances to churches. By creating a website, your church is more likely to be discovered and visited by new people.
Here's another way that a website can bring new people to your church:
Here's another way that a website can bring new people to your church:
A church website can provide essential information for visitors. If you think of the internet as a main highway, then a website is like a billboard. It lets people know where to go, when to go, how to go and why. I've talked with a couple pastors about why their church has a website or why they want to start one, and this was one reason that kept popping up. It's probably the most effective thing a church website does.
What kind of information would you store on your church website? Anything and everything a visitor would want to know! It can go from pretty basic (like the church address and service times) to more detailed (like the worship style and what to wear). If people are discovering your church online, then you'll want to put your best foot forward and provide them with everything they might want to know.
To wrap things up . . .
A church website can benefit your church by bringing in new people. It puts you in the path for discovery. It also provides visitors with the information they need to decide to go to your church. A website can function both like a main entrance and a lobby for your church, making it both easier to get to and more welcoming.I hope this was helpful to you. Tomorrow I'll be discussing the second reason why your church should have a website (which goes right along with this one): it attracts young people. If you have any thoughts or questions, please leave a comment below!
Sources:
- Clark, J. (2012, August 1). Church website statistics. Retrieved from https://network.crcna.org/church-web/church-website-statistics
- How mobile has redefined the consumer decision journey for shoppers. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/mobile-shoppers-consumer-decision-journey/
- Internet/broadband fact sheet. (2019, June 12). Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/internet-broadband/
- Murphy, R. (2019). Local consumer review survey. Retrieved from https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/
- Shearer, B. (2019, February 18). 7 reasons why a website is your church’s most important marketing tool. Retrieved from https://www.prochurchtools.com/7-reasons-website-churchs-important-marketing-tool/
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