Determining the type of web presence

(from the Hartford Institute) 

 

The initial task your congregational web planning team has before them is to assess the parameters of the site.

  • What is the audience? Will the site be for outsiders? Will it focus inward and offer interactive features for members?
  • What is the scope? Is it a glorified brochure or bulletin or is it an engaging, multimedia advertisement for the church?
  • What is the aim? Do you want it to bring the unchurched in? Educate and inform your members? Or be a resource for pastors, the seeker, or other churches around the world?
  • What will you emphasize? Will the site focus solely on the worship, or on a major ministry, or on the youth? What is it about your church that sets it apart from other in the local community? What features are you most proud of?
  • Who will produce it? Will you try to design it from within the talent of the congregation, hire outside help, or use one of the many established host sites complete with design template where you just plug in your information on a form?

Who is responsible? Where will the content come from? Will you just put the newsletter directly into HTML? Will the pastor’s sermons be content? Will the text for pages be written fresh and new each week or month? Whose email goes on the site and who will answer the email inquiries? And who makes sure everything gets done?


Planning the site's identity

 

Once you have arrived at a general consensus about the type of presence you want the congregational site to have, it is time to begin answering more explicit design issues.

  • What look and mood will the site convey?
  • What components should be in the site?
  • How will the navigation of the site work?


Here are some Web Design guides that can help you answer these questions:up



Website Analytics

One way to keep maintaining you website is engaging an analytics program to see who is visiting your website. Analytics programs tell you the number of page visits, the days or hours each week when you are getting the most visits. From where the visitors are coming to your site. (From you hometown, from your state, from what country, etc). What source is giving you the most visitor. And even what type of internet browswer they are using. The best program I know is Google Analytics.