You Will Be Saved – But Not Without a Web Site

Groundwork III – Digging Deep for Change & Growth

ECUSA 2006

A good Web site presents a great opportunity to attract people to your congregation, put your best foot forward, and evangelize online. In today’s world, having a Web site is as important as having a telephone in the parish office, and, in much the same way as a telephone call, your Web site leaves a first impression – people form expectations of your church before stepping inside your door.

A good Web site for your parish will reflect your mission statement and particular strengths (e.g. music program, family focus, diversity, outreach). The language, images and organization should give a visitor a feel for the “character” of your congregation.

Whether your congregation has been online for the past decade, or whether you are just getting started now with a basic site, this may be a good time to take a fresh look at your online presence. This question could be explored in depth this Lent by a task force, communication of how the Web can help connect your congregation with the wider world.

(An excerpt from ECUSA’s Groundwork III Booklet)

Reconciled and Restored – Knowing and Targeting Audiences Online

Groundwork III – Digging Deep for Change & Growth

ECUSA 2006

“We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5) If we think of ourselves as ‘ambassadors for Christ’ and our Web sites as tools of mission and evangelism for God, how do we avoid placing obstacles in the path of those who visit our Web site?

Can people easily find what they’re looking for and understand how you’ve organized the information within your site?

	-		A great book on information architecture (AI) is: Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, by Steve Krug (New Riders, 2006). One reviewer says “Usability design is one of the most important – yet often least attractive – tasks for a Web developer. In Don’t Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens up the subject with good humor and excellent, to-the-point examples.”
	-		Ask someone with no affiliation to the Episcopal Church to look through your Web site and tell you what is clear to them and what isn’t. Consider asking them to find a couple pieces of information on your site and ask for their feedback.

Is the language you use an impediment for communicating your message?

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Is your Web site full of “insider” language? Consider using words like “worship” or “contemporary language” instead of – or in addition to – “liturgy” or “Rite II.” If you want to talk about your “verger,” tell your audience what a verger does. If you use an acronym, tell your audience what it stands for first.