Most church web sites are lame. Why? Whereas 65% of church buildings now have a web site, most of them appeal to little or no guests to their church buildings. It is a missed alternative, because the overwhelming majority of individuals underneath the age of 35 go ββto the web, not the phone book, when on the lookout for a church. So what good is a church web site if solely the pastor and board surf it? I do not assume you’re the reply to that.
The primary drawback is that almost all church web sites are usually not search engine pleasant. And in case you’re not listed excessive on locations like Google and Yahoo, you are not going to get site visitors. And no site visitors means no company going to your house of worship on Sunday.
The answer to the “church web site blues” is to optimize your web site’s search engine (website positioning) so searchers can truly discover your church’s web site when trying to find a spot of worship in your space. How do you do this? The reply is easy. Use a weblog like WordPress to launch your church web site. Primarily based by myself private expertise as a Christian webmaster and church planter, I’ve had a number of running a blog web sites (together with this one) utilizing running a blog instruments like WordPress which have had super success in attracting and retaining guests. Is not that what a church web site must be? Under are some nice causes (I might checklist extra) why a church ought to use a weblog format for his or her church web site.
WordPress comes free with many low-cost inexpensive hosting packages. So why spend lots of and even 1000’s of {dollars} on church web site design when you’ve got a running a blog platform like this at your fingertips? Most inexpensive hosting suppliers (common worth between $4 and $8 per thirty days) provide you with entry to WordPress by means of Fantastico of their management panels. Suppose twice earlier than signing a hosting contract with a Christian hosting firm.
Not a techie? No drawback as a result of WordPress set up is one click on with Improbable. No information of HTML or PHP is required. Writing content material and posting photos is rather like utilizing an previous phrase processor. When you need assistance together with your church running a blog web site, there are many WordPress tutorials and an incredible assist discussion board.
The actually cool factor about VP is that it really works as a Content material Administration System (CMS), which merely means you can provide it the feel and appear of an everyday church web site whereas reaping all the advantages {that a} weblog (see under) brings to the desk . WordPress has lots of and lots of of free templates (they name them themes) which you could select from to present your church web site the precise feel and appear you need.
Another excuse to make use of VP is that it makes your web site search engine optimized proper out of the field. Which means higher search engine rankings…which implies…you’ve got extra guests coming to your church web site…which implies extra company at your companies. You needn’t know ANYTHING about how search engines like google work as a result of WordPress robotically “pings” search engines like google for you, letting them know you’ve got new content material and RSS feeds to index. Moreover, as a substitute of ready weeks and even months for the search engine spiders from Yahoo and Google to index your static church internet pages, your weblog will probably be listed in days.
Many of the church web sites on the market are simply previous… and irrelevant. Blogs are right here and now, and utilizing one as a church web site will convey newness, modernity and relevance to the younger households, Gen X and Gen I sorts you ought to be concentrating on if you wish to attain individuals for Jesus and see your church develop. OK, I promised I would not preach.
WordPress plugins like PodPress make it simple to place all types of multimedia content material in your church web site at no further price and with little or no information required. Think about having all of your messages neatly listed, categorized and on-line for everybody to take pleasure in. I even have a number of podcasts proper right here on my web site. Belief me, it isn’t rocket science. If I can do it…so can a monkey π Through the use of multimedia like podcasts, you’ll improve your attain in ministry geometrically. On my different Christian web site (see our about web page) which is lower than 2 years previous, I already attain 90,000 individuals a month. Are we excited?
How one can construct a running a blog web site on your church? In reality, all it’s essential do is purchase an inexpensive and dependable hosting firm that has running a blog instruments like WordPress. Good luck.