Do you want your website to help you reach more people and communicate more effectively within your church, school, ministry or business?

Feedback from a Pro

A while back, I took my car to my mechanic. I wasn’t aware of any problems, but it had been 2 years since I had brought it in. I asked my mechanic to check it out and to see if it needed any schedule maintenance. Turns out it needed new brake pads and spark plugs, and I got reassurance that everything else was in good shape.

Similarly, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I am way overdue to see my doctor for a physical. Sometimes when I go for my physical, I have specific issue I want to discuss with my doctor, but the bigger reason is so to get his professional analysis of my health to point out things I would otherwise not be aware of.

Complimentary Website Review

While my mechanic and my doctor charge to analyze my health, we want to give your website a checkup at absolutely no cost to you.

Why?

Because it’s our mission to help you live out your mission online.

We know sometimes a few small tweaks can make a big difference in your visitors’ experience.

We also believe…

The best church websites aren’t the flashiest but those that help connect people to the info, resources & people they’re looking for.

But wait, there’s more…

1) Complimentary Website Review

To get your website reviewed by one of our professional website developers, request a complimentary website review. (Yes, its free and I promise we won’t try to sell you anything)

2) Best Christian/Church Websites Awards

Next, we want to recognize the churches whose websites address all 10 points on the checklist by giving them the Best Church Websites Award. And similarly we want to recognize other Christian websites (schools, ministries, businesses) with the Best Christian Websites Award.

By giving out these awards we hope to show that any Christian organization – no matter what the size or budget – can have one of the best Christian websites.

And we hope that when your church website or Christian website wins the award (that’s right, not if but when…), you will inspire other website administrators to address these 10 common issues so their websites also are among the best.

3) Win a $50 Gift Card

Finally, for those websites hosted by OurChurch.Com, we are giving points towards the monthly Top Websites Challenge for each of the items on the 10-Point Checklist! The top 3 sites and one random winner receives a gift card of up to $50 each month.

After you nominate your website, we will review it as quickly as possible. Within a day or two you should receive an email either congratulating you on your award or letting you know about specific things you can improve on your website. If there are any issues, we hope you’ll fix them and let us know when they’ve been addressed so we get you your award.

**NOTE: Everything resets for 2025. If you got points in 2024 for your website review, those points have been reset to zero. This is because we believe just like it’s important to see your doctor annually for a physical, we believe websites should be reviewed at least annually to be kept in good health.

Discussion

• How helpful is it to you to get professional feedback on your website?

Continue reading… 4 Types of Goals You Should Set for 2025

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post Kick Off 2025 with a Free Website Review and $50 appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

It’s been more than 6 years since we introduced WP-EZ 2.0, with its new themes, page templates, and drag-and-drop page builder, but we still have a couple hundred organizations that are still using 1.0.

This year one of our goals is to help as many organizations as possible migrate from 1.0 to 2.0.

If you’re not sure which version of WP-EZ you’re using, login to MyOCC, click the “WP-EZ Admin” button, and in the top right part of the page you’ll see which them and version you’re using.

We are doing several things to help organizations migrate to WP-EZ 2.0

1) New, simpler migration tool.

We simplified the migration tool from a 3 step process to a 1-step process. Now, when you switch from a 1.0 theme to a 2.0 theme (which takes just a few clicks), your website is officially a 2.0 site. There is nothing more you HAVE TO do.

After you switch themes, you’ll probably want to update your pages using the page templates and drag-and-drop page builder, but if and when you do that is up to you.

For more details see our new WP-EZ 1.0 to 2.0 Migration FAQs help page

2) Best support team in the world!

Our support team is available from 9am – 9pm ET Monday-Friday by email, help desk, live chat or phone. We also provide support via help desk over the weekend. If you have questions about migrating your website, contact us and we will provide all the help you need.

3) WP-EZ 1.0 Usage Fee starts May 1

Managing two versions of the WP-EZ Website Builder requires extra resources. Therefore, starting May 1, any organizations still using WP-EZ 1.0 will incur a $7/mo WP-EZ 1.0 Usage Fee to support the old version.

4) We will migrate your site for you dirt cheap!

These days, what do you pay per hour for a plumber? Electrician? Auto mechanic? $100/hr $125? $150?

Rates for web development work are similar. But, we will migrate your site for you for less than half our normal hourly rates.

The cost to have us migrate your site? Just $99 plus $15/page, for a typical page (longer pages and those with a lot of media may be more).

Order our Easy Transfer Service now!

We understand change is never easy, and like most people you are probably very busy, but your old website is probably holding back the growth of your church, ministry or business. This is your opportunity to take a step forward.

Growth is hard. Change is hard. But nothing is as hard as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong. -Mandy Hale

Comment and Discuss

• What questions do you have about migrating from WP-EZ 1.0 to 2.0?

Continue reading… 9 Ways to Grow Your Love for Your Website

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post Improved WP-EZ Migration Tool and 1.0 Usage Fee appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Some of these headlines are clearly designed to stoke people’s fear about AI

• Richard Branson and Oppenheimer’s grandson urge action to stop AI and climate ‘catastrophe’
• Former Trump administration official warns AI could undermine democracy
• AI Is Starting to Threaten White-Collar Jobs. Few Industries Are Immune.
• People are getting emotionally attached to AI girlfriends

(Note, I intentionally left out the links because I don’t want you to fill your mind with fear and speculation.)

But beyond the fear-mongering, church leaders, small business owners, and regular folks want to know if there are legitimate ways AI can be used to save time and improve their lives, without causing problems.

What kinds of problems can AI cause?

1) “Hallucinations” (aka errors)

ChatGPT and other AI tools are not always accurate. Sometimes their responses contain errors, even responses to simple questions like this

2) Hilariously bad writing

Sometimes ChatGPT and other AI tools produce content that is so bad it’s funny, like these BuzzFeed articles first reported by Futurism.

“If I were to pick one underrated travel spot that deserves all the hype in the world, it would be Cape May. Now, I know what you’re thinking – “Cape May? What is that, some kind of mayonnaise brand?” But trust me, this little town tucked away in New Jersey is a gem worth visiting.”

3) Weird images

AI image generation doesn’t always do well, especially when you ask it to create images with people in them. I asked the Bing image creator to generate an image of a “young professional woman sitting at a laptop computer using Facebook. Make sure the computer screen is visible”

Hmm… that’s an odd place to show the “screen.” And what’s up with her left hand having only 3 fingers?!?

4) Companies that replace their support staff with AI chatbots

Big website companies like Wix and GoDaddy say they provide “24/7 support” but good luck getting in touch with a human being on the phone or even live chat.

AI and human beings work best together

We at OurChurch.com believe AI has great potential to help, but it needs to be used in the right circumstances and in the right way. Two AI principles we believe in:

1. AI tools should enhance human interaction, not replace it.
2. AI generated content should always be reviewed and edited by a knowledgeable human being.

Introducing OurChurch.com’s AI Chatbot

Its with these principles in mind that we introduced our new AI Chatbot. You can find our chatbot in 2 places:

Knowledgebase / help pages 

On the main page of our knowledgebase, instead of searching for the help page that answers your question, you can just ask. When the chatbot responds, it includes the URL of the help page(s) it referenced so you can click to them for more info. This improves and enhances your experience with our help pages.

Live Chat

Our friendly, knowledgeable, Christian support team provide support via live chat with  M-F 9am-9pm ET. If you click the “Live Chat” button on the right site of our website outside of those hours, you’ll get our AI-powered chatbot. So, as you can see, instead of replacing human support we are adding to it.

Continuous Human Review Improves Chatbot… Continuously

Every week our support team reviews all of the questions received and responses provided by our chatbot. If it was unable to a question we think it should have, or if its response wasn’t as good as we would have liked, we update our help pages to improve the chatbots future responses.

This is another example of how OurChurch.Com is using the latest technology to enhance the experience and quality of our website builder, web design, and search engine optimization services.

Want to work with our team? Fill out the consultation request form on the right (desktop) or bottom (mobile) of this page to schedule a call.

Comment and Discuss

• Go to our knowledgebase, ask our chatbot some questions, and tell us what you think!

Continue reading… 9 Ways to Grow Your Love for Your Website

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post AI you’ll love, not fear appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

What’s new?

The blog has a completely redesigned homepage that features:

• A single, simplified menu
• A “Get Started” button in the menu for anyone who is ready to build a new website or wants to talk with us about web design or SEO.
• A new “grid” layout that shows recent articles by category
• A new “Featured Articles” category that shows our most helpful articles.

The blog articles themselves have also been redesigned:

• We removed the “Subscribe” form embedded in the article just below the first image
• We removed the Consultation Request form embedded at the bottom of the article.
• In the desktop version, we redesigned the right sidebar so it stops scrolling and the consultation request form (“Let’s Chat!”) stays with you as you continue to scroll down and read.
• We removed boxes around the content and changed to a sans serif font to make it less cluttered and easier to read.

And of course, we made sure everything is mobile friendly and loads quickly.

Usability is like love. You have to care, you have to listen, and you have to be willing to change. -Jeffrey Zeldman

If you’re not subscribed to our weekly Christian Web Trends email, subscribe at the top of the right sidebar.

And if you’re interested in working with our team to improve your web hosting, web design or bring more visitors to your website with SEO, fill out the “Let’s Chat” form to the right on desktop or below on mobile.

What do you think?

Post a comment and let us know.

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post Check Out Our New Blog Design! We Hope You Love It! appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

To celebrate we’re doing blog series called “25 Stories From 25 Years” in which we share two stories each month from organizations we’ve worked with over the years, past and present…

25 Stories From 25 Years

1) Partnering with OurChurch.Com has been extremely vital to the success of our web ministry. -Jonathan Johnson, Grace Baptist Church in Tyler, TX.  Read and watch Grace Baptist Church’s story.

2) The results have been amazing! Our web traffic has increased significantly which has turned into a lot of new business! -Kevin Shipp, Grand Vista Pools in Trinity, FL. Read and watch Grand Vista Pools’ story.

3) People can go to Google and we come up
 immediately as one of the Christian schools in the Tampa area which has been a huge benefit.-Jennifer Snow,
Family of ChristChristian School in Tampa, FL. Read and watch How One Christian School Doubled Enrollment Using Online Marketing

4) [OurChurch.Com] takes all of the guess work out of [our website], because we’re good carpenters, terrible website people. -Chris Haas, Haas Brothers Custom Staircases, Odessa, FL. Read and watch more: How Did This Old School Business Saw Their Way Into The Modern Era?

5) OurChurch.com has made website building and administration a breeze. – Kim Morris, Bethel Baptist Church, Prospect, NY. Read “Let the professionals handle it!”

6) We are so satisfied with our new digital look and feel it represents us as we go forward. Thank you, OurChurch! -Jaime Albaugh, First Church Middleton, OH. Read Web Design Spotlight: First United Methodist Church, Middletown, OH

7) The website by OurChurch.com has been a blessing to the church in so many ways. It helped us navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic event. -Pastor Tom Durrance, Wimauma Church of God, FL. Read “Website helped us navigate the pandemic.” 

8) You can find people that do SEO, and people that understand church, but very rarely a thorough knowledge of  both. -Pastor, Dr. Greg Crocker, Crosspointe Church, Sanger, CA. Read Marketing Spotlight: Crosspointe Church

9) With the help of our website… we have increased enrollment by 23 students this school year. -Justin Gingrich, Ignite Academy, Palm Harbor, FL. Read New Website Helps Ignite Academy Dramatically Increase Enrollment

10) SEO is like landscaping… the initial work has the most noticeable impact, but if you don’t do routine maintenance, the results of the initial work will be lost.  Read Search Marketing Case Study: The Value of Ongoing SEO Management

11) Guest blog articles produced on average an 8 place improvements in search results in Google and Google Mobile and 16 place improvements in Bing. Read Nonprofit Improves Search Rankings with Guest Blog Articles

12) OurChurch.Com enabled me to reach all the countries of the world. -Makko Musagara, dStrengthening of Souls in All Nations. Read “OurChurch.Com enabled me to reach all the countries of the world”

13) Search engine optimization: you need to have it, it’s well worth it, and they [OurChurch.Com] do it right. -Jack Scalfani, Knott Avenue Christian Church, Anaheim, CA. Read Case Study: Church Growth Through Search Growth

14) There’s no better way to improve search rankings than creating great content, and there are no shortcuts to great content. Read How This Church in San Diego Went to 3 in Google.

15) Mark made building the website effortless… I am impressed with OurChurch.Com -Kathy Carter, Ark Christian Publishing.  Read Building an Ark was Effortless

More stories being added every month…

Thank you God!  And thanks to the thousands of Christian organizations who have trusted us with their websites and search marketing over the last 25 years!

Has OurChurch.Com impacted your Christian church, ministry or business?  We would love to hear your story either in writing or, even better, in a short video testimonial, and possibly publish it as one of the 25 Stories. For more details, check out Your Story Matters. We’ll Reward You for Telling It.

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post 25 Stories From 25 Years appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

All of the themes available in our WP-EZ Website Builder have a “Social Widget” in the header which can be used to show social media icons that link to your social media profiles.

Previously, to update these icons and links required updating the HTML code in the Social Widget. For the average person, this was not easy to do.

So, we created a new, super-easy Social Media Links editing tool. Now, all you have to do is go to the WP-EZ Dashboard, click the More menu, and select the Social Media option. Put the URLs of your social profiles into that form, and those are the icons and links that will be displayed at the top of your website. Leave the box next to any social media site blank, and the icon for that network won’t be shown.

For most people who built their website before April 26, after you enter the links to your social media profiles into the Social Media Links editor, you will need to enable those links by entering a “shortcode” into the Social Widget. (We are gradually doing this for all sites, but it’s a manual process and will take months to do this for everyone, so we encourage you to do it yourself.)

You can find instructions, help, and a video tutorial on the Social Media Links help page.

During this time of social distancing, helping and encouraging one another through social media is one way we can love one another and reveal Christ’s love to the world. See 7 Ways Your Church Can Minister Through Social Media During COVID-19 for ideas.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. -John 13:35

For more information see our COVID-19 Response Resources, Coronavirus Inspirational Quotes, and our COVID-19 Update with info on how we’re helping our users with their church websites.

Comment and Discuss… What comments or questions do you have about the new social media links editor? How have you been using social media during the coronavirus pandemic?

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post New WP-EZ Social Media Links Editor appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Since then, hundreds of websites built with OurChurch.Com have added The JoyFM player to their site. As a thank you from OCC and The JoyFM, we have done monthly drawings for gift cards for those who have The JoyFM player on their website.

Now we are upping the stakes even more…

Starting May 1st, every time that someone clicks on The JoyFM button on your website and listens to the great music and programming on The JoyFM, we are going to reward you with 10 bonus OCC points which go to more gift card drawings.  That means that if you get 10 people to click on The JoyFM button each day, you will get 100 points each day (3,000 points for the month).

So how can you get people to click on The JoyFM button on your website?

Here are 3 things you can do to get more people to click on The JoyFM button on your website?

1. Go to your own website every day and click on The JoyFM button and listen.
2. Tell everyone in your office to go to your website each day and click on The JoyFM button.
3. Email those who are a part of your church, ministry, school, or business to go your website every day to stay informed on what is going on.  And while they are there, click on The JoyFM button and listen to some great Christian music.

In fact, when people visit your website and click on The JoyFM button, you will receive OCC points for each page they view on your website, plus 10 points when they click on The JoyFM button.

If you don’t have The JoyFM button on your website, just login to MyOCC and click the button to add The JoyFM to your website or email support (at) ourchurch (dot) com to let us know you want it added to your site. We will add it for you.

Let us help you and those around you find joy by listening to The JoyFM!

Where words fail, music speaks. ―Hans Christian Andersen

Got comments or questions about The JoyFM player or OCC Points? Post them in a comment below.

Mark Steinbrueck

President at OurChurch.Com

Mark has served as the President of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, leading the Custom Website and Sales departments with dedication and expertise.

Over the years, he has managed hundreds of custom website, graphic design, and marketing projects for churches, non-profits, businesses, and schools.

Beyond his professional work, Mark is deeply committed to serving his community. He coordinates and packs over 700 meals each week for children through One Community Now’s Pack A Sack for Kids program, volunteers in the Children’s Ministry at Generations Christian Church, and participates in a weekly Bible study.

ourchurch.com

The post Earn points, get gift cards, and find Joy! appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Online Giving Screenshot

We got lots of replies in response to the announcement about YODA.  Several people asked to see how YODA works, so below is a screenshot of the giving form.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We got lots of other good, very specific questions about YODA, so we’ll address them below…

Q: What are the transaction fees?

Credit/Debit cards: 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction
AMEX: 3.5% plus 30 cents per transaction
ACH: 1% plus 30 cents per transaction

Q: Are there refund costs?

No

Q: Are there any monthly minimums?

No

Q: After a person makes a donation, where does the money go? Will we need to use our bank account or is it like paypal where the money is held there and we can request the money then be sent to our checking account?

It’s kind of like PayPal except you don’t have to request the money be sent to your bank account. When a supporter makes a donation (or a recurring donation is made), the money is held for 2-7 days (depending on the type of transaction) by the transaction processor and then it is automatically transferred into the bank account you designate.

Q: Is this a viable alternative to PayPal?

Yes. It’s a better option than PayPal because 1) it’s easier to use than PayPal, 2) it gives supporters the option to donate from a bank account (can’t do that with PayPal), and 3) donations are automatically transferred to your bank account without you having to repeatedly request them.

Q: How does the Kiosk Giving work? Where is the Kiosk?

Every tablet, laptop, or desktop computer instantly turns into a giving Kiosk. Enable giving for your members and visitors as they enter or leave your building, fellowship with their friends, or enjoy a cup of coffee in the cafe.

Q: What is the optional text option? How does this work?

Your organization gets its own giving phone number. The first time someone wants to use text-to-give, they text “give” to your number. They get an automated text reply with a link. They tap the link and enter their payment info. In the future, anytime they want to give, they just text the amount to your giving phone number (e.g. “50” to give $50).   Cost to add this option is $19/mo.

Q: Is YODA available only to OurChurch.Com site owners or is it available to everyone?

Yes, the offer is only available to organizations whose websites we host. If you have a website hosted elsewhere and you’re considering a new website, now would be a good time to do it. Can I answer any questions for you about our WP-EZ Website Builder or would you like to schedule a call to discuss a custom designed website?

Q: Will YODA integrate with my church management system or client management system so donations are added to members/supporters giving statements?

All transactions can be exported as .csv (exel) and can then be imported into almost any ChMS (church management system) or CRM (client relationship manager). There is direct integration with some ChMSs and CRMs with more coming. If you want to check on a specific system, call or email our support team.

If you have any other questions about YODA – Your Online Donation App – post them in a comment below, email support (at) ourchurch (dot) com or call us at (727) 723-2454

Mark Steinbrueck

President at OurChurch.Com

Mark has served as the President of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, leading the Custom Website and Sales departments with dedication and expertise.

Over the years, he has managed hundreds of custom website, graphic design, and marketing projects for churches, non-profits, businesses, and schools.

Beyond his professional work, Mark is deeply committed to serving his community. He coordinates and packs over 700 meals each week for children through One Community Now’s Pack A Sack for Kids program, volunteers in the Children’s Ministry at Generations Christian Church, and participates in a weekly Bible study.

ourchurch.com

The post YODA Available for FREE until 4/15/19 (Demo & FAQs) appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

This month we are doing 3 things that are complete game-changers when it comes to church web design!

1) 60% Off a Custom-Designed Church Website

Have you tried creating your own DIY church website and just couldn’t get it the way you want?

Or does your church need a new website and you prefer to put your site in the hands of professionals so you can stay focused on other ministry responsibilities?

If so, OurChurch.Com’s Custom Express Site is a great option for you. We’ll design and build an amazing, mobile-friendly website for you!

And if you sign up during the month of March, we’ll include these bonuses:

• SSL Certificate – secure your site and encrypt data sent to and from your website ($10/mo value)
• Enhanced Online Giving – accept donations online ($100 value)
• Copywriting – We’ll write up to 15 page of your website for you ($1500)
• 1 Hour of Monthly Maintenance – We’ll update text, images, audio, or video at your request ($80/mo)

That’s a grand total of $3,760 of bonuses we’re throwing in at no extra cost.

Additionally, with the Custom Express package there’s no up-front fee! You pay just $99/mo with a 2 year commitment and that includes your hosting, we keep WordPress and all your plugins up to date! Plus we include a free redesign every 3 years.

To get this offer, your contract and first payment must be received by March 31.

Additionally, because we want to be able to deliver all of this quickly to those who order, this offer is only available to the first 5 churches that sign up (new Custom Express clients only). If 5 churches move forward today, we’ll have to end the offer to focus on building their sites.

If you’re interested, the first step is to request a free, no-obligation phone consultation.

2) 50% Off WP-EZ 2.0 Theme Customization

If you prefer to build your own website with our WP-EZ Church Website Builder, we have a special opportunity for you. We will customize your WP-EZ 2.0 theme to whatever colors you would like.

This service normally costs $199 but during the month of March, you can get it for just $99!

There are some limits on this offer:

• It’s only available for WP-EZ 2.0 themes (Blended, Center, Country, Creative, Dragon Drop, Modern, Traditional, and Urban themes). If you are currently using a 1.0 theme, you can switch to a 2.0 theme and then we can customize its colors for you.
• You must place your order by March 31st
• To ensure we can deliver this service quickly to those who order it, we’re limiting this offer to the first 10 sites that order.

If you want a customized theme, don’t wait. 10 people could order today and then you’d miss out on this opportunity.

Order your WP-EZ Theme Customization here!

3) Get Our Entire Custom Website Design Process!

Would you like to know how we’ve been designing beautiful, effective church websites for more than 20 years?

We are going to share our entire custom website design process with you.

Why?

Because our mission is to help Christian organizations live out their mission online.

Whether you have us builder your website, you build it yourself with our WP-EZ Website Builder, or build your church website somewhere else, by sharing the insight we’ve gained over the last 20 years, we believe we can help your church have a better website.

Eventually we’re going to share the entire process in The Ultimate Guide to Church Website Design

How about we start with a little taste…

Church Website Design Step 1: Start with Why

We start the first phone call with every church we work with by getting to know the church and helping them to define the goals for their website.

It’s important to define your goals first, because your website’s appearance, organization, content and functionality should all be designed to help your church website achieve its goals.

What’s the purpose of your church website?

• To reach out to people in your community looking for a church?
• To help the people who are a part of your church to get connected and serve?
• To help people grow their relationship with God?
• To share the stories of what God is doing in your congregation with your local community?

It’s ok to have multiple goals for your website – most do, but it’s important to prioritize your goals, because those prioritize will help guide the organization of your pages and your content.

Continue reading about our church website design process:

• Step 2: Logo Design
• Step 3: Content Map
• Step 4: Select a Theme
• Step 5: Select & Install Plugins
• Step 6: Create & Enter Content
• Step 7: Take & Insert Photos
• Step 8: On-Page Optimization for Search (SEO)
• Step 9: Launch
• Step 10: Create an Update Plan

The first step of web design is to define your goals. Every decision after that takes you one step closer to those goals. –Paul Steinbrueck

Comment and Discuss

• What questions do you have about “60% Off a Custom Church Website Design” and “50% Off WP-EZ 2.0 Theme Customization?”
• What goals do you have for your church website?

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post URGENT: 3 Church Website Design Game-Changers! appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

We all have.

Sometimes it can be really annoying, but it’s not always bad. Consider:

Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. -Philippians 4:8

This morning I’ve had Lauren Daigle’s song, “You Say” stuck in my head. Here’s the first verse and chorus.

I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low?
Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know (ooh oh)

You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
You say I am held when I am falling short
When I don’t belong, oh You say that I am Yours
And I believe (I), oh I believe (I)
What You say of me (I)
I believe

(You can listen to the song here on YouTube.)

This is exactly what I WANT to be telling myself throughout the day!

How to Get a Song Out of Your Head

But if you’ve got a song stuck in your head that’s not true, noble, or right, there is a simple solution that works for me 99% of the time.

Listen to other music.

Usually, songs that get stuck in our heads are one of the last few songs we’ve heard, so replace the last few songs you’ve heard with some new songs.

How to Get Good Songs Stuck In Your Head

Listening to Christian music is one of the ways we can help “renew our minds” and keep us focused on the truth of God’s word.

In December, OurChurch.Com announced a new partnership with The JoyFM. Through this partnership, anyone with a custom designed website built by OCC or a DIY website built with our WP-EZ Website Builder can get the JoyFM music player added to their website at no cost. Just request the player through our helpdesk, and we’ll add it for you.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right… think about such things. -Philippians 4:8

Discussion

• What’s the last song you had stuck in your head?
• How important is music in your spiritual life?

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post How to Get a Song Out of Your Head appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.