July is Destinations Month at OurChurch.Com and we are talking about what you can do to make your website a destination that people want to go to and return to on a regular basis.
As Paul mentioned in yesterday’s post, a destination is a place that people want to go to because there are things they want or want to do at that location.
So when it comes to your church website, why would someone want to regularly visit it?
One great way to keep visitors coming back is by putting your services or sermons online.
Adding sermons to a church website is not new but it is getting more and more prevalent because nearly every adult and teenager has a smartphone or tablet. Adding your sermons to your website makes it easy for people who travel, have to work weekends, or are involved in youth sports.
My son has played baseball for the past 12 years. For six of those years, he has played travel baseball. This means that many Sunday mornings, he has had games.
Now, we are very fortunate that our church has both Saturday night and Sunday morning services, so even with Sunday games, often we are able to attend church sometime on the weekend. However, when we are not able to attend service, we make a point of watching either a live version of the service or a recorded version of the service while we are going to the game (he watches, I listen when I drive – hands at 10 & 2;).
Having services available online is not only a great resource, but it also tells me and our family “My church cares about our family. They understand that we can’t always attend service but they want us to stay connected, so they go the extra mile to make sure that we can watch or listen to the sermon online.”
It also means that the church website is a destination that we regularly visit.
So, what about those who are in service every week? How does adding sermons or services get them coming back?
I suggest that you add a bonus to the website each week… Sermon notes or outlines.
Every pastor writes out the entire sermon or at least an outline that they follow for the message. Why not make these (or at least a condensed version of them) available on your church’s website? This will give those who attend and those who can’t attend another reason to make your church website a destination.
For a website, it is not the journey, but the destination that matters. – Mark Steinbrueck
What other things can make your church’s website a destination? Post your comments below.
If you are interested in discussing how we can help you make your church website a destination, please contact me here!
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.
