Your website’s homepage: What information should be on it?

The upcoming golf tournament, missions meeting, VBS, confirmation, new pastor reception, high school conference, Mother’s Day luncheon, graduation celebration,  etc…  there are so many important activities and events.  In addition, you want to make it easy for first time visitors to find your service times, address, and contact information.  You want to spotlight them all on your homepage, but if you do that the homepage will be as crowded as Times Square on New Year’s Eve.  So how do you decide what to put on your homepage?

Here are some guidelines to consider when determining what you will put on your homepage:

1. Your homepage is the first impression many will have of your organization.  We have all heard the saying that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  In the same manner that you would want your home, church, business, or school to be clean, neat, and uncluttered when someone arrives, having a organized and clean homepage is very important.
2. Have the basic information.  Basic information like your address, weekly services/learning times (if you are a church), and contact information should be readily available on your homepage.  Don’t make it difficult for someone finding your organization for the first time to get this basic information.
3. Use an image slider on your homepage.  A great way to bring attention to many activities in an uncluttered way on your homepage is to use an image slider.  An image slider is feature that gently rotates through images or slides.  Using an image slider allows you to attractively spotlight many activities in a small amount of space.  A great example of a church effectively using their image slider is http://www.kacc.com.
4. Use a Scrolling News feature on your homepage.  Another way to fit a lot of announcements in a small amount of space is to use a scrolling news feature.  You can control which information appears in the news scroller and link to other pages with more information.  Check out http://www.fumcstamford.org for a website effectively using scrolling news.
5. Have webpages for each ministry/group.  Each department, ministry or group within your organization should have its own page if not its own section of the website.  One option is to showcase upcoming events or announcements on these pages.  By doing this regularly, visitors will learn that they need to go to those pages for information on upcoming events.  In addition, even if you feature an event on the homepage’s news scroller or image slider, you will need to have more detailed information for those interested.  Having a page with this information in the department’s section of the site is a perfect solution!

What are your thoughts on the above tips?  What has worked or not worked for your organization?  Please comment below and share your thoughts with us!

Does your organization need a website that allows you to have an image slider or scrolling news?  Please go to https://www.ourchurch.com/design/custom-web-design.php to read more about what we can do to build you a successful website.  Fill out the request form on the page to talk with one of our website specialists.

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.