The Best Church Websites: 5) Are Not Incomplete

Could having an incomplete website be holding back your business or ministry?

Could it be keeping visitors from coming to your church? 

What is an incomplete website?

First, let me stay up front, a website is never “finished.” It needs to be updated regularly. And there is always more content you can add to it – more resources, more photos, more stories.

When we say the best church websites are “not incomplete,” we mean:

• No blank pages
• No stock images – all photos on your website are of people in your ministry or business
• No sample text that hasn’t been customized for your organization
• No sample videos that haven’t been replaced by your videos
• No social media icons with broken links

Your website is often the first impression a person gets of your organization. And remember…

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

What impression do you think an incomplete website gives to your visitors? 

• You don’t really care about your visitors.
• You are too busy.
• You aren’t paying attention to the details.
• You are not competent enough to manage a website.

People are not going to come back again later to see if you’ve finished your website.

This your one shot – your one shot to make a person feel they are welcome at your church, your one shot to let a person know your ministry can help them, your one shot to let a person know your business offers the solution they are looking for.

Most Important Pages in a “Not Incomplete” Website

Again, your website is never going to be “complete.” You can always add to it. But there are some standard pages which should be on every website.

1. Home
2. About
3. Contact
4. Plan Your Visit (Recommended for churches)

Remember, Your Homepage is Your First Impression

Your homepage might be your only chance to connect with a website visitor. Their experience with your homepage will determine whether they click to any other pages.

It could also be the only page they see. So, it is better to be redundant than to leave out information the visitor might be looking for.

What this means is that you might repeat the same information on your website multiple times on different pages.

What every homepage must have for Church, Ministry, or Business:

1. Name of the organization
2. Operating hours or times of services
3. Contact information
   1. Phone number
   2. Location address (a map is helpful but not absolutely necessary)
   3. Email address
   4. Social Media Links (People like to get to know you by viewing your social media comments and photos)
4. Photos. Every website, whether for a business, ministry, or church should include photos showing your customers or members enjoying and benefiting from what you offer.
5. Videos. A church should also include a sample of the service either with an audio file of the sermon or a video of the whole service. This helps visitors decide if your church is right for them.

Bonus: Plan Your Visit!

If your website is for your church, encourage visitors to “Plan Your Visit“. This is a new tool that churches are utilizing to get visitors to commit to a visit, and can help your church reach more people and grow! (Check out our Fluid theme that integrates the Plan Your Visit tools)

Want help completing your website quickly? 

We want you to have a website that helps you live out your mission online. We understand you may be busy. Maybe you’ve never built a website before. Often good leadership means delegating the tasks you’re not great at so you can focus on more important things.

If you build your website with our WP-EZ Website Builder, we can help you create your website faster.

Or we can build a custom website for your Christian church, ministry or business. Complete the form below to schedule a complimentary call.

Comment and Discuss…

• Would an incomplete website keep you from visiting a church?
• Are there any incomplete parts of your website you want to work on?

Read more articles in this series: Best Christian/Church Websites 10 Point Checklist