I have spoken with hundreds if not thousands of churches who have found themselves in need of a new church website. Often times, they want someone to build the site for them, instead of building the site themselves. Then they ask about hosting of their new church website and if they can host it elsewhere. Usually the reason they ask this is that they have found a cheap (or free) web host and are trying to be fiscally responsible with the resources that God has given to them.
At this point, it is important to share the reasons that it is best to host your website with the same company who built it and that being responsible with the money you have received, doesn’t mean being cheap:
- Server settings will be correct for the site: Most people don’t realize that not every site can be hosted at every hosting company. Nor do they understand the different server settings needed for hosting websites. Using the same company to build and host your site eliminates this problem.
- The company can resolve password/access issues: If you can’t get into the back-end of your website, is it a email/password issue or is your IP address being blocked? Using the same company to build and host your site eliminates this problem.
- The company can resolve all email/contact form issues: If a contact form isn’t working properly on your website, is it the cause of the website’s contact form or the email service by your hosting company? Using the same company to build and host your site eliminates this problem.
- The company can get your website back up when its down: If your website is down, is it caused by a problem with the website platform or the hosting? Using the same company to build and host your site eliminates this problem.
- Will save you time: If you have any problems with your website, do you know if it can be resolved by your hosting company or do you need to contact the company who built your website? Hosting your site with a different company than who built your site can cause you to spend twice as much time resolving any issue. Using the same company to build and host your site eliminates this problem.
- No finger pointing: Sometimes when hosting a website that was built by different company, the hosting company will point the finger at the developer and visa versa. Using the same company to build and host your site eliminates this problem.
As you can see, the best company to host your church website is the one that built and updates it. Keep it simple.
Click here and let us talk with you about what OurChurch.Com can do to build and host your church website.
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.
3 Comments
Good post, Mark! Another reason to choose the same company to host your church website that built it and updates it is if your site ever gets hacked – and unfortunately that happens to a lot of church websites – you need your web hosting company to be willing to work with you and the web design company to eliminate the malware from your site. This can be pretty complicated and there often a lot of hand-wringing and finger-pointing. If your hosting and design companies are one and the same, hacking incidents are usually resolved much more quickly.
Great point, Paul!
Great article 🙂 Thank you Mark 🙂