Today a church planter shared an amazing statistic that merits me sharing to you. In a recent media blitz of billboards, radio and TV ads, door hangers, etc. only 5% of recent visitors to his church plant responded to this type of invitation to the church. He communicated to me that 95% of his recent visitors over the last 6 weeks attended his church plant because they found their website on-line. Through conversations and relationships people chose to check out the church via their website before they attended the service. Amazing results for utilizing a simple tool. So, if you want to get your name out and let people know you exist make sure that one tool you have in your arsenal is a website; a usable, friendly, and inviting website. Matter of fact, I'd suggest you pay the money to create a good and functional website before you sent mailers, put up billboards, or paid for public advertising.
Please remember that a website isn't the end to all means in reaching out to people; relationships move and draw people. However, we now understand more than ever that people drawn into your church through relationships are now telling others to check out your church plant via your website. Church websites today are fastly becoming a necessary means to help draw and connect people into a relationship with you and the church plant. So, in today's economy if you want to let people know you exist, and help them understand what you're all about, creating a great website is a must.
Final thought. Everyone who has created their own website thinks that their site is good. I haven't heard one planter admit that their website looks like garbage; although some in my opinion do. Please take the time to first market your website through various generations of people, and then take their feedback and do something with what they give you. Most of the time church planters websites are nominal at best, and they do not motivate or encourage anyone to take the next step to checking you out. Remember, in today's world the web is a place "where they find out about you." If your website looks shabby and amateur, they will reserve the right to think that's really describes who and what you really are. And, who would blame them if they never bothered to check you out.
2 comments:
You hit this nail on the head with this one!! The first thing we did when looking for churches was to see if they had a website to help us decide whether or not we planned to attend. We also used the look of the site on how traditional, modern, "up with the times" the church was. Great advice for all your church planters and existing churches that read your blog!
The scary thing is that visitors know more about you then you know about yourself because of the web. I agree that 95% of visitors look at our website before they even step foot in the door. I had an idea about your next blog. What if you listed all the bad websites so we could learn from other church's mistakes? I know my website might be on it but the truth is truth even if it hurts.
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