Summer is a season of new beginnings and vibrant activities, making it the perfect time to refresh your church website. As families plan vacations and communities gather for various events, a well-updated website can significantly enhance your church’s visibility and engagement.
Your website serves as the digital front door to your church, and ensuring it is inviting, informative, and easy to navigate can make a lasting impression on visitors. One 2012 Google study found that 79% of users who didn’t like what they saw on a website would never return to it.
Imagine a family moving into your area during the summer. They’re looking for a new church home and turn to the internet for guidance. A dynamic, up-to-date website could be the key factor that encourages them to visit your church.
Similarly, members who might be traveling can stay connected through your online presence, ensuring they don’t miss out on important events and announcements. By focusing on a few key areas, you can create an engaging, user-friendly website that meets the needs of your community and fosters a sense of belonging.
In this blog, you’ll learn actionable steps to refresh your church website, from updating your design and adding welcoming text to highlighting summer events and ensuring mobile optimization.
1. Refresh Your Church Website Design
Start with a fresh, modern design to capture visitors’ attention. For example, ChurchSpring’s church website builder offers customizable, mobile-responsive templates that are easy to update. You can use the easy-to-use editor to add summer-themed images and content that reflect the vibrant spirit of your community.
“One of the top reasons we chose ChurchSpring was for ease of editing and updating the website. As promised, it has been just that…easy.”
Karl M., Timberville Church of the Brethren
2. Add Welcoming Text
Update your homepage with a warm, inviting message. Highlight the unique aspects of your church and what visitors can expect. This is your chance to make a strong first impression, so ensure the text is friendly and engaging.
3. Highlight Summer Schedules and Events
Use your website’s event calendar to showcase all your summer activities. Whether it’s a summer camp, special services, or community events, keep this information up-to-date to make it easy for visitors to plan their visits. Promote these events prominently on your homepage.
4. Utilize the “Plan Your Visit” Feature
ChurchSpring’s “Plan Your Visit” feature is a powerful tool to help potential visitors feel more comfortable. By providing details about what to expect, parking information, and a contact form, you can reduce the anxiety a guest may experience when visiting a new church.
5. Optimize for Mobile
Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. With more people browsing on their phones, a mobile-responsive design ensures your site looks great on all devices. ChurchSpring’s church websites are automatically optimized for mobile, providing a seamless experience for all users.
6. Enhance SEO for Summer
Improve your search engine rankings by updating meta tags, keywords, and URLs to focus on summer activities. This helps potential visitors find your church when they search for local summer events. ChurchSpring’s built-in SEO tools make this process simple and effective.
7. Feature Online Giving Options
Make it easy for visitors and members to support your church financially with secure online giving options. Highlight these options on your homepage and event pages to encourage donations, even from those who cannot attend in person.
8. Integrate Social Media
Link your social media accounts to your website so visitors can follow and engage with you online. Adding creative social media ideas through feeds and links encourages visitors to follow your church and stay updated on news and events. This also helps in sharing your content widely, increasing your church’s online reach.
9. Secure Your Church Website
Protect your congregation by following best practices for website security. Regularly update passwords, use secure connections, and educate your team about phishing scams.
10. Share Testimonials
Incorporate testimonials from happy members to build trust. Personal stories and positive feedback can significantly impact new visitors. Here’s a relevant testimonial:
“Great experience so far with ChurchSpring!”
Pastor Steve K., Hopewell Baptist Church
11. Promote Live Streaming
If you’re streaming your services, make sure you highlight it on your website. Provide access to live or recorded sermons to ensure those who cannot attend in person still feel connected to the church.
Use ChurchSpring’s live streaming tools to enhance the live streaming experience. Features like automatic event reminders ensure your members will never miss a sermon, reminding them of upcoming events.
Ensure your live streaming setup is reliable and user-friendly, offering a seamless experience that keeps viewers coming back. By highlighting live streaming, you create an inclusive environment where all members, near and far, can join in worship and feel a part of your church family.
12. Add Calls to Action
Encourage visitors to engage further with your church by providing clear calls to action. Whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, joining a group, or attending an event, make it easy for visitors to take the next step.
Get Ready for Summer!
By following this checklist, you’ll create a welcoming and functional website that connects with visitors all summer long. A well-maintained website not only attracts new visitors but also keeps your current members engaged and informed. From refreshing your design to integrating social media, each step is designed to enhance your church’s online presence and foster a sense of community.
Take advantage of ChurchSpring’s powerful church website builder to simplify these updates. Our platform offers everything you need to maintain an engaging, user-friendly website. Explore the built-in SEO tools, event management features, and mobile optimization options to ensure your site is performing at its best.
Let’s make this summer the best one yet for your church and community! Sign up for a free 7-day trial of ChurchSpring.
