If you've ever thought, “We should really update our church website,” you're not alone. Many church leaders feel stuck with a website that no longer serves their mission…but don’t know how to move forward. Your site might be outdated, hard to navigate, or missing key tools your congregation needs. Still, even when churches recognize the problem, the fear of change often outweighs the desire for improvement.
Let’s be honest. Migrating to a new church website platform can sound intimidating. Fear of downtime, losing years of content, having to retrain staff or volunteers—these are very real concerns. And for smaller churches with limited tech support, it can feel like one wrong click might break something important. But the truth is: staying stuck in a broken system is more damaging than making the leap.
A smart, well-planned church website migration isn’t just about moving data. It’s about revitalizing your digital ministry. A modern platform can dramatically improve your online engagement, streamline communication, and offer your members a more welcoming and useful experience. A church website migration is an opportunity to clean up clutter, clarify your message, and better align your site with the current vision of your church.
If your church has grown, updated its branding, or experienced a shift in ministry strategy, it’s time to redesign your church website to reflect those changes. Maybe your livestream needs a permanent home. Maybe your sermons are hard to access. Or maybe visitors just don’t know where to find service times. Whatever the case, you don’t have to stay stuck.
In this blog, you’ll learn when it’s time to switch church website builders and how to make the jump. We’ll help you avoid common pitfalls, ask the right questions, and take a clear step toward a refreshed, more effective website that serves your church well.
1. Know When It’s Time to Switch Platforms
The first step is recognizing that it’s time for a change. If your current website is hard to update, confusing to visitors, or slow to load, it may be time to switch church website platforms.. Many churches try to “make it work,” but that often leads to frustration and burnout.
- Your website looks outdated or doesn’t reflect your current ministries.
- Staff or volunteers struggle to update content.
- You're paying too much for features you don’t use.
- Mobile experience is poor or live stream integration is clunky.
- You don’t have the customer support you need to manage your website.
Your website is often the first impression people have of your church. If it’s hard to navigate, loads slowly or looks like it hasn’t been updated in years, people may never make it to your Sunday service. One of your goals should be to create a website that has the best user experience.
2. Back Up Your Content and Media Before Migrating
Before making any move, secure what you already have. That includes sermons, blog posts, event descriptions, image galleries, and downloadable forms. Losing years of content is a top concern during church website migration, but it’s completely avoidable with good planning.
- Create a folder for sermons, photos, and documents.
- Export blog content and save as Word or .txt files.
- Screenshot or copy key page layouts as a reference.
- Backup your DNS and hosting records (ask your current provider for help).
Ask Church Volunteers: This is a great project to delegate! Ask a trusted tech-savvy member to assist in organizing your files. It’s also a chance to clean up and prepare your church website for a cleaner, lighter redesign.
3. Define Your New Website Goals
Don’t migrate just for the sake of change—migrate with purpose. This is the ideal time to realign your website with your current outreach, communication, and discipleship strategies.
- Do you need easier live streaming?
- Want to add event pages with RSVPs or registrations?
- Looking to integrate YouTube strategies for churches?
- Is mobile optimization a must?
- Need accessible customer support?
Church Digital Tools Insight: Moving platforms gives you a chance to ditch unnecessary plugins and instead use tools built specifically for churches. With ChurchSpring’s Website Builder, you get built-in sermon hosting, event promotion, media galleries, and more—all under one roof. Plus, our customer support is available with any plan and will give you the confidence to manage your website!
4. Choose a Reliable, Church-Focused Platform
Not all website builders are created equal. A general platform may require third-party plugins, extra fees, or steep learning curves. Look for a system designed specifically for churches.
- User-friendly for non-tech staff
- Built-in giving and sermon pages
- Fast setup and responsive support
- No hidden costs or tech jargon
With ChurchSpring’s Website Builder, you can manage your sermons, events, homepage banners, giving pages, staff bios, and live streams—all in one place. No plugins. No complicated setups. Just click, type, and publish. It’s ministry-ready out of the box, making it easy to serve your church and reach your community without the tech stress.
“So glad I stumbled across ChurchSpring. Within hours our new site was up and running and within a couple of days, we had it looking good. We've been in Livestream mode for months and thankful for the ChurchSpring platform.”
Andy L., Nags Head Church
5. Prepare Your Domain and Redirects
One of the most overlooked steps in a migration is setting up redirects from your old pages to your new ones. This ensures visitors don’t land on broken links and helps preserve your Google rankings.
- Work with your new provider to set up 301 redirects.
- Point your domain (e.g., yourchurch.com) to the new platform.
- Update links in emails, bulletins, and social media bios.
Learn SEO Strategies: Don’t let your traffic disappear after migration. Ask your provider for help optimizing your page titles, descriptions, and redirects to improve your search visibility. Be sure to avoid common SEO mistakes on your new church website..
6. Train Your Team (Without the Overwhelm)
A new platform often means learning new tools—but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Choose a system that’s built for non-technical users and offer a brief training session for key staff or volunteers.
- Host a Zoom tutorial with your new church website provider.
- Record short screencasts on how to update sermons or events.
- Share login credentials and permissions as needed.
Designed with volunteers in mind, ChurchSpring’s Website Builder interface is intuitive and easy to learn—no tech background needed. With inline editing, drag-and-drop sections, and built-in training videos and resources, your team can confidently update the site without waiting on outside help.
“As someone who is not a tech expert, I needed a website platform that was easy to use but still looked professional. ChurchSpring made it simple to share who we are as a church while providing a polished, informative platform.”
Mike H., Kathleen Baptist Church
7. Promote Your New Site with Confidence
Once the new site is live, let people know! This is your chance to reintroduce your ministry, show off your new design, and demonstrate that your church is engaged and growing.
- Add banners on your homepage.
- Post a walkthrough video on social media.
- Use social media to create engaging launch posts.
- Share why you switched and what’s new.
Pro Tip: Highlight new features like livestream access, simplified giving, or downloadable bulletins. A redesign isn’t just cosmetic—it’s a communication upgrade.
You Don’t Have to Migrate Alone
Migrating your church website can feel like a daunting task, especially if you’ve been on the same platform for years. The idea of transferring data, redesigning content, and learning a new system is enough to keep many churches stuck in outdated systems. But the longer you delay, the more you risk missing out on the ministry impact your website can deliver.
You don’t have to do it alone, and you don’t have to be a tech expert to make a smart transition. With the right plan and the right partner, you can move platforms with clarity and confidence. Think of it as a reset button for your digital ministry—one that will help your church grow, communicate more effectively, and reach people wherever they are.
Whether you're a solo pastor juggling every role or part of a growing ministry team, ChurchSpring’s easy-to-use church website builder makes the process straightforward and stress-free. You’ll never have to second-guess your next step.
Ready to move forward with a fresh start? Start your free 7-day trial or join our next demo webinar to see how ChurchSpring takes the guesswork out of church website migration.
