We know how much work goes into placing every pixel and polishing every picture on your church's website. We want to help make your website launch as successful as possible! Use our tips to get your congregation excited about your new digital ministry tool.
1. Get Feedback Before Taking Your Site Live
It takes about 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website - whether they like your site or not, whether they’ll stay and look around or leave. An outside opinion, someone not familiar with your your church, can help you experience it like a first time visitor. Make sure your new site is engaging and attractive.
Our Tips
- Share the site with your staff or a select group of congregation, coworkers, or friends (or your e360 Strategy Team) and gather their feedback about first impressions, usability, and if the all the links and forms work.
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Share your website on the Church Communicators Facebook group and ask for constructive feedback from real church communicators.
Your Goal
Catching any oversights with an extra set of eyes to find any last minute items or small details that may need correcting. You’re looking for the overall feeling or opinion regarding their experience on your site.
2. Tease on Sunday Morning Leading Up to Launch Day
About 20 years ago, a church member was considered active in the church if he or she attended three times a week. Today, a church member is considered active in the church if he or she attends three times a month. With such sporadic church attendance, it’s important to plan multiple promotions to get your congregation excited about your new digital ministry tool.
Our Tips
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Create a few slides for the worship service, insert a printed promo in your bulletin, and talk about the new site as an announcement
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No matter where you announce, it’s key share a few new website features that will help your congregation engage better and want to actually start using it. An example would be sharing the top 5 resources parents will love on your new website.
Your Goal
Get your congregation excited about all the features on your new digital ministry tool.
3. Give Your Congregation Digital Invite Cards
Each engaged member of your congregation has access to an entirely new set of friends, relatives, and coworkers. Make it easy for them to spread the word! Your website is the go to tool for communicating about your church, especially for visitors, and in this day of social media algorithms, you’re going to need all the help your congregation can give you to create engagement on your new site. Social Media can be a lifeline to your community, and involving your congregation is a great way to get them on board and “bought in” to your new website.
Our Tips
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Create a social post that you congregation can use to invite friends to church by sharing on their personal social media accounts.
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Stay on top of any comments your post receives and be sure to make each reply specific to the user.
P.S. Did you know we have a Digital Invite Layout that can help!?
Your Goal
Get your congregation involved in promotions and use the website launch as an outreach initiative.
4. Ask for Google Reviews
Reviews are often the first thing people see before clicking into your website. In fact, 88% of consumers have read online reviews to determine the quality of an organization. In addition, quality reviews can help launch your church to the top of Google search results boosting how many people can easily find your church when searching.
Our Tip
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Once the site launches, ask your congregation to search for your church on Google and leave a review with 2 reasons they call your church home.
Your Goal
Collect reviews from church members, family and friends to help boost SEO and improve your overall digital fingerprint.
5. Launch a Selfie Sunday Campaign
From the most shared selfie in the world, to the most famous selfie in the universe, selfies and images drive our culture. Social Media posts with images drive nearly 40% more engagement than those without with a 35% boost in retweets.
Our Tips
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Launch a social campaign asking individuals or families to share a selfie of them at church with a caption talking about what they love at your church.
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Be sure to have them tag your new church website! You can also create a hashtag just for this! #ChurchNameSelfieSunday
Your Goal
Boost engagement on social media, engage your members and online community, and share the heart of your church online.
6. Give Away Something Free on Social Media
Did you know that 7 out of 10 people have participated in an online game? Our culture is captivated by experiences - if your contest is fun and exciting, people will want to share that experience with their friends.
Our Tips
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Create a shareable graphic or video and ask your social following to tag 10 friends to enter to win.
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Everyone who participates wins or is entered to win something free: a gift card to your church coffee shop, a new book by your pastor, or some church swag.
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You could even launch a giving fundraiser in which your church donates a dollar to an organization or fund for every friend tagged in the graphic.
Your Goal
Engaging your audience in a contest can be a great way to increase social shares, engagement, and impressions throughout your social media platforms, and to drive visitors to your new website.
