June 2004 Connection Letter

Dear Evangelism Leader:

              More and more people do their spiritual seeking, and their “church shopping”, on the web.   One Los Ranchos church – which has done mass mailings, phone calling, door-to door visitation and newspaper advertising – has discovered that the church web page has motivated far more people to visit the church than all other media combined.

              The Evangelism Committee wants to encourage every church to produce the best web page its financial resources and/or volunteer pool enables.   In designing – or redesigning – a web page, here are some matters to consider:

•  Think of the nature of your target audience.   If you are trying to reach those who are likely to be on the cutting edge of technology, you may want, for example, to use “flash” technology.   If, however, your target audience is likely to use “dial-up” rather than DSL or cable to access the web, flash technology may make your web site inaccessible to many.

•  Avoid being too wordy.   Many people look at web pages and experience the “MEGO” phenomenon:   “Mine Eyes Glaze Over”.   Be brief.   Put additional text on an additional page.   Don't try to say everything on one page.   Don't be afraid to “tease” people into looking further.

•  Use as many pictures as possible.   People who use the web tend to be less word-oriented and more image-oriented than others.   Also, in putting photographs on your web page, emphasize those that depict people rather than buildings.   Faces convey the spirit of a church best.

•  Put your most important information (e.g., worship times, phone number, etc.) on your home page.   People are more likely to lose contact with a web site after they proceed from the home page, and you don't want them to miss the basics.   They may not come back a second time.

•  Make it easy to return to the home page – and obvious how to do that.   When people get stuck inside a web site, it leaves a negative impression.

•  Look at what other churches do on their sites.   See what you like, and what you don't like.   Steal good ideas.   Learn from other people's mistakes.

•  Keep the focus on your web page upon the spiritual.   Visitors to your web page are unlikely to be interested at first in your building, programming, committee structure, etc.   They are searching.   Give them a sense of how being involved in your church's life might put them in contact with God.   Some churches even include in the web site a page on how to begin relationship with God, and people have done so as a result.

              The Committee is willing to partner with you in evaluating or developing a web site.   God bless your efforts to share the good news that is too good to keep to ourselves!

                                                                                    Sincerely yours,

                                                                                    Adele & Rob Langworthy

                                                                                         For the Evangelism Committee