Ask the Right Questions, Give the Right Answers

Making your website invaluable -
help people find what they are looking for.

Just because you have a website doesn't necessarily mean you're making an impact. Have you asked the question, "Who is our audience, and are we meeting their needs?"

For example, let's say you're trying to sell hair products. If you had an eye-catching website with pictures, descriptions, and links to manufacturers, but you had no clear way to purchase products easily, your visitors would quickly move to a different site.

However, if clearly linked to the searching and ordering process, and provided some side information on the top 10 best-selling products (and why aloe and vitamin E are beneficial ingredients), then your audience would visit frequently. They'd remember that your site was easy to use and informative; if your visitors can quickly accomplish what they want to do at your site, they'll return.

You need to ask these questions about your website:

• Who is your audience, and what are they looking for?
• Can they find what they are looking for?
• Is your information relevant?
• Is your website personal and credible?

Ask the Right Questions

1. Who is Your Audience, and What are They Looking For?

No two ministries are the same, hence, no two websites will be the same. For example:

If your main priority is to reach the Christians in your community, you may want to highlight your youth ministry, outreach opportunities, or the moms ministry.

If your main priority is to reach people who do not attend church, then you may want to highlight local service opportunities, tutoring or ESL classes, or available counseling.

Below are some typical questions people have when they visit a church website:

• When and where do you meet?
• How do I get there?
• What is the church like? (service style, size, age ranges, etc.)
• How can I get involved? (remember, if it's too difficult, some people may not make the effort)
• What makes your ministry different and unique?
• Who are the people that make up this ministry?
• What do you believe in?

Take the time to find out the answers to these questions, then see what changes and updates you can make to your website to give the answers they are looking for.

No matter who your audience is, providing a poll for user-feedback can be helpful. (How do I put a poll on my website?) Prioritize the responses you get, check to see how they match up to your ministry's vision and goals, then use your conclusions to focus your website.

2. Can They Find What They're Looking for?

Now that you know what people are looking for, how quickly and easily can they find it? Make sure your links to different sections are clear. If you want to make a particular link or section prominent on your page, place it near the top, or highlight it with a relevant image. Give a short description of what they will find, and try to keep your page as clean as possible.

Don't let your website be a maze where people get lost. You may need to clean up your menu structure and get rid of a few pages or sections. This doesn't mean you have to sacrifice good material, just organize what you have to highlight the good stuff. (The web_builder teaser feature is good for this; you can place many small pieces of information on a page without having to maintain multiple pages.)

3. Is Your Information Relevant?

Make sure the material you have on your website is up to date, relevant to your ministry, and effective in reaching your goals. For instance, keep an eye on your dated material such as calendars and schedules. Always ask the question before placing something on your site, "Is this helping my ministry's cause, or is it hindering it in any way?"

4. Is Your Website Personal and Credible?

You may not need to know who's behind the large corporations or online discount stores, but when it comes to ministry, the more you know about the people, the closer the community will be.

Those coming to ministry and church websites want to know the people behind it all. They want to know that they can know and trust in the people who make up your community, and know they would be welcome to it.

ForMinistry Website Highlight

Check out this Community Baptist Church of Shawano, WI, to see how they are reaching their audience.

You'll notice that you can quickly find where they are located, when they meet, and what ministries they offer. You can also get to know their community through the photos and personable tone of their writing.

Until next time...
Henry Kay, web_builder host