As of January 2024, there are approximately 331 million internet users in the U.S. Over 90% of U.S. internet users access the net by mobile phone.1. The average length someone will stay on a website before leaving is less than 10 seconds. All this begs the question, Is your church website set up to be giver-friendly? A giver-friendly website can significantly enhance your church's mission by making it easier for people to contribute to your cause.
The website is now the front door of the church. Before attending, people will check out your site to find out all about your church. I have spent the last decade studying church websites, and the results are alarming. As a result of my study, I have found the following top mistakes. You will want to do the opposite of what I list. Remember, your website is the first impression of your church for many people, so it's crucial to make it as inviting as possible.
Here are my Top Church Website Mistakes – Are you guilty of any of these?
- Too much clutter. This is the number one mistake I find on church sites. Less is better. Think Google!
- Not mobile-friendly. How does your site look on a phone? How easy is it to read and navigate?
- It's all about the church, with little said to the person visiting the site. Design your landing page for guests, not members.
- It looks like a Sunday bulletin. That might be great for your members, but it will not attract visitors.
- Saying too much. This adds to the clutter. Think of brief, short statements and paragraphs.
- Outdated stuff. Your website needs to be continually developed.
- Failing to optimize pages for search engines. If you are not on the first page of a search engine, it is doubtful that anyone will find your site. Pay attention to what is called Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short.
- Hiding the giving button. If people must hunt and look for your giving page, it's unlikely that they will give.
Before people attend your church, they are “attending” your web page. At the same time, the Giving landing page is often the first thing a first-time donor sees before making a donation. We must ensure that our Giving landing pages enhance that experience, not exasperate it. When it comes to your Giving page, it's not just about making it user-friendly, but also about making it giver-friendly. Here are some of my basic recommendations…
- Put your most important information at the top of the page.
- The page must be easy to understand and use.
- Show what you are doing to reinforce how important giving is.
- Think mobile. Use your phone and check out your site now to see how it looks.
- Update the conent regularly.
- Provide multiple digital options for how people can give! At OG, we provide more than a dozen ways!
- Work to drive people to the site! Here is a post that shares how: https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/3-little-letters-for-fundraising-success
Check out your Giving page to see how many of these you check off.
The importance of curb appeal - As a pastor, I once had an architect inspect our buildings and give us his recommendation. He stated that our dated buildings did not communicate how up-to-date we were in our programming and interior facilities. In short, he recommended we update our curb appeal. Curb appeal is what gets people in the door. After that, it is up to you. Your website should have curb appeal from the homepage to the Giving page.
If you want to see great landing pages, try looking at two of our client churches' sites, Northridge Church in upper New York State, https://www.northridgerochester.com/give and Brentwood Baptist in the Nashville, TN area, https://brentwoodbaptist.com/stewardship/. Both use their Giving llanding pages to make it giver-friendly. Contact us today at (615) 206-4000 or email us at support@onlinegiving.org, and we can help you set up a giver-friendly site to help you increase giving and givers!
The Stewardship Coach
Before people attend your church, they are “attending” the church website. When a first-time donor lands on your giving page, does the page enhance that experience or exasperate it? Use these simple checks to ensure your church website is giver-friendly.https://t.co/ql1KJ1YjdX pic.twitter.com/VT5lBVOk4p
— Online Giving (@onlinegivingorg) June 17, 2024