In this series, we are focusing on your website’s main front page and how to make it more effective for your most important and neglected audience. We hope we are also helping think through how to do this on your own in a way that makes sense for your context and your sensibilities. So, we aren’t able to cover every page or area of a website.
But we do want to hit some important aspects of your site that will be improved greatly if you bring the audience of ‘outsiders’ into focus.
1. What is the single most desired content on your website?
It’s the time and location for worship.
Where is that on your website right now?
True story: A tech-savvy person who is committed to the OPC needed the time and location of an OPC church he was going to visit. After about 2-3 minutes and multiple clicks, looking around and trying to think where in the world you could put it, he didn’t find it. He went to another church the next morning.
Now, before you breathe a sigh of relief knowing that’s not your church (except for one of you hopefully reading this), realize that a survey of OPC websites on this point tells us there is a lot of work to do.
Think about who, why, and when people are accessing this info:
-Sunday morning, getting into the car with a couple of kids, running a few minutes late, and pulling it up on their phone. Hoping to simply click a link that opens up your location in Google Maps. That’s hospitality to the visitor and outsider.
That might be an out-of-town OPC member. It might be a Reformed family moving into the area, starting to check out churches. It might be a struggling person on their last leg. In any of the cases, you won’t know they are looking.
Put your time and location front and center, “above the fold.” You shouldn’t have to scroll past a few panels of the sermon series, your beliefs, how to get connected to find it. And you absolutely shouldn’t have to click! When you log on to your site on desktop AND mobile, I should see your time and location. And there should be a link to click to open the address in Google Maps.
Ok, that was a little belabored, but you get the point. And our survey of sites tells us it needed to be belabored.
2. ‘Sliders’ & The Main Section
A lot of OPC churches have “sliders” in the main section of the front page—multiple panels slide across in 10-second intervals. We want to share conventional thinking on the internet. Those are considered to be “2010.” That’s a style comment, but there’s also a practical thought. People don’t do well with lots of choices. And they also don’t come to a website and pause for a minute to watch 6 panels come across and say, “oh, that’s a nice intro to the church.” You have 10 seconds (maybe) to help them understand and connect. Give them your best thing there. Say something clear that will connect.
We’ve noticed that a lot of OPC churches kind of “waste” that area with a picture and not much info. Put your best message for your most important audience there. Make it clear. And put your time and location somewhere nearby.
3. Events and Worship Information
Most sites have information about Bible Studies, Sunday Schools, & other events. Some have nice graphics and make it visually pleasing and eye-catching. Who do you have in mind when you make those?
A Sunday Lunch after the service, a Moms group, a Men’s breakfast, a Women’s Bible study, even a church picnic are all intimidating prospects to an outsider. Do you make sure to say “newcomers welcome” at the least, or “we all know what it’s like to be new and break into a group, and we watch out for you” if you are stepping it up a bit. So many of these events announce things as a given, knowing that the audience you are thinking about (those who come) know how it all works. Remember this is your front porch, go out and greet the visitors, give them a lemonade, show them the property and then bring them into the house for dinner.
4. What We Believe
Thankfully, OPC churches contain this important page or section in an ecclesiastical culture that is moving away from it. Keeping the theme running, who are you writing that for? Yes, the statements themselves may be difficult for outsiders to understand and that’s part of the territory, but are we helping them? Are we leading them through with comments and explanations?
Even just the Title of the Page or link—Do you call it “Doctrinal Statement” or “Confessional Commitments” which means nothing to them or do you call it “What We Believe” which is equally clear to the 50 year Reformed Christian and the never darkened the door of a church newcomer.
How do you explain that you believe the Bible? And the Westminster Standards? Go look at it….Insider or Outsider friendly….scale of 1 to 10?
5. Bios of pastors and staff
This is your first impression of your intro to outsiders. They want to know if you are a ‘real’ person, if you are normal, if they might be able to relate to you. This isn’t your curricula vitae and yet so many bios lead with a graduate of such and such seminary, with a degree in thus and such. Previous to that his college degree was in something unrelated. He has a wife and 4 kids.
People want to know a little of your story. This is your first impression. If you meet someone at Starbucks are you more likely to tell them your academic history or that you live in the area for 3 years and like a Grande cafe whip with chai sprinkles?
Let’s think about telling them things like: Jason moved to Anytown, USA 5 years ago to pastor Anytown OPC. He and his wife grew up in the midwest but have settled in well to Anytown. They have 4 kids who play soccer and piano and love to go to the park in the summer and friends’ houses any time of year. Jason has been a pastor for 12 years and has seen God really work in his life through helping people understand what it means to have a relationship with God and learn about it through the Bible. Jason and Megan love to meet new people and hear their stories because everyone has a story to tell and they are all interconnected. Jason was trained to pastor at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia and through some internships at churches similar to Anytown OPC. He is committed to preaching the Bible in a way that young and old, believer and skeptic can understand. And he and Megan love helping people on the Christian journey.
A little long, but you get the idea…
Exercise: Go back through these 5 areas of your site. Make an evaluation. Think about the “archetype” of people we’ve talked about before–the specific type of person that might be coming to your website. How welcome will they feel and how much will they understand? What could you do to help without dumbing down who you are, but just being clearer and speaking in more common language or explaining?