Common Mistakes

The most frequently made mistakes in the design of church websites are given here.
Don't repeat them on your site... please!

Information on the site is out-of-date

Probably the most common failure in church websites these days is a lack of up-to-date content, which can happen for a variety of reasons. I've seen sites with very advanced schedule or calendar programs, that only have content over 4 years old still online! Why? because no one was willing to take ownership of the site, and to work at keeping it up-to-date. While it is a good idea to include news of forthcoming events and service details, it is not sensible to keep displaying this on the website after the date has past. Keep your website up-to-date. Yes, this does require work, but it is well worth the effort!

Putting design or features ahead of content

Some 'cool' features of websites, such as scrolling text, fancy menu systems or large Flash intros can not only get in the way - they can prevent people from being able to find the information they want or need. It has been shown that most users ignore all these special effects, and will leave your site if they can't find what they want quickly. So keep it clear and simple or else leave it out.

Long download times

Similar to having overly fancy features, websites filled with extra high quality graphics, or make heavy use of Flash or Java applets may look appealing when you view them on your own computer, but when users visit these, they can take ages to download. Unfortunately, most people won't hang around on a slow website. Studies show that if a person cannot find what they are after in less than 10 seconds, they are unlikely to continue looking.

So if you want people to find out more about your church then make sure that the website runs quickly, and make sure your site is organized in a clear, clean and logical way. The best way to do this is to avoid too many graphics. Photos are fine, and they help to show who you are, but if you have lots then place them on a special "pictures" page so that people can choose whether or not to view them.

Also, if you do have a "photo gallery", or use photos on your site, be sure to format all of your photos (size, type, etc) properly before storing them online. Few things are as aggravating as finding out that a website is using a photo image that's SO big, that when viewing at full size, it takes up more space than can be viewed at one time on someone's monitor (display). Also note that an image this large can take several MINUTES to fully download, which can also be an aggravation to your visitors.

Designing for only one browser, or a too narrowly defined audience

When building your website, be careful not to include features, or design it in such a way that it only works for a too narrowly defined audience. While this takes more work, it's important that your various webpages work for the people who visit. This sometimes means leaving out "cool" features, such as the aforementioned fancy "pop-out" menu systems. For instance, while Microsoft Internet Explorer is the most commonly used browser, it does not encompass everyone. Macintosh computers run an older version of Internet Explorer than Microsoft Windows based machines do, or use an altogether different browser (such as Safari).

Fonts, Fonts, Fonts!

Note that while it's fun to play with interesting and different fonts, it's generally not an idea to include a large amount of differing fonts on a single page, or even throughout your website. Try to choose at most one or two key fonts for your content, and then stick to that for all of your normal content. Use special fonts for key (short-term) graphics, or special situations only.

Incomprehensible statement of belief

If your denomination or network has a 'Statement of Faith' or 'Doctrinal Basis' then it is tempting to include it on your website. But these documents are rarely written with non-churchgoers in mind, and are unlikely to help your users find out what the church believes.

A better way is to create a "What we believe" page which contains a simple explanation of what it means to be a Christian. Then, if you still want to include a more formal statement of belief, simply provide a link to the relevant page on your denomination's website. Avoid "Christianese" terminology that non-Christians will not understand. While it is technically correct that "Christ died as a propitiatory sacrifice", can you be sure that your target audience understand what you mean?

Starting with the church building

Many church websites begin the homepage with a history of the church building. This approach shows the webmaster has forgotten that the Church is the people, not the building. So don't begin the website with "St Hilda's was built from red brick in 1908".

In fact, unless your church building is a significant attraction to visitors, there is probably little reason to have any historical information about it on the website at all. If there is something that you want to include, move it into a "Church Building" section.

This is not to be confused with church maps or layouts, in cases where church property is large enough to warrant it. If your church building or property is large enough that a newcomer may become easily lost, having a basic layout map may prove to be valuable.