[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]EBSITES ARE NOT just for business – they are for churches too. Lots of churches throughout the world are struggling with attendance as more people are shunning religion. The result is that lots of establishments are going out of business as they don’t have the audience or the money to survive. Although it may not seem likely, a website can help. Every modern establishment should have one, and a church is no different. If you want to make a difference to your church and your community, it is important to start thinking creatively. And, there is no better way to get creative than with an online presence. Here’s how a site can transform your church’s fortunes if you are a non-believer.
Advertises The Church
Churches needs to realise that they are just like any other corporation – they need to market their brand. You may know everything there is to know about religion, but that doesn’t mean you know where you can actively practice. Churches are not always in the mind of the public because they have other things to worry about other than going to church. However, it would change a lot of people’s minds if they saw a website. The site instantly brings the church into the forefront of your mind and forces you to make a decision.
Saves Them Money
The great thing about a site is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on advertising. Almost every big business in the world has a huge marketing budget, yet your church may be different. A site is a perfect alternative if the church is struggling for cash as they cost peanuts to host. Plus, they don’t cost anything to maintain. The best way to advertise is to do it through a medium that is popular and cheap. A website hits both briefs flush on the head.
Makes Them Money
Donations are falling because church attendances are falling. For the most part, you have to be at church to make a donation, which is why they are not making any money. A website changes all that because it allows you to make a donation remotely. It doesn’t matter whether attend church or not as you can click on the website and pay over the Internet. More people are going to make a donation to the cause if it is easy for them to do so. Otherwise, they will want to help, but they will never get around to it in the end. Take a look at incomediary.com for more info on how sites make money.
Brings People Back
Everyone uses Google to search in the twenty-first century, which is why a site is important. There may be people out there that want to attend church more when they are in your area. But, they may not know where to find you. If that is the case, they will simply give up the idea of coming back to church and do something else with their time. A website, though, is a quick and easy way to give people all the information they need about the church. Then, they can come and go as they please. After all, no one uses the Yellow Pages anymore.
Modernizes The Establishment
The one thing that people don’t like about religion is that it is archaic. The old ways may have been acceptable when religion was first founded, but they don’t apply in 2016. Still, churches around the world persist as if they are the most stubborn organisation in the world. All you do as a church when you carry on with this method is alienate people who may want to come back to God. You need to start acting like you are a modern organisation and visit ChurchDev.com. They will create a site that catapults you back into the twenty-first century and makes you more relatable. More people will consider going to church if they know it merges with their modern values.
Increases Your Reputation
A website acts as a testimonial for prospective visitors. In basics terms, a browser will make a snap judgement of the church based on the website. Although this may sound bad in a way, it is a great marketing opportunity. For starters, they will see that you are modern enough to have a site, which is a good way to begin. Then, they will see a neat, good-looking site that is easy to navigate and adds purpose to their search. All of the above are essential for making a good first impression and increasing the church’s reputation. Just make sure that you don’t produce an ugly site that is impossible to use as that will reflect poorly.
Global Domination
You may think that you are only important to the community, but you are important to people around the world. However, there is no way to spread your message if you don’t have a global platform. As you already know, websites are available all around the world regardless of the country. If you they can access your site from half the world away, they can stay in touch with the church. The result could differ from more donations to more people willing connecting with the church and their faith. Either way, it is a success for the church.
Organizes The Parish
Organization is a great way to get the community on board. However, it is hard to organize a mass of people when there are only a few people. Thankfully, a website can make it easier to achieve as you can use it as a place to communicate. All you have to do is leave messages and converse via the site to organize any events or functions that may take place. There is no need to call a meeting or get together because you can divert them to the site. Simple.
Answers Questions
In this day and age, more and more people are questioning their faith. You would love to answer the questions, yet you may not know how. The answer, of course, is a site. You can create a tab where you answer all the FAQs and tell anyone with more questions to get in touch.