It was a big deal when churches turned the organ in for a guitar and drums. It was painful, hard to learn, and required more people than a single organist, and yes, it was necessary to carry the Gospel forward. Getting your church online is hard, a bit painful, and requires more people than a single person to ‘make a web page.’ Once completed, you will wonder how you got along without it.
We need another goal besides getting people to show up once a week on Sunday for an hour. What about the other 167 hours of the week. This answers that question.
New STEP #0 "I Need Help Starting"
Get and Address: Just like your street address, your website needs an address. The online address is called a Domain Name. It is something like www.example.com. As a church you can pick any name that has is not used by someone else.
If your name is taken, they try some small changes like www.exampleNY.com or www.MYexample.com. (Capitalization does not matter in domain names). You can use a .org or .com ending, they have no meaning anymore, they are just a new way of say Drive, versus Street, versus Road. As you pick a name make sure that your domain name is easy to pronounce, spell, and as short as possible. Here is the best place to start, and learn what to do. Click Here
So, now you sort of understand what a domain is (LOL), not you need to find a place to buy one. They cost about $14.99 a year. You are just buying an address at this point. There is an option to also buy a ‘package’, that is you buy the domain name and a hosting package, this is kind of a one-stop. Here are a few links that are very helpful, with good prices. We will add more soon.
Hosting is like the house, the domain is the address. The address only goes to an empty lot, until you build the website. You can buy your domain from one place and hosting at another. It will work fine, the company that has your domain, will point it to any host( website) you want. Your hosting company will help. If you are brand new to the Web, they both in the same place, it will be simpler. We use Site Ground for both.
You should start with a WordPress site. WordPress is a nice interface that helps you build a website, without learning code. Ask your hosting company to install it for you, it is free and popular. Here is a good overview of how to start a WordPress site. (you can ignore the sales pitch in the beginning) Click Here
Facebooks is also a great part of your online presence. It is limited, but it is easy to setup, and a great way to start. The video above is the place to start.
“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”
―
Jesus compares those who not only hear His words but do them to someone who wisely builds his house on a rock-solid foundation. The rains come, a flood comes, the winds howl, but the house stands firm.
-Matthew 7:24-25
STEP #1 PREPARATION (GET CONTROL)
Who is the website primarily for, the current congregation, or those outside the church? If it is for those inside the church, stop here, you don’t need to read any further.
Websites have often been thought of as a sign, like the one on the lawn. It tells the time and says welcome and that’s all. You just had to have one, no one really knew why.
Your website is your front door. It needs to be welcoming to new people, not your people already inside the doors. You can have an announcements page, events page etc, but most of the webpage is to help other understand who you are.
The website has both a domain (www.example.com) – this is the internet address, and a hosting company–this is where your files and images for your website are stored. You need to have admin access to both. They can be with the same company or two different companies. You will need to have the ability to upload files to your website (called FTP, File Transfer Protocol). You often can find this on your hosting site.
If you can, create an email using your host and your website address so that your email looks like this: [email protected] or [email protected] Don’t mix up a personal email with your church administrative email. It is easy to change at this point, but after you have set up accounts, it is very hard to go back and fix this issue.
You will need to create a Google account for your church. If you have a personal Google account that you use for Gmail, do not use it for this. Do not use your personal account for the church. It will come to cause trouble later. A Google account gives you free access to many powerful tools you will need to move your church forward. This account is the key that you will use multiple times.
“Well begun is half done.” – Aristotle. I know this seem like a simple way to start, but you are building on solid ground.
Jesus compares those who not only hear His words but do them to someone who wisely builds his house on a rock-solid foundation. The rains come, a flood comes, the winds howl, but the house stands firm.
-Matthew 7:24-25
Who is the website primarily for? the current congregation, or those outside the church? If it is for those inside the church, stop here, you don’t need to read any further.
Websites have often been thought of as a sign, like the one on the lawn. It tells the time and says welcome and that’s all. You just had to have one, no one really knew why.
Your website is your front door. It needs to be welcoming to new people, not your people already inside the doors. You can have an announcements page, events page etc, but most of the webpage is to help other understand who you are.
The website has both a domain (www.example.com) – this is the internet address, and a hosting company–this is where your files and images for your website are stored. You need to have admin access to both. They can be with the same company or two different companies. You will need to have the ability to upload files to your website (called FTP, File Transfer Protocol). You often can find this on your hosting site.
If you can, create an email using your host and your website address so that your email looks like this: [email protected] or [email protected] Don’t mix up a personal email with your church administrative email. It is easy to change at this point, but after you have set up accounts, it is very hard to go back and fix this issue.
You should start with a WordPress site. WordPress is a nice interface that helps you build a website, without learning code. Ask your hosting company to install it for you, it is free and popular. Here is a good overview of how to start a WordPress site. (you can ignore the sales pitch in the beginning) Click Here
“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”
―
Jesus compares those who not only hear His words but do them to someone who wisely builds his house on a rock-solid foundation. The rains come, a flood comes, the winds howl, but the house stands firm.
-Matthew 7:24-25
STEP #2 PREPARATION (ACCOUNT CREATION)
- Sign up with Google Search Console
- Sign up with Google Analytics
- Link your web page to these platforms
- Claim Your Business
- Google My Business
- Encouragement
Go to https://www.google.com/webmasters/ and sign in with your Google account you created for your church. Google’s service is free. This service shows you how search engines view your website, how they behave on your website, and how you can help search engines find you (adding Sitemaps, fixing mobile errors, etc.). To link your website to Google search console, you will need to have the ability to upload files to your website. (See above FTP)
Go to https://analytics.google.com and sign in with your Google account you created. Google’s service is free. This service shows you who is looking at your website, how they behave on your website, how they arrived, and many very valuable pieces of information. Like many powerful tools, it appears overly complex. Rest assured it gets easier. After a week, Google will have some data for you. Start with looking at the Home Screen, it has a great overview. At the bottom, look at “What pages do your users visit?” for useful insight.
These accounts link to your webpage. Google Search Console and Google Analytics link in similar ways. Either will have your file uploads or you can use plugins. The file upload is best. You are getting ready to make significant improvements to your website and these tools will show you if you are succeeding.
You may ask why is this part of your website plan, it does help. It provide outside links to your church/business. Also, if it is not claimed, you lose that traffic and you lose credibility every time some visits.
To start for Bing, Click Here
For Google, start here Click Here
The technology you use impresses no one. The experience you create with it is everything.– Sean Gerety
STEP #3 PREPARATION (FACEBOOK)
- Do you have the right type of Facebook Page
- Update your Facebook page
- Setup Facebook Business Manager
- Encouragement
Facebook changes all the time. Take a look at the video at the left. It will walk you through a simple diagnostic review of your Facebook page.
You can’t tiptoe into social media. You have to jump into the pool. People have a natural fear of it. But the scary part is not being there. Your customer (future member) is already there.Facebook is the entryway into Social Media and the simplest to work with. It is a forgiving platform and still effective.– Dave Saunders
STEP #4 PREPARATION (WEBSITE)
- Secure your Website
- Review your Host contract
- HTML or WordPress or WIX etc.
- 10 Things your Website Does NOT need
- 10 Things your Website DOES need
- Encouragement
Websites today need to be secured. You need to see the padlock like this.
It is often offered free from your host service. Google and Facebook will not like linking to unsecured webpages. Don’t skip this simple step. Use this website to check your website Why No Padlock.com
- Don't use stock images, use your own images where ever you can
- Don't use sliders, people don't stick around to watch
- Don't ignore SEO, Never. Provide keywords for every post, and page, provide Alt text for all images.
- Don't use large images, they are slow loading, long Mobile load time will hurt you
- Don't make money with ads or popups
- Don't fill up your web page with animation and good looking junk, like fancy icons
- Don't ignore security, backup daily or weekly.
- Don't get the cheapest host, we recommend SiteGround
- You don't have an action button, meaning "Sign ups', 'Our newsletter', etc.
- Don't make the Website for people in the church, but for people outside the church
- Updated, Modern Design. (Not just what you find good looking)
- It must work great with mobile
- Only well-written content and clear images
- Use your images, not stock photos (only use stock photos as place holders until you get a photo yourself)
- Crosslink, if you talk about your small groups, then link to that page from many other pages
- Link your Social Media
- Do test your webpage often with GTMetrix and Google Page Insights
- Great Branding, your colors, icon, logos images need to follow a clear plan of how you want to look.
- Update often. Images, content
- The menu needs to be simple
- We always need a#11, It needs to work! all links need to work, check often
- OK #12, Talk about others, not yourself. Not why you are awesome, but why you have answeres, and can help.
A website is a window through which your business says hello to the world.
– Amit Kalantri.
Many think of a website just as the Sign in front of the church, saying welcome, services at 10 am.
In fact, your website is an extension of your church, not only Sunday Services but ALL its ministries.
STEP #5 OPTIMIZE (Search Engine Optimize)
- What is SEO?
- How to Start with SEO
- SEO Images
- Set your Webpage in Order
- Content, Content, and Content
- Encouragement
SEO: Search Engine Optimization: This makes your website easier for search engines to find. Search Engines use “bot” programs that scan your website for content and then try to match your content to people who are searching for you. We use a WordPress Site, and we use the Free Plugin “Rank Math” to help with our SEO. It is time-consuming but going through each page, adding the right Keywords (Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about) is worth it.
SEO is matching you to people who are looking for you or what you have. If you try to be what you are not, the search engines will label (correctly) as non-relevant content, and you become lost.
Start with your home page. Find the keyword (phrase) that best described you and the page.
First does your content, your page really say who you are? Are they built for people already in the church, or can you use this to evangelize?
Often you find out at this point, that the website is really just an online sign, and doesn't really explain who you are.
You need to set yourself apart. If you are one of the 10,000 churches that say they are a family, friendly, etc, you will be lost in the white noise of the internet.
You must find a way to set yourselves apart. Common words like 'friendly' are so common, you will never be found.
Find out First, why you are unique. Draw people to take. Don't hide your uniqueness, celebrate it, someone is looking fit you.
Did you ever search for an image and find it? If you did it was because of someone good SEO work. Images have a piece of code that gives them a searchable name, it is called "alt" or alternative attributes. It looks like this alt="pancakes" 
But for SEO work, a better name would be alt="stack of breakfast pancakes with honey"
This example is editing the code directly, if you are using WordPress, they have an easier way to add these within the media file system itself.
People can find you be content, or image, never neglects the images.
First Decide: Is the Webpage for people in the church, or are you reaching others for the Gospel. We think it is for the Gospel, so we recommend a church have a signup page for events/classes and an announcement page. All the rest (especially the main page) are for people who have not been in your church. Make sure that
- All your pages are working.
- There are no bad links.
- Update your pages regularly.
- Fix any errors Google Search Console has found.
- Get rid of pages you don’t need.
- Make sure every image has an alt label (Attributes title) as Search engines can find your page through its images also.
Make it easy for people to find you. Your address, church hours, online service, links to videos of past services, google map link all need to be on your front page. Add links or another page to help with parking, finding you etc. Leave nothing to chance.
Have photos of the church and the people. New guests will decide if they will fit with you, based upon a photo. You will attract people that look like you.
Update, Update, Update. Old content means you don't care, and people will move on.
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.This is hard work, but the harvest is ready. God is looking for the laborers.– Proverbs 21:5
STEP #6 GET READY TO BROADCAST
- Studio and Software
- Church Online Platform
- Facebook & Youtube
- Encouragement
The Studio can be your phone or one video camera. When you start, you do not need multiple cameras or closeups. You do need quality. A great service broadcast with poor video quality or poor sound will not retain your current member and certainly not retain new guests.
Here is a website with some great details.
Church live streaming guide – learn to easily stream live church services
Church Online Platform (CHOP) is the best method to get your church online. It allows interaction with the people. You are NOT looking for numbers; you are looking for engagements, people who interact with your service, not passive watching. Your hosts are very important in creating a worship environment.
Here is the Setup Video.
I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught. – Winston ChurchillThis is new, this is hard, but it is worth doing.
STEP #7 BROADCAST
- Broadcasting
- Live or Recorded
- Hosts
- Encouragement
Practice, Practice, Practice, then practice some more.
- Have a backup plan, a video to show if yours doesn’t work.
- Decide: will you delay the in-person service if the online service isn’t ready?
- Start with broadcasting an empty church just to test it.
- Broadcast sound: work hard to make sure it sounds good. (DO NOT play artists’ CDs, albums, or original recording. Facebook and Google will ban you for rebroadcasting copyrighted material.) You may broadcast you singing the songs, but not the recording artist.
Here is the best overview of the duties of an online host: https://arkhuntsville.com/2020/03/chat-host-training/
Going online WILL require MORE people than just broadcasting to Facebook. These people are important, select them carefully.
STEP #8 TRACKING
- Tracking
- Vanity Metrics
- Learn, Adapt, Repeat
- Encouragement
Do you remember Google Analytics? Now is the time to put it to real use! Complete start to finish Google Analytics
Google Analytics can be your best friend. The one that always tells you the truth, congratulates you for every win, and provides you a way ahead after each defeat.
Analytics support solid decision making. This is the house built of solid rock that can stand the storm.
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.This is hard work, but the harvest is ready. God is looking for the laborers.– Proverbs 21:5
STEP #9
OPTIMIZE
(Under the Hood)
- Optimize
- How to Measure a Website
- Recommended Tools
- Encouragement
Your website needs to be optimized in a few areas. None of these is really hard, and even working a little bit will bring great rewards.
Visual: The page needs to use the same color and branding across all pages. Does your “Contact Us” page look like your page or somebody else’s.
Speed: The pages need to load fast. People, especially on mobile phones, will not wait for an 8 second page load.
- Make sure all your pages are working.
- There are no bad links.
- Update your pages regularly.
- Fix any errors Google Search Console has found.
- Get rid of pages you don’t need.
- Make sure every image has an alt label (Attributes title) so Search engines can find your page through its images also.
Here is a great website that will analyze your website for common issues: GT Metrix Speed. This site has a scoring system (IGNORE IT). The numbers that matter are on the right. You want your fully loaded time under 8 seconds.
Mobile View: Google Analytics will tell you what percentage of users are using a phone to view your website. 50% or greater is common.
This website Responsinator will show you how your webpages look like in various devices, desktop, tablet, iPad, iPhone etc.
We use the following plugins on our WordPress website:
- ElementorPlugin helps to build fast and great looking content
- WP Rocket: Cache plugin that helps speed up the website
- Permatters: Helps speed up the website by stopping extraneous code
- WordFence:Security Plugin prevents unauthorized access to the website
- Generate Press Theme: Fast, safe, powerful, simple to use theme
- Rank Math SEO: Great and Free SEO tool
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. Always remember, your website can Always be Better, Faster, Always.– Proverbs 16:32
STEP #10 ADVERTISE
- Did they say Advertise?
- Google Versus Facebook
- Content, Content, and Content
- Encouragement
Yes, we said advertising, and we recommend you spend money doing it. Today, how much of your church budget is spent on outreach? Advertising is a way of getting the Gospel in front of people searching.
How much is your evangelism/outreach budget today? 50%, 20%, 1%, non-existent?
Start with $100 a month, this is enough to learn with. Once you get some success, reinforce your success.
Google ads work by matching you with what people are searching for.
Facebook works by sharing your ads with people who may have a like interest.
If you want to advertise a Saturday Evening Church Carnival, use Facebook to reach your friends and friends of friends.
If you what to let people know you have a great video about “What is Prayer,” use Google.
You NEED both.
There are NO TRICKS to increasing your page rank (where you show up on Google). You need to have what people are searching for.
This cannot be overstated. If you have what people are searching for, Google will send them to you.
The way to do this is by adding new and relevant content. You can’t win me in the opinion wars. The big pages pay to get their information out, we can’t compete with that.
Instead, make content that is unique, that answer questions like “Where can I baptize my children?” Clearly define what your church is like. Avoid common terms like healing center or worship center. Avoid church terms. People who have not been to church will not know them. Find what makes you unique.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.If you have the answer, shout it from the rooftops.– Matthew 5:15
STEP #11 ONLINE CAMPUS
- Online Chuch is not an Extra
- One church, not two churches
- Engagement, Engagement, Engagement
- Encouragement
One church, one message. You may argue whether Online church is the church. It is, in fact, Church for many people. There is not a method to preach the Gospel that can reach more people, faster.
People who had thought about coming to your church, used to look at your website to “check you out.” Today, they will watch a service, not just a video, and want to interact.
Some of them end up coming to church, some stay online, and some do both.
Many committed church members no longer attend services every week. Some two weeks a month, some less. Now, they visit in person the same, but in these “off” weeks they attend online.
Try to change your mental model of church. Don’t try to broadcast your in-person service to the web. It won’t work. People want to participate, not watch. Change things, events in your in-person service, so that the online service also looks awesome. The people in-person will not see any change, and the people online will stay as viewers.
Talk to the people online as well as those in person. If you take up an offering in person, have a button come up “AT THE SAME TIME” that allow online viewers to give.
Have ONE SERVICE, make changes to both.
You do not want viewers who watch and do not engage. You want the service to be something that draws the viewer to become a participant.
This is called engagement. It measures clicks, likes, shares, gives, claps, anything that can show a person is interacting with your church.
This measure will increase and decrease, and when it does ask the question, WHY?
When God Closes a Church Door, He Opens a Browser WindowRead More– Kate Shellnutt
COMING SOON: ADDENDUM GOOGLE ADVERTISING
- Is it Advertises, when you are presenting the Gospel for Free
- Google Non-Profit Grants
- How to use Google
- Encouragement
One church, one message. You may argue whether Online church is the church. It is, in fact, Church for many people. There is not a method to preach the Gospel that can reach more people, faster.
People who had thought about coming to your church, used to look at your website to “check you out.” Today, they will watch a service, not just a video, and want to interact.
Some of them end up coming to church, some stay online, and some do both.
Many committed church members no longer attend services every week. Some two weeks a month, some less. Now, they visit in person the same, but in these “off” weeks they attend online.
Try to change your mental model of church. Don’t try to broadcast your in-person service to the web. It won’t work. People want to participate, not watch. Change things, events in your in-person service, so that the online service also looks awesome. The people in-person will not see any change, and the people online will stay as viewers.
Talk to the people online as well as those in person. If you take up an offering in person, have a button come up “AT THE SAME TIME” that allow online viewers to give.
Have ONE SERVICE, make changes to both.
You do not want viewers who watch and do not engage. You want the service to be something that draws the viewer to become a participant.
This is called engagement. It measures clicks, likes, shares, gives, claps, anything that can show a person is interacting with your church.
This measure will increase and decrease, and when it does ask the question, WHY?
Future Additions
Google Tag Manager
A free tool to manager multi-tools to that track your site
Google Optimize
Allows you to test multi-version of a web page, based upon audience.
Cloudflare (CDN)
CDN: Content Delivery Network. A way to make access to your website faster, safer, and cheaper.
I Don’t Know
I don’t know what is next, but I will share it here.
Useful links
Pixabay: Free Public domain photos and images. No copyright issues. High Quality; Click Here
Grammarly: Mistake on the Website are not cool. Check your Grammer. Click Here
Cloud Convert: Got the wrong format. Change it here, nearly anything. Click Here
Fiverr.com: Stuck, Something doesn’t work, Need Help. Hire an expert, safely and at a great value. We used this for years. Click Here
Uptime Robot: A simple and effective way to ensure your website is up ad running. (Helps evaluate your hosting provider) Click Here