Did you know that 94% of people reject a website just because it isn’t designed well, regardless of what the website offered?
You might think that you don’t need to pay much attention to your church website design because you’re not a local business or consultant.
But no matter how amazing your church community is, an ineffective church website can cause frustration for your current members and will repel new members looking to join your church.
Instead, you want a church website design that’s eye-catching, relevant, and inspires people to come to your church.
Ready to get started? This guide has everything you need to know.
Reflect Your Church’s Culture
If you’re wondering what makes a good church website, one of the first things it should reflect is your church’s culture.
Every church has its own style and the way that it conducts services. For example, some churches are more laid back and informal, while others prefer more traditional services.
Your church’s website design should reflect this. If your church is more contemporary, you could consider using brighter colors. This is especially true if you are looking to add more young people to your congregation.
Another way you could showcase your church’s culture is to use a full-screen video on your home page. This video could showcase your church’s daily activities for new members to see.
Make Information Easy To Find
One of the biggest web design mistakes that people make is that they don’t make their websites easy to use.
Remember that the main goal of a church website is to give people information. There are two main groups of people who will visit your church, and both of these groups have different information they are looking for.
First, you’ll have current church members and regular attendees. They will want to find information about upcoming events at your church.
The second group of people will be those who are considering visiting your church. They will want to know where to find your church, service times, and your church’s beliefs and practices.
Colors and Fonts
Making information easy to find includes using fonts that are easy to read. You want to stay away from cursive unless it’s for a small quote or phrase as this type of font can be difficult to read, especially on a small screen.
You also want to use complementary colors that look good together, as well as enough contrast between fonts and backgrounds so that people have no trouble reading the words on your site.
You should also include an easy-to-see search bar at the top of each page. This can include buttons like “About Us,” “Ministries,” and “Visit Us.”
Have a Welcoming Homepage
The best church websites also feature a welcoming homepage that makes people want to visit the church.
A welcoming homepage is also useful for current church members, as they’ll feel elements of their community every time they go to your church’s website.
Aside from adding a video to the homepage as mentioned before, you can make the homepage welcoming in a few other ways. You can add a background photo of your congregation in action, for example.
Whenever your church has any community events, make sure to take lots of photos so you can use them on your website.
You can also add an inspiring quote in large font on top of the background photo that encourages people to come to your church. Make sure the quote you pick fits with the style of your church.
Also, remember that photos with smiling people are much more effective at creating a welcoming website than serious photos. You can also add a photo of the outside of your church to create an inviting and personalized homepage.
Add Clear Calls to Action
A call to action is the next action you want your audience to take. You’ll have seen calls to action any time you’ve gotten a promotional email that says something like “buy now” or “sign up to learn more.”
And although your church isn’t selling products for profit, you still need to have a clear call to action to increase people’s engagement with your church.
When you’re thinking about how to design a church website, think about what kinds of calls to action you can use. Some examples include:
- Visit us today
- Meet the pastor
- Give to a cause
- Find a location
- Join our email list
These calls to action may call on your audience to do different things, but they’re all ways for new and existing audiences to engage with your church.
Make the Website Mobile-friendly
Finally, one of the most important parts of a church online presence is to make sure your church website is mobile-friendly.
A mobile-friendly website means that it displays properly on any kind of screen. This includes smartphones, tablets, and laptop screens.
Since most people tend to access the Internet on their phones these days, your website needs to be easy to use across all devices. You don’t want to risk losing new members to your church because your website doesn’t work on their phones.
It’s especially important to have a mobile-friendly website if you are looking to increase engagement with younger demographics.
You also want people to be able to find your church’s location and information on sermons while they’re on the go.
Create a Powerful Church Website Design
Your church website design is one of the best ways to get people excited about your church.
Not only is your church website a representation of your church’s culture, but it’s also an extension of your church community.
If you’re ready to create a website for your church or want to revamp your church’s website design, Cowlick Studios can help.
Our branding and website experts have a proven process and have designed over 200 custom websites. Schedule a website design meeting with us today so we can help you create a website that’s perfect for your church.
