To find out why your church NEEDS a website, how you can get the most out of your website and for more details of my service, read on below, or click on one of the links to the left to read about the different packages I offer.

You can also sign up to receive my free newsletter, which will keep you up to date with internet and technology issues of particular interest to churches.

Yours in Christ,

David Wilson
FreeChurchWebsite.co.uk

Do you really need a website?

Even if you're not planning any online activities, a well-made Web site is now an essential for any church, or church group.

I am not saying that you should put all your effort into setting up and maintaining an internet presence, but you should at the very least have a presence on the Web so that your current membership, local partners and community, regional and national bodies can quickly and easily find out more about your church and what you have to offer them. More importantly, your site could be a tool for evangelism, so that those who have not heard the gospel can learn what the Lord Jesus Christ has to offer them.

That said, it's not enough that you just have a Web site. You must have a professional-looking Web site if you want to be taken seriously. Since many christians new to an area now search for information online before deciding where to worship, your Web site may be the first (and maybe only) chance you have at making a good impression on a potential new member. If your Web site looks like it was thrown together in 5 minutes, or the design is amateurish, your chance at making that good first impression will be lost.

One of the best things about the Internet is that the smallest country chapel can now compete on a level playing field with the best resourced city church. With a well-designed Web site, the tiniest church has the potential to project the same quality of image and professionalism of a much larger one. The inverse is also true. Some fantastically resourced churches have published Web sites that are so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lack professionalism and credibility - and some of those have even had the expensive services of design consultants.

Perhaps your church is a small operation, but when it comes to benefiting from a Web site, size does not matter. If your church has just five members or if you have a congregation of hundreds; if you don't have a Web site, you are losing out.

There is an exception to the rule: It's probably better to have no Web site at all than to have one that makes your church look bad. Your Web site speaks volumes about you. It either says, "Look, we take God's work so seriously that we have created this useful Web site for ourselves and our community!" or it shouts out, "Look at our poorly laid out site. Good luck finding anything!"

Your Web site is an important part of your church's presence in the community. Make sure you treat it as such.

Twelve ways your church can benefit from being online

Many people are confused about the Internet. What can your Website do for you? A well developed, professionally designed Website can help you in many ways.

1. Establish a Presence: People today expect everyone to be on the Internet, including you. You cannot ignore the 40 million people in the UK who have Internet Access.
   
2. Expand: An Internet Website lets you reach people you could never reach before. People afraid to cross your threshold can have their misconceptions and fears allayed by your web site .
   
3. Network: Make contacts through your Website. You could use emails, contact forms and surveys to discover what people in your community want and need from you.
   
4. Inform: Your Website contains all the necessary information your members and community will need. Make sure people can find out what you believe and what is going on in your church, week by week.
   
5. Evangelise: Spread the Good News locally, nationally, even worldwide. By accepting credit cards you make it easy for people to buy from you.
   
6. Advertise: Announce your special events, new groups, new faces to the world.
   
7. Interact with your members: Your members might be able to enter news and information directly onto your Web Site. This saves you time and effort.
   
8. Track Visitors: Find out who is coming to your Website. Give them the opportunity to leave their names and details so you can stay in contact and run mailing lists.
   
9. Archives: Members cold view newsletters, ministers letters, prayers, maybe even sermon notes on the Internet. A Website is more economical than printed materials. It can be updated faster and less expensively.
   
10. Available 24 / 7: Your church will always be open. Customers will be able to visit and explore your Website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

About freechurchwebsite.co.uk
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