Church Web Site Development Tips

Compiled by Kate Sterner, CLI Web Administrator
for "Digital Resources for Church Leaders," Kairos Course - June 26-30, 2006

Your Congregation’s Web Site: A Window for Evangelism

Examples of church Web sites

Three criteria for a good church Web site:

1. All the links have to work in a variety of browser formats.
2. All the information has to be up to date, current.
3. The site should portray your church honestly, just as it is.

Before you design your site, consider:

1. Who is your audience?
2. What kind of browsers or equipment do they have with which to view your site?
3. What do they want to know? (Not necessarily what you want to tell!)

Tips for a better Web site design:

Meta

• Choose unambiguous keywords for your meta tag. This helps the search engines find your site.
• Add statistical tracking software to your page code. (such as StatCounter.com)
• Page titles (in the code) on every page

Layout

• Frames have drawbacks. Avoid frames.
• Don’t design a layout that is too wide. 600-700 pixels is comfy.
• Don’t use dark or black backgrounds with white text.
• Don’t use textures or background images unless they are off-field.
• Keep your identity on every page.
• Header and footer on every page – include address and phone number
• Use a vertical line that draws the eye downward, showing there is more below the window
• Keep important basic information on the home page: location, worship times, phone number, e-mail
• “White” space is our friend! Don’t clutter your pages.

Navigation

• Navigation menu high on page, not below the window
• Keep top level navigation topics simple; stick to the essentials

Images

• No animations without a purpose. (It should only move it if has a good reason to...and just being "eye-catching" is not a good reason.)
• Don't make your banner head not too tall; don't let it take up half your window. Save your window real estate for content.
• All logo images and banners should be links to your home page
• Optimize image file sizes

Text

• Font size: 10 pt or size 2, unless for sidebar or caption
• Use a readable, sans-serif font, such as Arial or Verdana
• Don't allow font faces and sizes to control your design.
• Don’t emphasize everything. Use logic and headlines.