It’s silly to finish up a blog series with a Monday post, so let’s just say there will be a pause in this series after this post. It may be a pause of several decades, but we’ll call it a pause.
Let me offer some final tips as I round out the series:
- Content matters, but make it web content. People make quick decisions about a site. Cute will catch their attention, but content will keep it. That content needs to be prepared with the web in mind. Keep it brief, when possible. Use headings and highlighted text to make the content scannable. Don’t be afraid to rework and rewrite to tighten the copy.
- Use good imagery. There is a debate about stock imagery (cheap and professional, but possibly repeating what other sites have) versus real photography (potential complications due to real life issues). Whichever you choose, make sure the quality is good. Optimize the photos for the web, when possible. A big part of that is reducing the size of the image so that it loads quickly.
- Make navigation easy. Help people know how to get around. Headers, menus, buttons… use what it takes to help people get from one place to the next.
- Think about what’s above the fold. That’s an old newspaper term, referring to the way a paper is typically folded in half. On the Internet, it refers to what people see without having to scroll down. Put information above the fold, especially your call to action.
- Anticipate and answer questions. People go to your site looking for information. Think about what information on outsider would want, and make sure it’s there. Consider having a Frequently Asked Questions page.
Those are some final thoughts. Anything that you would add that would help people improve their church website?