How to create a great church website

10 Keys to a Great Website (from Relevant Leader Nov/Dec 2005, contributed by Mark Batterson, writer and pastor of the National Community Church in Washington, D.C.)

1. Pictures,Pictures, Pictures

A picture is worth a thousand words. That's why we post pictures in our intro flash, and we also have lots of videos. Pictures personalize your site!

2. Stories, Stories, Stories

The most clicked link on our website is "Our Story." Why? People want to know the backstory! Your website needs to tell a story.

3. Less is More

Keep your site simple. Our homepage highlights two things: my blog and our theaterchurch.com podcast.

4. Keep Redesigning

We redesigned our website a year ago, and we're completely redesigning it again. The process of redesign never ends.

5. Sign Up

One key to a good website is building a network of email subscribers. We offer a free subscription to my weekly evotional, an email version of our weekend message. We only email two things to evotional subscribers: evotionals and evites.

6. Personality

Make sure your website matches your personality. Be who you are. In one sense, all websites are created equal: 72 dots per inch. But it's how you "connect the dots" that will get people from your website to your physical gathering.

7. Word of Mouse

We produce trailers and evites for all of our sermon series. Then we email our evotional subscribers and encourage them to evite a friend to church. It's simple. And word of mouse is exponential.

8. Add Ear Candy and Eye Candy

You need to do something to differentiate your website. A little "surfing music" is one way of enhancing the experience. We also post all of our videos in our video archive so that NCCers can watch them again or forward them to a friend.

9. Add a Webcast and/or Podcast

ONe way to keep people coming back to your website is fresh content. Upload your messages so that people can listen to them or watch them online. I frequently watch the LifeXhurch.tv webcast. They do it as well as anybody I know.

10. Enter the Blogosphere

A blog makes your website dynamic and interactive.

*** "Blogs, podcasts and websites are fitting rooms. The goal is to get people to 'check out' one of your weekend gatherings and become part of your spiritual family. But the fitting room comes first." ***