Basics for Your Website

Getting your first website

Don't despair. It won't cost you an arm and a leg. You don't need to know technology or design. Some sites are even free (but you will need to contribute your time).

You need a DOMAIN NAME and a WEB HOST and CONTENT. These sometimes come as a package deal.

You need a PLAN right from the beginning for what will be included, and how you'll keep the site updated. You need to think about WHO will visit your site, and what each group is looking for online.

You need to weigh options for HOW to do the website: Hire a company; build it yourself; work with a web-based service. And like all things web, you'll need to re-do it every 3-5 years.

Free or lowcost options: Google.com; Yahoo Small Business.

Or, do a search of "church websites" or similar to come up with lots of companies that offer package deals with domain names, hosting, templates, and easy content management. Visit other church websites to see what you like, what you don't, and find out more about the ones you like.

Whatever you choose, don't be content with just slapping a graphic of the church onto a difficult-to-read-through background, listing the services, and calling it a day.

Consider a few samples: here's one from Bainbridge Island, Washington: http://www.gracehere.org/

or Church of the Apostles in Seattle: http://www.apostleschurch.org/home.php

or how about this one from Winnetka, Illinois: http://www.christchurchwinnetka.org/

or this new one, just started, in the Diocese of Connecticut: http://www.seaburydeanery.org/default.asp

Website checklist

You know how important it is to have a parish website, and (hopefully) your parish now has one up and running, maybe recently and maybe some years ago. (Or, maybe you're looking for more tips as you create your first one.) You know the importance of updates and realize every few years you'll need a fresh makeover.

How good is your site? How can you tell?

Who does it serve?

How can it be better?

Web 2.0 tools for today

"Web 2.0" refers to contemporary web-based Internet services. Sometimes they're available for free, especially for small operations. They help your site to become more interactive.

Google.com has some really great options. They have a calendar you can embed in your website. You can update it into the future, and have different people submit information. Google also has a service called Google docs that lets people collaborate on a document together - a good idea when a committee or vestry wants to collaborate on a policy for the church school, or new mission guidelines, etc. It could be an improvement over sending around a document by email and wondering if it's the right version. Google also has free email addresses, and all sorts of other great stuff.

Another recommendation I learned about at the recent Communicators' conference: www.wufoo.com. It's an HTML form builder. It "helps you create contact forms, online surveys, and invitations so you can collect the data, registrations and online payments." It's free for small groups. Check it out, it might be helpful.

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