Recently I invited readers to participate in a church website survey to determine how church websites are really being used. The survey, The State of the Church Online, Part 1, is beginning to produce new, concrete data about church website use.
What do people say are the most important features/activities they would like to engage on a church website? So far, according to early survey results assessing 100 church websites, here’s what people are saying they want to do on a church website:
(out of 23 activities on the use of Church Websites by Attendees survey)
Highest Rated =
1. Find service information (times, directions, etc).
2. Listen to/download Sermons (audio recordings).
3. Learn about the church’s Beliefs/Mission/Values
4. Connect with other members.
5. Read/download Sermons (text transcripts).
6. Join and/or interact with a home/bible study group.
7. View weekly information/calendar/news/events.
8. Find serving opportunities at the church.
9. Post prayer requests or needs.
10. Read articles or other content.
Guess reading a pastor’s blog doesn’t score in the top 10. Check out more by keeping track of Drew Goodmanson’s personal blog.
I wonder if the results are accurate.
The survey did not work properly for me. It made me select a church even though I was writing mine in. The Q12 would not let me fill it out properly – it only took 5 answers for all the areas rather than letting you pick 1 to 5 for each item.
Kevin – On Q1 it captures the church but yes, we noticed that Survey Monkey made you select a church as well. It did record that you are from “McKinney Fellowship”. On Q12 it worked for me, it should only take 5 answers.
Cynthia,
I’m interested in the data relating to who filled out the survey. Did you get any demographics on who they are and how it relates to their typical web usage? It’s the political scientist in me coming out, I always like to know the data behind the data.
As to reading pastor’s blogs, yeah no one reads mine!! I have my Twitter linked to my Facebook status and those receive way more “page views” than my blog!
This list is great, as I read it I thought about our website and how it matches up, I’d say we get a B- as to what people are looking for. Everything on there is on our site except the last two and transcripts people really want to read that? Maybe if it was in Kindle format?? What got me thinking beyond that is how is our site structured so as to get the most pertinent information folks are looking for to them in the most efficient way. It isn’t enough to just have the info somewhere, it needs to be where people expect to find it. Personally, I think that’s something our church website could do a little better, but it would mean a major redesign, which would mean major $$.
As always, great stuff.
Incredibly useful as we continue to redesign our church website!
But I wonder what kinds of churches they relate to. Presumably mostly U.S. but also I suspect larger than most churches in UK would be. Items 6 and 8 would never be done via the web in most UK churches – people would just phone and speak to the Minister/Pastor directly.
http://www.pbthomas.com/blog http://www.pbthomas.libsyn.com
Doesn’t this beg the question: “What should be the top ten features be?”
This survey is a snapshot of how things are now. I notice that there’s no reference to using the church website for outreach or evangelism. Why do so many reach out and touch so often with technology but not the church? I notice that mega-churches have already figured this out.
It’s no big surprise that evangelism is once again the forgotten one.
I exhort Christian America to catch up with the phones-es and start using websites, social networking, texting and every other relevant technology to reach out to its neighbors.
This is a very good tool for churches to consider. However, it also reflects where the church’s culture may be coming up short. Each of the previous postings expresses their certain area of like/dislike: political scientist, evangelist, etc. I am sure we would hear things from those motivate by worship or passion.
As ‘fishers of men’, we really need to consider…with wisdom, what are we trying to accomplish. Any viable church will want to have their site divided into 2 segments: Unchurched and churched. The unchurched are crying for completely different items than the churched.
Keep it simple and ask questions of both groups. Then, ask different age groups (13 to 18, then 22 to 35 and so on).
Lastly, when considering the look/feel of the site design…stay away from designing the site based on what members like to see. NO one leaves a church because the design does not speak to me. Think of it this way…the design of the site is not about the senior pastor. As a pastor myself, I have to overcome my insecurity and focus on those outside our circles.
Visitors to your site can be impacted by what they see in the first 3 to 5 seconds. A lot of old white people…might not meet the the level of the young 23 year old Hmong college student. Lots of doves and crosses…you are preaching to the choir and nota young call-girl whose grandfather was an old time fundamentalist preacher who disowned her.
Please brothers and sisters…we have access to the greatest creative source of all! Let’s be as the sons of Issacar, ‘men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do
I think that these top ten results are fairly accurate. In my experience this is what church members are really looking for. Ecspecially, being able to listen to sermons online. I use that function at my church a lot. Looking forward to seeing the results of the finished study.
Thanks!
Nathan
Church Website Design