The State of Church Web Sites: Most are a mere yellow page ad
- Posted on January 26, 2011
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A new study out from LifeWay Research looks at the topic of how churches use their websites...
Here are some of the findings from the LifeWay website:
The survey of 1,003 Protestant churches found that while 78 percent have a website, less than half of those congregations use their sites for interactive purposes like obtaining and distributing prayer requests (43 percent), registering people for events and activities (39 percent) and automating more church processes (30 percent).
A majority of congregations with a website use it for one-way communication, the survey revealed. A full 91 percent provide information to potential visitors online and 79 percent provide information to the congregation. Fifty-seven percent encourage increased attendance and involvement among the congregation and 52 percent solicit interest in ministry or volunteer opportunities.
“Many churches are using their website like a Yellow Pages ad characterized by basic information and infrequent updates,” said Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research. “This is in sharp contrast with churches that use their website like a bustling church receptionist registering people for upcoming events, collecting prayer requests and obtaining volunteers.
“There is nothing wrong with using a church website to simply give directions to the church or state the church’s beliefs,” McConnell added. “However, we must realize that more and more people expect to be able to interact online without having to drive or make a phone call to the church.”
Larger churches are more likely than their smaller counterparts to use their websites interactively. Among churches with a website, 69 percent of churches with 500 or more in average worship attendance register people for events or activities online, but only 25 percent of churches with one to 49 attendees do the same. Fifty-two percent of congregations with 500 or more attendees seek to use their website to “allow more processes at (their) church to be automated,” compared with 15 percent of churches with one to 49 attendees.
In contrast, large and small churches are about equally as likely to use their websites to provide information to potential visitors. There is also little difference between large and small churches using their websites to provide information to their congregation.
QUESTION: How interactive is your website? Do you do online sign-ups? Do you offer on-line giving? Are you plugged into twitter and facebook?
How has the web changed the way you are doing 'interactive' ministry?
Todd
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@PaulSteinbrueck on Wed, January 26, 2011
I’ve noticed the same thing. Years ago, I used to ask church leaders, “Do you have a website?” Now all but the smallest churches have a website, and instead I ask, “What do you think of your website? Is it doing everything you’d like it to to help you reach your community and your goals?”
Unfortunately, I’ve found most church leaders are dissatisfied with their church’s website. Not only are most still essentially static brochures, but they look bad and are hard to navigate.
On the other hand, while they are still in the minority, there are a lot of churches that are going great things with their websites - video, online registration, social media integration. We’re doing all we can at OurChurch.Com to encourage and help churches create simple, beautiful, remarkable websites. And I know a lot of my co-laborers in this field are as well.
David on Wed, January 26, 2011
I certainly can’t fault them for walking before running. Getting from a bad brochure site to a good brochure site is feat of it’s own.
Compared to a restaurant, nail salon, grocery store, law or doctor office, or a car repair shop - the church web site is lacking.
Cliff on Wed, January 26, 2011
“Among churches with a website, 69 percent of churches with 500 or more in average worship attendance register people for events or activities online, but only 25 percent of churches with one to 49 attendees do the same.”
Just to defend small churches a bit…if you have less than 50 people attending your church (especially in small, rural towns where that’s often more than 10 percent of the total population), just how automated do you have to be? They don’t have the same need to “register” for an event or activity when they simply tell each other at the coffee shop, “Yep, I’m coming.”
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