Website Essentials February 2014
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+ Website essentials: key ingredients and how to get started How to create an engaging web presence (The Windermere Centre, February 2014)
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What are the basic ingredients for a great church website? How do you get started?
Transcript of Website Essentials February 2014
+
Website essentials:key ingredients and how to get started
How to create an engaging web presence (The Windermere Centre, February 2014)
+
The History of the Internet in 3 minutes!
Macintosh 128 vector: http://vector.me/browse/214898/apple_macintosh_128k
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Web 1.0 (1991-2003) A ‘noticeboard in cyberspace’ Read-only ‘Look but don’t touch’ Expanding the ‘broadcasting
range’
+Web 2.0 (2004 onwards): Playtime!Interactive; Collaborative; Social; User-driven
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Web 3.0 (as we speak)
Connections and relationships
Recognises connections (eg my email, FaceBook, Twitter, website)
Focus on building relationships
Being human, online
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Local Churches and the Web
Source: http://wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/blogs/christianpiatt/files/2012/08/whippersnappers.jpg
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What ingredients make a good website?
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Design
Usability and functionality
Understanding your audience
Visual appeal
Less is more
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
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Content
Understanding your audience
Open to conversation
Tone
Less is more
SEO
+Design“Design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works.”
– Steve Jobs
+Usability and functionality
Source: http://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-experience.html
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+Understanding your audience
Site Owner
Who are we building the site for?
What do we think the site is for?
What do we want to tell them?
Site User
Who is actually using the site?
What are they using the site for?
What do they want to find out?
+Visual Appeal
Make use of white space to draw the eye
Avoid unneccesary gimmicks and widgets
Use colours & typography wisely: either harmonise or contrast
Prefer clarity over cleverness
Make the layout and the look logical
Consistent: build your own box
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Content
+Understanding your audience
Use language that resonates with them
Make your content relevant to them
Targeting to ensure maximum receptivity and engagement
+Their top 5 priorities (probably):
“Where do you meet?”
“When do you meet?”
“What happens to my kids?”
“Are you weird?”
“What are you really like?”
Source: http://www.churchinsight.com/Articles/356675/5_Things_stopping_visitors_coming.aspx
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Source: http://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith.aspx
+Conversation
Source: http://fleet.urc.org.uk/?p=7329&cpage=1#comment-166
+Tone
Don’t be afraid!
Writing for the web is a different genre
Make space for conversation
Prefer shorter words and shorter sentences
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Source: http://wallaseyvillage.urc.org.uk/new-visitor/
+Less is more
Keep content relevant
Avoid bloat
Archive things that are out of date
Conversation space vs. library
“Be church, online” – create spaces for God
+SEO
Be authentic
Search engines now read ‘human speak’
If your content is engaging, and is active (eg people are clicking on things) search engines will recognise this and rank your site higher
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Source: http://windermere.urc.org.uk/conferences-and-meetings/
+Website Essentials
1. Easy to maintain and update
2. Easy to navigate
3. Provides a good user experience
4. Responsive (can be displayed on different sized devices)
5. Customisable
6. Interactive
7. Search Engine friendly
8. Attractive
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Website EssentialsThe Windermere Centrehttp://windermere.urc.org.uk
