- First of all, what is the action goal for your website? What is it that you want viewers to do as a result of visiting your website? If you have no particular goal in mind, then it matters not what you design. See: 13 golden rules for designing website.
- Design with behavior research in mind. See: 4 insights from web user behavior research
- Determine who your target audience is and what they want. For example:
- Users looking for a church to visit away from home.
- Users looking for a church to potentially visit regularly.
- Users looking for a church to participate in.
- Users looking for a church to join as a member.
- What do church visitors want to know?
- Will I be socially comfortable and welcomed?
- Will I see genuine, real, true desire to worship and fellowship, and honor for God?
- Will my family and I feel safe?
- Will I experience the presence and evidence of God?
- Can my family and I make friends here?
- Will I be able to easily find someone to talk to?
- What to show viewers on your website.
- All viewers
- What do you look like?
- What is your name and denomination?
- Where are you located?
- What are you service times?
- Do you offer childcare?
- How can I contact you?
- Who is the pastor?
- How do you dress for service?
- What kind of services should I expect? Length, style, formality?
- Potential regular visitor
- What do you believe?
- What ministries are available?
- Meeting times of ministries?
- What kind of worship service do you have? Clapping, singing, band, etc.
- What is preaching like? Expository, homiletical, conversational, fire and brimstone
- Potential participant in church ministries
- What ministries do you provide?
- What needs do your ministries have that I can help with?
- What are the qualifications to get involved?
- Who do I contact to get involved?
- Potential church member
- What must I do to become a member?
- Who do I contact to talk about being a member?
- What is expected of members?
- All viewers