Ten Things to Avoid in Managing Your Church Website

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You may know the top ten things you should do with your church website. But do you know the top ten things you shouldn't do with it? Here are some tips-some no-nos, specifically, when managing your church website.

Hoarding the password. You may be the website guy, but you don't need to guard the password like you would protect the key to Fort Knox. If you get amnesia tomorrow, the church website is locked forever. Share, trust, enjoy.
Changing the theme too frequently. The tech-inclined among us may be inclined to show off our expertise by changing the theme frequently. That's not a really good idea. It messes with people's minds. If your website was created in 1994, fine. Give it a little facelift, but don't change the whole look every week. Change bothers people, especially when that change isn't necessary. (Just trying changing your church's music style. See how that goes over.)
Installing lots and lots of cute plugins. If your church uses a WordPress platform, and many do, you have the capability of adding plugins. That's nice. Just don't get carried away. Untested plugins can compromise your website. Keep it to a necessary minimum.
Deleting someone else's stuff. So maybe you're on this power kick as the web manager, and you decide to delete the pastor's blog, or maybe just an article that rubs you the wrong way. Not a good idea. Hands off.
Adding tons of text to the home page. The home page is like curb appeal. It should look good-clean, cohesive, nice. In other words, you shouldn't put all your clutter out on the front lawn. If everything is on the home page, nothing is going to get read. Not the plan of salvation. Not your End Times viewpoint. Not the photo gallery of the church picnic. Put them on subpages, please.
Canceling your hosting service to save money. Hosting costs money. It can be annoying to pony up another twenty or thirty each month to keep your site on the web. Just don't cancel it, though. If you do, your website disappears forever. Try saving money in coffee costs, not website hosting.
Changing the coding on the template. Unless you're a whiz-bang-know-a-ton-web-programming nerd, we suggest that you don't tamper with the source code for your website. No offense, but you're liable to mess something up. If you have a question about what this means then stay well enough alone, okay? One misplaced bracket, and you're toast.
Creating too many links and menus. Menus are pretty awesome. You can just go click-click and access more pages. But the more you add, the more junky clutter you add to your website. Streamlined simplicity is beauty, and when you have a whole line of menus pasted on the side of your church website, you're looking totally tacky. Your church may actually have 892 really important programs, but you should put them in sub pages, not the main navigation menu.
Spending too much time on it. It is possible to spend so much time on the website that you cease to eat, sleep, and do other things. Don't fall into that trap. A website is a tool, not a cruel tyrant demanding your every minute. If you're spending too much time on the church website, I have a fascinating concept to share with you. It starts with "d" and ends with "elegation"
Not managing it at all. This is far and away the worst sin that you could commit upon a church website. And that is-nothing at all. Not managing the website is worse than not having one. A website that is not updated is a church website that is functionally dead. By all means, update the thing every once in a while, will you?

Daniel Threlfall works with http://www.sharefaith.com/, a church solution company that produces top church websites free of charge.

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Ten Reasons to Start a Church Facebook Page

It's huge. Millions of people are on Facebook, including a lot of people in your church. By having a church Facebook page, you will effectively reach a lot of people. A Facebook page is more than just a placeholder for your church's online identity. It's a form of testimony, outreach, and witness. Having a Facebook page is an excellent way to be involved in these forms of outreach.
It's free. What church doesn't want to save more money? Facebook is free, and it will be for the foreseeable future. Although custom-made church websites can get really pricey, you can have a powerful web presence with a Facebook page...and not spend a dime.
It's interactive. Facebook involves users in the whole experience. There are things to see, do, read, click, view, etc. There are forums, photos, videos, and more. Using a Facebook page for your church gives you a way to provide a more comprehensive user experience.
It's current. The cardinal sin of church websites is that they are rarely updated. Church websites that are not updated are church websites that are functionally dead. Thankfully, a church Facebook page can stay current, especially when members and users are interacting on the page.
It's easy to use. Once you get the hang of it, Facebook is a cinch. You can even post updates from your mobile phone if you'd like. The power of Facebook is its wide-reaching use, and absolute simplicity. No complex coding required.
It's data-rich. As mentioned above, Facebook has a lot of potential for use. You can store a lot of information on Facebook. It can serve as your church photo album. A place for articles. A forum for discussion. A calendar. Facebook contains a wealth of potential, and it can be put to good use by churches.
It's community. Churches are for community. In today's world, community happens online. Failing to be on Facebook is a failure to engage the primary mode of online community. Facebook will never and should never replace actual church gatherings, but it can provide a sustaining source of community online.
It's connection. Facebook is about connections. It's about forming relationships, forging relationships, and keeping people informed. This is invaluable for the church.
It's relevant. One of the great things about Facebook is that it's current. It creates a way for the church to engage a form of relevant media that people are more likely to use.
It's fun. Last, but not least, Facebook can be enjoyable. Sure, some people spend a bit too much time on it. Nonetheless, the church can appreciate the fact that this is one source of connection that people will be likely to enjoy.

Creating a church Facebook page doesn't take long. Why don't you get started?

Daniel Threlfall works for http://sharefaith.com/, a church media and solution company. Sharefaith provides cutting-edge church media, videos, PowerPoints, websites, and more. Sharefaith also provides relevant information for churches navigating a media-saturated world.

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