Church Website Design - with screenshots (what NOT to do!)

[DavidFilmer]

I found an interesting article on Church web design. It features a lot of thoughtful commentary on website design concepts for churches, while showing many screenshots of absolutely ghastly Church websites.

sitepoint.com/article/design-modern-church-marketing/

Fortunately, none of these were from Catholic Churches. But it gets me to thinking that Catholic parish websites are usually pretty awful. The website for my Archdiosese is terrrible (archdpdx.org), and the US Bishops’ website (usccb.org) is not much better.

Most of these sites were created in the early days of web design by people who are not professionals in the field.

At least these protestants are making an effort! That’s more than you can say for most Catholic parishes and dioceses!

 

[HouseArrest]

Those grunge sites are a little confusing. It would make you wonder at first if you’d found the right website.

I don’t mind the ussb site - and although I think your archdiocese’s site could be a little more colorful, or something, can’t quite put my finger on it, all that matters to me when I go to a site is whether or not I can find what I am looking for.

The parishes in our diocese are getting a lot better with websites. Most of them at least have one with a good many being quite helpful. I suppose it’s like everything else done at church - by volunteers.

 

[withwind]

What not to do? – don’t go to a church because their website looks nice.

I don’t like this whole marketing stuff about church - people do church shopping by the look of their websites - eventually, when they attend that particular church, they will find out it is nothing like what they see on the website.

I like my parish’s website: saintwilliams.org/ – easy to use with search functionality. More importantly, once I attend my parish and join different activities, I love to stay.

 

[HouseArrest]

What not to do? – don’t go to a church because their website looks nice.

I don’t like this whole marketing stuff about church - people do church shopping by the look of their websites - eventually, when they attend that particular church, they will find out it is nothing like what they see on the website.

I like my parish’s website: saintwilliams.org/ – easy to use with search functionality. More importantly, once I attend my parish and join different activities, I love to stay.

I checked it out. I like it, too. There is so much information on the drop downs on the top row with very good descriptions. I also like the calendar at the bottom.