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    Church Website Best Practices - Entries from August 2010

    Home - Blog - Church Website Best Practices - Entries from August 2010
    MonMondayAugAugust30th2010 Custom Designed Church Website for Harvest Bible Chapel - Oakville
    Posted Monday, August 30 2010 @ 9 AM byTravis Hickox Tagged Custom Harvest Bible Chapel 0 comments Add comment

    Being able to offer a product that can be used by millions of people is a great feeling. Being able to offer a product that can be used by millions of people, which also retains its customers for years is...amazing.

    Harvest Bible Chapel - Oakville has been a loyal customer of our Church Content Management System (CMS) for several years. They use many of the great features that come with our Church CMS and have even been responsible for the creation of others. Because they understand the value and reach that it provides them in their community, they have committed to investment in their web presence.

    On the internet, an organization's credibility can be helped or hurt by its website. Because of that fact, Harvest has modified their look and feel almost yearly to keep it current. It has certainly been fun to watch their progression over the years and we are grateful to be able to provide them with a CMS that can be transformed on demand.

    Being able to retain your websites content and get a complete face lift saves so much time and money. It is an excellent way to steward your resources properly.


    Before

    After



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    MonMondayAugAugust30th2010 Harvest Bible Chapel - Granger
    Posted Monday, August 30 2010 @ 9 AM byTravis Hickox Tagged Free Harvest Bible Chapel 0 comments Add comment

    Should Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ be willing to gamble?

    If we were betting men and women, we wouldn't get nervous betting on you wanting a church website that is visually appealing, affordable and extremely flexible. One of the many great features of the iMinistries Church CMS is the ability to change your look and feel with ease. Harvest Bible Chapel of Granger, Indiana has done just that by purchasing the Malta Premium Skin for $75.

    Take a look at the Before and After screenshots below. Yesterday, their website looked like Before. Today, their website looks like After. Here are a few reasons why this is so important.
    1. Time/Cost Savings
      Because of the iMinistries skin feature, there wasn't a need to recreate a new church website. They simply had to choose a different skin and click save!
    2. Training
      By remaining an iMinistries customer and changing their skin, the staff doesn't have to relearn how to manage their church website using a new CMS. The back end tools remain the same, so they can continue to post news, blog posts, and so much more.
    When they made the switch to using the Malta Premium Skin, they also purchased the ability to collect Event Registrations by Fellowship One.

    Before

    After


    READ MORE ABOUT PREMIUM SKIN MALTA'S FEATURES >>

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    MonMondayAugAugust30th2010 Harvest Bible Chapel - Prescott
    Posted Monday, August 30 2010 @ 9 AM byTravis Hickox Tagged Harvest Bible Chapel Harvest Skin 0 comments Add comment

    While we do offer Managed, Design, and SEO services to our customers, our heart is not to replace the talent that you have in your church body.


    Harvest Bible Chapel - Prescott knows this and tapped the shoulder of a volunteer in their church to help them come up with some of their new design. Their starting point was the founding Harvest Bible Chapel’s layout, but changed a few things to make it their own.

    Before

    After

    MonMondayAugAugust30th2010 5 Reasons Your Ministry Should Be On Twitter
    Posted Monday, August 30 2010 @ 9 AM byBryan Young Tagged Best Practices for Church Websites Social Media Twitter 0 comments Add comment

    Twitter is a social networking service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Followers can visit the author's Twitter page or use one of many tools to follow feeds, or their computer or phone.

    So what does this have to do with your ministry? Twitter can be used as a tool to connect with your users, to promote the content on your website, and possibly gain more interest in what your ministry is doing. Here are five reasons why your ministry should consider joining Twitter.

    1. Audience

    Twitter has over 100 million active users. Many are young (between 18-48) and come from all over the country and the world. Like Facebook and YouTube, Twitter is a tool that allows you to expand your ministry's reach. In addition to your followers, your tweets can also be found by adding topic tags and by retweeting posts from other Twitter accounts.

    2. Links, links, links

    One of the biggest benefits of Twitter is as an avenue for posting links back to your website. By using hyperlink abbreviating programs, you can create convert your long links into shorter ones. Twitter is all about driving traffic to your main Web presence, your ministry website.

    3. Networking

    "It's not what you know, it's who you know." We've all heard this saying and found it to be overwhelmingly true. By gaining followers and by following others yourself, you can develop a list of diverse contacts who share your beliefs, have a common mission, and may work in different areas of ministry. If you are interested in collaborating with other ministries, Twitter is a good place to develop relationships.

    4. It's easy, interactive, and viral

    Twitter is like a blog in that it initiates dialogue between you and your readers. Your followers can retweet your posts, or post your tweets from their profiles, they can respond to your tweets, and they can comment on the pictures you post. And its much less complicated than blogs. Users can read a tweet in 20 seconds and pass it on to others with an extra 5 seconds. They can follow much more people at once from mobile applications, desktop programs, and other utilities.

    5. It's Free Advertising

    Having a Twitter profile and posting tweets costs you nothing. Nothing except time and a tweeting strategy.

    That being said, Twitter is not for everyone. Above are just reasons why your church should consider it. Concentrate on the content of your ministry first, your ministry's website second, and advertising last.

    Reasons why you may not need Twitter

    • You don't know what a "blog" is, nevermind a "micro-blog"
    • You don't have enough content to link to on your ministry website
    • You can't devote any time to tweet, or you'd rather spend your time doing ministry work
    • You aren't interested in learning how to maximize its potential

    MORE RESOURCES FOR TWITTER

    The Reason Your Church Must NOT Twitter - ChurchCrunch.com
    Twitter for Ministry and Church – A Business Perspective - ChurchCrunch.com
    Why I Love Twitter - Tim O'Reilly

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    FriFridayAugAugust27th2010 Harvest Bible Chapel - North Indy
    Posted Friday, August 27 2010 @ 9 AM byTravis Hickox Tagged Free Harvest Bible Chapel Quote Semi-Custom 0 comments Add comment

    In today's economic times, if you were to ask any church leader what their highest needs are, they would say additional staff, more money, and more time in each day.

    Harvest Bible Chapel of North Indianapolis, Indiana has been a customer of iMinistries since fall 2007. A little over a month ago, their website and newsletter administrator LiaAnn Ellis contacted us to discuss upgrading their look. They were interested in getting a custom design for their website created, but after investigating our website more, she uncovered our new Premium Skins for only $75.

    She reported that after showing her leadership team this design, they wanted to move forward, saving thousands of dollars and time. Just like anyone, they were curious to know if they could make a few tweaks to this design to make it their very own. LiaAnn presented us with a few mock ups that she created and after we reviewed them and coming to a mutual agreement, we were able to implement their design choices.

    I’d be remiss to not thank Travis and David both for all the work and help you gave throughout these couple of weeks. It was a ridiculously short turnaround and I would not have been able to help make it happen if you both had not been so quick in responding and making edits as necessary to the code. The skin is amazing; the tweaks done to make it more personalized are amazing! It is definitely clear that IMinistries is gifted in furthering Kingdom work by helping others further their Kingdom work!

    Truly, the process was easy, the timing was great, and the quick help was awesome. Not to mention, I learned a ton about your CMS which will really help me later on when I add new content!

    LiaAnn Ellis
    Website and Newsletter Administrator
    Harvest Bible Chapel - North Indianapolis

    Today we are happy to relaunch their website with a modified Premium skin at a fraction of the cost and time.



    Let iMinistries help you create a great looking, full featured church website today. Our prices, functionality and design can not be matched!

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    We believe the best way to describe our tools is for you to try them out yourself. We offer a 15-day free trial account which will give you a few days to use all of the features available to our paying clients. There's no risk and no obligation. Who knows, you might even enjoy the new control you have over your very own website.

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    MonMondayAugAugust16th2010 Social Media: Fad or the Future?
    Posted Monday, August 16 2010 @ 9 AM byBryan Young Tagged Best Practices for Church Websites Social Media 0 comments Add comment

    What is Social Media?

    Hundreds of websites like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, YouTube, and LinkedIn have been created to help people connect with each other, from anywhere, at anytime (so long as there is an Internet connection). And many more are being created each day. For many, keeping up with the hottest new social media tools is daunting, let alone using these tools for their benefit.

    So is social media just a fad? Considering that many Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and non-profits are utilizing social media for marketing purposes, it seems that it's is not going away any time soon. Let this blog entry be a tool for you to evaluate if you should get in on the social media action.

    Which Social Media Tools Should I Care About?

    With new social media tools popping up by the minute, it can be difficult to know which ones matter. Here are the three social media tools you should know and consider using first.




    		 Facebook: This social networking website allows users to create an account, personalize it with pictures and information, add friends, and comment on other people's profiles. With over 400 million active users worldwide, Facebook has become one of the most powerful tools for mass marketing out there.


    		Twitter: Users create an account and "micro-blog" posts of 140 characters or less. Many corporations, celebrities, and businesses have used Twitter to build their name and post links back to their websites.


    		YouTube: After Google, this video posting website is the second most used search engine on the Internet. In this media-driven age, video is more important than ever for getting your message to the masses.

    What Are The Benefits Of Social Media?

    Social media tools are great ways to expand your reach on the Internet. They can be used in partnership with your website to make your name known and spread your ministry's message. Each channel can be a unique way of connecting with people. And isn't that the goal of your ministry? The best thing about the Internet is that you can touch a life in Africa as easily as you might across the street from your ministry. With social media, that possibility is only a few clicks away.

    Free Trial

    We believe the best way to describe our tools is for you to try them out yourself. We offer a 15-day free trial account which will give you a few days to use all of the features available to our paying clients. There's no risk and no obligation. Who knows, you might even enjoy the new control you have over your very own website.

    Create Your Free Trial Account

    How Can Social Media Be Used?

    By now you're probably asking "Why should I know about these tools?" All social media can be used to garner interest in your ministry and as a host to links back to your website. It is to be used as a supplement to your website, not as your primary Web presence. The ultimate goal is driving traffic to your website.

    Think of it as a megaphone for your website. A way to amplify your message on the Web.

    In upcoming blog posts, we will explain how to achieve this goal on each of the above social media channels.

    Should I Sign Up?

    No matter the size of your ministry, using social media tools can help you achieve your mission of reaching others for Christ. What does it take to achieve an effective social media presence?
    • Strategy: Make goals, figure out how social media can help you achieve them, and decide which tool will be most effective.
    • Time: You know the old saying: "Anything worth doing is worth doing right." If you don't have the time to do your best, it may be better not to start.
    • Content: To make yourself stand out in the crowd, you need interesting things to say and stuff to link to on your website.
    FriFridayAugAugust13th2010 Twin Falls Reformed Church
    Posted Friday, August 13 2010 @ 9 AM byTravis Hickox Tagged Free 0 comments Add comment
    Another faithful customer of the iMinistries Church CMS is Twin Falls Reformed Church. We launched their website in August of 2007 and they wanted a fresh look, but on a budget. We are pleased to show you their website dressed with the Malta Premium skin.

    Take a look at the transformation below.

    Before

    After

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    MonMondayAugAugust9th2010 Hilltown Baptist Church
    Posted Monday, August 09 2010 @ 9 AM byTravis Hickox Tagged Free Quote 0 comments Add comment
    We love having great relationships with so many of our customers. A long standing relationship has been forged with Tim Buczek of Hilltown Baptist Church. They have used the iMinistries Church CMS to run their church website for several years now. For the first couple of years, they used a few different free skins that we offer, but recently decided to upgrade to one of our new Premium skins. After working with Tim to change the skin, Tim redesigned his banners and created a rotating advertisement for his home page using our Rotator feature.

    Take a look at the transformation below.

    Before

    After



    iMinistries Crew,

    Thanks so much for the newest look for our site! You guys provide a great balance of flexibility and structure. I can't build a site from the ground up, but love the ability to be creative and personalize what we want.

    I love the new Premium Skin. It's slick and modern, easy on the eyes, easy to navigate, and still leaves a lot of potential for us to develop at time and demand grows.

    Love working with you guys! Looking forward to the next opportunity.

    Tim Buczek
    Director of Student Ministries
    Already an iMinistries customer? Review our Premium skins and upgrade your site today!

    Not yet using iMinistries...what are you waiting for? Check out how affordable are Church CMS is and sign up for your church website today!

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    We believe the best way to describe our tools is for you to try them out yourself. We offer a 15-day free trial account which will give you a few days to use all of the features available to our paying clients. There's no risk and no obligation. Who knows, you might even enjoy the new control you have over your very own website.

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    MonMondayAugAugust2nd2010 Helping Your Senior Pastor
    Posted Monday, August 02 2010 @ 9 AM bySharon Kostal Tagged Best Practices for Church Websites 0 comments Add comment

    As a ministry "communicator" you are all about furthering the reach of the message of Christ--an aim that readily transfers into supporting His messenger, your Senior Pastor. This begs the question, have you helped your Senior Pastor today?

    Below are two important ways to consider...

    GET HIM CURRENT

    No, we're not talking cell phones, social media or even sweater vests :). We are talking about his web bio.
    • Is the information accurate?
    • Are the number and names of children correct?
    • Does he still resemble his photo?
    • Do you even have one posted on your website?
    If not, then it's time for an update! When doing so, a simple tip to lengthen his bio's shelf-life is to omit the ages of his children and replace time references with dates (i.e. change "married eight years" to "married in 2002").

    COMMUNICATE THE NEWS

    Is the Lord working out his purposes in your midst? Share on your website the good news by posting news, blog updates or send out e-newsletter blasts. The daily responsibilities of a typical Senior Pastor doesn’t always allow for timely sharing of even the most powerful moments in your church. The body of Christ that you are involved with can’t be kept up to date if they don't know. :)

    Noteworthy events in the life of your church or ministry might include:
    • Baptisms.
    • Anniversaries of specific dates and milestones.
    • Elder installations.
    • The launch of new programs.
    • Those unexpected faith-building circumstances that God orchestrates.
    Then...
    • Tap someone to take photos and/or video. Always!
    • Be selective. Upload 10-15 good images to your website.
    • Create a News item and summarize the gist of the event in a few paragraphs. Include wow-moments and a few quotes if possible for these really help to communicate the moment. Add your photos and/or video to your page.

    About the Author

    Sharon Kostal oversees the Harvest Bible Fellowship website, digital media and other aspects of communication. Her delight is in spreading the word of God's work in our world today, encouraging Harvest church plants and pastors, and helping to further the reach of their ministries.

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    Create Your Free Trial Account
    SunSundayAugAugust1st2010 Harvest Bible Chapel - Carson Tahoe
    Posted Sunday, August 01 2010 @ 9 AM byTravis Hickox Tagged Free Harvest Bible Chapel 0 comments Add comment
    Having the ability to update your own website is a must. Harvest Bible Chapel Carson Tahoe pastor Jon Cox was sold on using the iMinistries Church CMS because it gives him both the creative and contextual control that he was looking for. As soon as he saw the new Sinai Premium skin, he felt it captured the woodsy, rustic look of Carson City.

    Jon has done an excellent job of using his church website to engage his future congregants both visually and textually.



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    We believe the best way to describe our tools is for you to try them out yourself. We offer a 15-day free trial account which will give you a few days to use all of the features available to our paying clients. There's no risk and no obligation. Who knows, you might even enjoy the new control you have over your very own website.

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