http://www.iministries.org/blog.aspx?site_id=10267&blog_id=90645 "Get wisdom...get insight" and maximize your church website. EN-US Copyright &#xA9; 2012 iMinistries Church Website CMS http://www.triplePixel.com Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/thumbnails/90645-thumbnail.jpghttp://www.iministries.org/blog.aspx?site_id=10267&amp;blog_id=90645 A Proverbs 4:7 blog on managing your websites content. iMinistries Staff "Get wisdom...get insight" and maximize your church website. iMinistries Staffsupport@iMinistries.org no http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=298737http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=298737 Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT <h3>As a web designer there are a few "suggestions" that clients throw at me all the time.</h3> <ul> <li>Can you make my logo bigger?</li> <li>Can we have only pictures and no text?</li> <li>Can we have a flash website?</li> <li>Can you be sure to keep everything "above the fold?"</li> </ul> <h3>In this post, I'd like to address the concept of <strong>above the fold</strong>.</h3> <div>The term comes from back in the days of printed newspapers. The best photographs and most attention grabbing headlines were placed above the newspaper fold to entice buyers to purchase that particular issue. There was literally no way to see what was on the bottom half unless you made the purchase, costing you money.<br /> <br /> For years now, the term above the fold has been used to represent the information that is placed above 600px on a website. According to the people who use this term, users aren't willing to scroll on a webpage. The fact of the matter is that this does not cost the website visitor anything other than a quick flick of the finger on the scroll wheel. It's free, unlike a newspaper. There is no reason someone won't look below the fold unless you have a poorly designed website.<br /> <br /> Take a second and read this quick post called "<a href="http://iampaddy.com/lifebelow600/" target="_blank">Life Below 600px</a>" by Paddy Donnelley. I&nbsp;subscribe&nbsp;to the concept of the build up. Simply put, provide information and graphics that a website user will want to see. Then entice them to scroll down and want to see more by even more great graphics and written content. Maybe the best example you can find out there on the internet is the website for <a href="http://www.charitywater.org/" target="_blank">Charity Water</a>. I want to scroll on just about every page on this website. The data is presented so well. There is breathing room around everything and pages have&nbsp;important&nbsp;information 3000px down. I saw it though.<br /> <br /> We analyze the statistics and how our iMinistries website is interacted with on a regular basis. We've also noticed on <strong>all</strong> of our pages, <strong>users are willing to scroll</strong>. With the above the fold concept you'd think that most of the clicks to our "Free Trial" or "Pricing" button would happen only at the top of this page. Clearly, we are getting many clicks all the way at the bottom. We believe this is because we've presented the information on this page in a simple, clean &nbsp;visual way and have provided content that our website visitors want to see.<br /> <br /> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/heatmap.jpg" style="width: 620px; height: 1246px;" /><br /> <br /> </div> <h3>On a Church Website, what do you think should be above the fold?</h3> <div> <ul> <li>Important calls to action</li> <li>Good graphics or pictures</li> <li>The main website navigation</li> <li>Some well written, SEO friendly text</li> </ul> <div>Spend some time on good copy and good graphics and persuade users to scroll and they will. A successful church website needs both of those to encourage interaction.</div> <br /> </div> <br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> As a web designer there are a few "suggestions" that clients throw at me all the time. Can you make my logo bigger? Can we have only pictures and no text? Can we have a flash website? Can you be sure to keep everything "above the fold?" In this post, I'd like to address the concept of above the fold . The term comes from back in the days of printed newspapers. The best photographs and most attention grabbing headlines were placed above the newspaper fold to entice buyers to purchase that particular issue. There was literally no way to see what was on the bottom half unless you made the purchase, costing you money. For years now, the term above the fold has been used to represent the information that is placed above 600px on a website. According to the people who use this term, users aren't willing to scroll on a webpage. The fact of the matter is that this does not cost the website visitor anything other than a quick flick of the finger on the scroll wheel. It's free, unlike a newspaper. There is no reason someone won't look below the fold unless you have a poorly designed website. Take a second and read this quick post called " Life Below 600px " by Paddy Donnelley. I subscribe to the concept of the build up. Simply put, provide information and graphics that a website user will want to see. Then entice them to scroll down and want to see more by even more great graphics and written content. Maybe the best example you can find out there on the internet is the website for Charity Water . I want to scroll on just about every page on this website. The data is presented so well. There is breathing room around everything and pages have important information 3000px down. I saw it though. We analyze the statistics and how our iMinistries website is interacted with on a regular basis. We've also noticed on all of our pages, users are willing to scroll . With the above the fold concept you'd think that most of the clicks to our "Free Trial" or "Pricing" button would happen only at the top of this page. Clearly, we are getting many clicks all the way at the bottom. We believe this is because we've presented the information on this page in a simple, clean visual way and have provided content that our website visitors want to see. On a Church Website, what do you think should be above the fold? Important calls to action Good graphics or pictures The main website navigation Some well written, SEO friendly text Spend some time on good copy and good graphics and persuade users to scroll and they will. A successful church website needs both of those to encourage interaction. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=299907http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=299907 Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT <h2>Today we are pleased to announce our latest addition to our growing list of free responsive church website templates. In addition to <a href="http://jericho.iministries.org" target="_blank" title="Check out Jericho, a free responsive skin.">Jericho</a> and <a href="http://olivet.iministries.org" target="_blank" title="Check out Olivet, a free responsive skin.">Olivet</a>, we now offer <a href="http://galilee.iministries.org" target="_blank" title="Check out Galilee, a free responsive skin.">Galilee</a>.</h2> <a href="http://galilee.iministries.org" target="_blank" title="Check out Galilee, a free responsive skin."><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/galileeblog.jpg" style="width: 605px; height: 250px;" /></a><br /> <br /> <h3> Galilee features</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Responsive layout</strong></li> <li>Tablet friendly design</li> <li>Mobile friendly design</li> <li>jQuery enhancements</li> <li>Custom fonts</li> <li>Easy customization</li> </ul> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a></p> </div> Today we are pleased to announce our latest addition to our growing list of free responsive church website templates. In addition to Jericho and Olivet , we now offer Galilee . Galilee features Responsive layout Tablet friendly design Mobile friendly design jQuery enhancements Custom fonts Easy customization Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=299533http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=299533 Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT Lately, we've been working on creating our new free website skins using responsive layouts. We released <a href="http://jericho.iministries.org" target="_blank">Jericho</a> a few weeks ago and will soon be releasing Galillee. Today, we are announcing the (re)release of <a href="http://olivet.iministries.org" target="_blank">Olivet</a> as a responsive skin.<br /> <br /> Responsive church designs are websites that scale to fit any screen size. It looks good on computer screens, phones as well as tablets. Each even has it's own layout.<br /> <br /> <strong>If you are wanting to change over to the responsive version of Olivet follow these steps:</strong><br /> <ol> <li><strong>Log In</strong> to your website.</li> <li>Expand <strong>Site Control.</strong></li> <li>Click <strong>Site Preferences.</strong></li> <li>Click <strong>Design.</strong></li> <li>Change your skin to <strong>Responsive Olivet Skin.</strong></li> <li>Follow our&nbsp;<a href="http://support.iministries.org/forums/20809866-olivet-responsive-skin" target="_blank">support files</a> to finalize the setup.</li> </ol> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a></p> </div> Lately, we've been working on creating our new free website skins using responsive layouts. We released Jericho a few weeks ago and will soon be releasing Galillee. Today, we are announcing the (re)release of Olivet as a responsive skin. Responsive church designs are websites that scale to fit any screen size. It looks good on computer screens, phones as well as tablets. Each even has it's own layout. If you are wanting to change over to the responsive version of Olivet follow these steps: Log In to your website. Expand Site Control. Click Site Preferences. Click Design. Change your skin to Responsive Olivet Skin. Follow our support files to finalize the setup. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=299026http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=299026 Mon, 07 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT <h4><em><strong>We understand that church website administrators are usually understaffed and overworked. We've been there. That's why we're always on the lookout for tools and resources to make your job -- maintaining a great-looking, useful church website -- easier and more enjoyable.</strong></em></h4> <br /> <p>Recently, I ran into the website, <a href="http://www.CreationSwap.com" target="_blank">CreationSwap</a>. This great resources offers churches <strong>free and stock graphics and photos</strong> for download and use on websites, bulletins, brochures, and other promotional materials. They also offer <strong>Christian artists a place to network, discuss, critique, and freely share or sell their art</strong>. </p> <p>If you lack the design expertise, or access to a graphic designer, check out CreationSwap for website banners and photos. Below are some of our favorite free images.</p> <h3>Photos</h3> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/CS-Bible.jpg" /></td> <td>&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/CS-Plant.jpg" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/CS-Tree.jpg" /></td> <td><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/CS-The%20Way.jpg" />&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h3>Banners</h3> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/CS-Easter%20Banner.jpg" /></td> <td>&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/CS-Good%20Friday%20Banner.jpg" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/CS-Events%20Banner.jpg" /></td> <td><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/CS-Plugged%20In%20Banner.jpg" />&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br /> <strong>Do you have favorite images from CreativeSwap? Have you used their photos or banners in the past? Share your experiences in the comments.</strong><br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> We understand that church website administrators are usually understaffed and overworked. We've been there. That's why we're always on the lookout for tools and resources to make your job -- maintaining a great-looking, useful church website -- easier and more enjoyable. Recently, I ran into the website, CreationSwap . This great resources offers churches free and stock graphics and photos for download and use on websites, bulletins, brochures, and other promotional materials. They also offer Christian artists a place to network, discuss, critique, and freely share or sell their art . If you lack the design expertise, or access to a graphic designer, check out CreationSwap for website banners and photos. Below are some of our favorite free images. Photos Banners Do you have favorite images from CreativeSwap? Have you used their photos or banners in the past? Share your experiences in the comments. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=297639http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=297639 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT <p>Churches are increasingly fighting with online media for attention of their members and seekers, and many have decided to <strong>use new technology to broaden their reach</strong>. Reliance on tech comes with its risks, however, as <em>Christianity Today</em> <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2010/may-online-only/4usingtechnology.html" target="_blank">warns churches are in danger of replacing technology for the one-on-one relationships</a> so vital for growing Christ-followers. Instead, they advise, <strong>tech innovations should supplement personal connections</strong> by making communication easier, anywhere at anytime. </p> <p>Here's a look at the latest church-related online innovations, the challenges of using each, and whether your church should incorporate them into your communication strategy. </p> <hr /> <strong> <h3>1. Online-only content</h3> </strong> <p>Probably the most well-known innovators in online-exclusive content is <a href="http://www.lifechurch.tv/" target="_blank">LifeChurch.tv</a>. This Oklahoma-based, multi-campus church <strong>streams 9-12 live services </strong>on its <a href="http://live.lifechurch.tv/">Church Online website</a> each day, including live chatting with dedicated pastors and links to resources for seekers and new believers. Many other churches are beginning to <strong>live stream their services</strong> as the technology becomes easier and less expensive.</p> <strong> <h4>Should My Church Do It?</h4> </strong> <p>Not many churches have the resources or staff to have an "online campus," but you can always start small and see where it leads. <strong>Podcasting sermons is a good place to start </strong>(it's free and functionality is built into each iMinistries website). Live streaming of services is becoming more doable, even for smaller churches (<a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?entry_id=227482">free ways to broadcast services online</a>).</p> <hr /> <strong> <h3>2. Real-time social media interaction</h3> </strong> <p>We recently shared a story of a <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?entry_id=294332">church in England which addresses questions via Twitter</a> during services. This type of in-the-moment engagement is becoming more popular -- especially in larger churches -- to <strong>make congregants feel more a part of the service</strong>. Some churches ask congregants to text sentences of praise during service to a designated number and then display the text messages as a form of worship.</p> <strong> <h4>Should My Church Do It?</h4> </strong> <p>While instant engagement can be beneficial, pastor and author <a href="http://www.joshharris.com/2009/05/should_we_use_twitter_during_church.php#more" target="_blank">Josh Harris argues</a> that it tends to cause listeners to think about <strong>what they're going to tweet instead of what God is saying to them</strong> through the sermon. Whether you should depart from the typical three-point sermon to such a drastically modern approach probably depends on your congregants and your pastor.</p> <hr /> <strong> <h3>3. Church rating websites</h3> </strong> <p>We all know <a href="http://www.yelp.com" target="_blank">Yelp</a> as a format for restaurant reviews, but they also <strong>allow users to review churches</strong>. Users can search for churches in their area and give them a 1-5 star rating, including a detailed written description. <a href="http://www.ChurchRater.com" target="_blank">ChurchRater.com</a> is a website dedicated solely to church evaluation and was created to help people moving into a community find a church that's right for them.</p> <strong> <h4>Should My Church Do It?</h4> </strong> <p>Unfortunately, you don't have much of a choice. Users can add and rate churches without the your consent, and, as with any ratings website, criticisms often outweigh praises. While checking what past visitors have to say about your church may be helpful in some cases, it's important to remember <strong>a few bad reviews are not universally representative</strong>. Keeping that in mind, you probably shouldn't build your communication strategy around addressing these reviews.</p> <hr /> <strong> <h3> 4. Custom church mobile apps</h3> </strong> <p>As the use of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets explode, <strong>many churches are racing to create custom church apps</strong> to connect with their congregants. Tech savvy churches like <a href="http://marshill.com/2009/08/17/the-mars-hill-church-iphone-app-is-officially-available" target="_blank">Mars Hill in Seattle have apps</a> that stream sermon video and audio, display blog entries, show campus locations and directions, and allow for giving donations.</p> <strong> <h4>Should My Church Do It?</h4> </strong> <p>Apps are necessary if you have <strong>tons of online content</strong> and desire an easier way to display it on a mobile device. A mobile-optimized website (like an <a href="http://www.iministries.org/">iMinistries CMS website</a>) will often fulfill that need. Since custom app creation can be a costly enterprise, you should be sure your communications strategy warrants such an expense. (Note: if you have an iMinistries website, we are an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thechurchapp.org/" target="_blank">alliance&nbsp;partner with The Church App</a>&nbsp;that integrates with your website).</p> <hr /> <strong> <h4>Has your church adopted any of these new technologies? Are they working for you? Tell us in the comments.</h4> </strong> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Churches are increasingly fighting with online media for attention of their members and seekers, and many have decided to use new technology to broaden their reach . Reliance on tech comes with its risks, however, as Christianity Today warns churches are in danger of replacing technology for the one-on-one relationships so vital for growing Christ-followers. Instead, they advise, tech innovations should supplement personal connections by making communication easier, anywhere at anytime. Here's a look at the latest church-related online innovations, the challenges of using each, and whether your church should incorporate them into your communication strategy. 1. Online-only content Probably the most well-known innovators in online-exclusive content is LifeChurch.tv . This Oklahoma-based, multi-campus church streams 9-12 live services on its Church Online website each day, including live chatting with dedicated pastors and links to resources for seekers and new believers. Many other churches are beginning to live stream their services as the technology becomes easier and less expensive. Should My Church Do It? Not many churches have the resources or staff to have an "online campus," but you can always start small and see where it leads. Podcasting sermons is a good place to start (it's free and functionality is built into each iMinistries website). Live streaming of services is becoming more doable, even for smaller churches ( free ways to broadcast services online ). 2. Real-time social media interaction We recently shared a story of a church in England which addresses questions via Twitter during services. This type of in-the-moment engagement is becoming more popular -- especially in larger churches -- to make congregants feel more a part of the service . Some churches ask congregants to text sentences of praise during service to a designated number and then display the text messages as a form of worship. Should My Church Do It? While instant engagement can be beneficial, pastor and author Josh Harris argues that it tends to cause listeners to think about what they're going to tweet instead of what God is saying to them through the sermon. Whether you should depart from the typical three-point sermon to such a drastically modern approach probably depends on your congregants and your pastor. 3. Church rating websites We all know Yelp as a format for restaurant reviews, but they also allow users to review churches . Users can search for churches in their area and give them a 1-5 star rating, including a detailed written description. ChurchRater.com is a website dedicated solely to church evaluation and was created to help people moving into a community find a church that's right for them. Should My Church Do It? Unfortunately, you don't have much of a choice. Users can add and rate churches without the your consent, and, as with any ratings website, criticisms often outweigh praises. While checking what past visitors have to say about your church may be helpful in some cases, it's important to remember a few bad reviews are not universally representative . Keeping that in mind, you probably shouldn't build your communication strategy around addressing these reviews. 4. Custom church mobile apps As the use of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets explode, many churches are racing to create custom church apps to connect with their congregants. Tech savvy churches like Mars Hill in Seattle have apps that stream sermon video and... http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=287514http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=287514 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:00:00 GMT Last year we introduced the page administration toolbar at the top of the screen when you are logged in and editing your website. This useful addition to our church CMS sped up page editing and creation for site administrators. With our latest system release, we've made some major improvements to this valuable tool.<br /> <br /> <h3>Out with the old</h3> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/pagetoolbar_old.jpg" style="width: 645px; height: 177px;" /><br /> <br /> <h3>In with the new</h3> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/pagetoolbar_new.jpg" style="width: 645px; height: 177px;" /><br /> <br /> The first and most obvious improvement is the design. We've <strong>streamlined the look</strong> and designed it to be more visual. We've also taken out the color so that it blends into the web browser so your focus can remain on the content of the webpage.<br /> <br /> Another improvement we made was the ability to access the <strong>full list of existing content</strong> with ease. This new feature changes dynamically based on the type of page content you are editing (News, Blogs, etc.). For example, if you're editing an Event, you will now see an additional button called View Events. This will bring you to the Event Administration page within the CMS. <br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/40940169?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" width="600" height="337" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <br /> Another reason for the update was to help start moving some of our editing tools in a <strong>more touch-screen-friendly</strong> direction. While most tablet devices are for consumption, we do know that a few users create content with them. These buttons are bigger, making it easier to tap, and should help facilitate the use of them on these smaller-screened devices.<br /> <br /> This change was brought upon by our experience editing various websites and comments made by our users. We always welcome suggestions and comment from our users. Please share with us your thoughts. <br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a></p> </div> Last year we introduced the page administration toolbar at the top of the screen when you are logged in and editing your website. This useful addition to our church CMS sped up page editing and creation for site administrators. With our latest system release, we've made some major improvements to this valuable tool. Out with the old In with the new The first and most obvious improvement is the design. We've streamlined the look and designed it to be more visual. We've also taken out the color so that it blends into the web browser so your focus can remain on the content of the webpage. Another improvement we made was the ability to access the full list of existing content with ease. This new feature changes dynamically based on the type of page content you are editing (News, Blogs, etc.). For example, if you're editing an Event, you will now see an additional button called View Events. This will bring you to the Event Administration page within the CMS. Another reason for the update was to help start moving some of our editing tools in a more touch-screen-friendly direction. While most tablet devices are for consumption, we do know that a few users create content with them. These buttons are bigger, making it easier to tap, and should help facilitate the use of them on these smaller-screened devices. This change was brought upon by our experience editing various websites and comments made by our users. We always welcome suggestions and comment from our users. Please share with us your thoughts. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=296379http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=296379 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT We all look for inspiration and advice from people smarter than us. For people who create websites, the challenge is finding which of the many "experts" are everything they claim. Good news -- we've done that work for you. Here are five blogs and online magazines you should start reading today.<br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>1. Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog</h3> <a href="http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com" target="_blank">www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com</a><br /> This blog from Katya Andreson, Chief Strategist for online giving platform Network for Good, drops a lot of knowledge in her regular posts. Entries give insight on how to market your non-profit to your regular supporters, as well as people just discovering you. She explains how to <strong>communicate your mission through telling stories</strong> of those you've impacted personally. She also shares ways to <strong>increase online giving</strong>, and promotes books and other resources on <strong>marketing trends</strong>. <br /> <br /> <strong>Favorite recent post:</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/comments/the_five_words_that_made_women_give_20_more/" target="_blank">The Five Words That Made Women Give 20% More</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>2. UX Magazine</h3> <a href="http://www.uxmagazine.com" target="_blank">www.uxmagazine.com</a><br /> You won't find any fluff on this preeminent online magazine about User Experience (UX). Each article is deep, challenging, and full of information on <strong>website user behavior</strong> and how to make your website user friendly. Diverse writers provide a broad array of viewpoints, from <a href="http://uxmag.com/articles/the-psychologists-view-of-ux-design" target="_blank">the psychology of UX design</a> to <a href="http://uxmag.com/articles/the-psychologists-view-of-ux-design" target="_blank">why storytelling is important</a>. If you want to make your website users happy (you do, don't you?), <em>UX Magazine</em> is invaluable.<br /> <br /> <strong>Favorite recent post:</strong><br /> <a href="http://uxmag.com/articles/five-popular-web-strategies-that-dont-work" target="_blank">Five Popular Web Strategies That Don't Work</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>3. Mashable</h3> <a href="http://www.mashable.com" target="_blank">www.mashable.com</a><br /> Things in web world change every day -- sometimes even quicker. To stay ahead of the game, follow this <strong>social media and web news</strong> agency. Since Facebook regularly revamps their system (<a href="http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/facebook-timeline-brands-guide/" target="_blank">Timeline, anyone?</a>) and new social media websites explode almost overnight, keeping informed is vital to any organization who uses social media to communicate. Just as valuable are the best-practice articles Mashable posts on topics like <strong>website content, marketing, and website creation</strong>.<br /> <br /> <strong>Favorite recent post:</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/mashable.com/2012/03/02/content-marketing-non-profits/" target="_blank">Content Markting: 5 Non-Profit Success Stories to Learn From</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>4. A List Apart</h3> <a href="http://www.alistapart.com" target="_blank">www.alistapart.com</a><br /> "For people who make websites" is this online magazines subtitle and mission. Here you'll find tons of articles on <strong>workflow and project management, design, content, and user experience</strong>. What you won't find is light reading. Each feature is packed with wisdom from seasoned website developers that you'll probably want to print out, highlight, and re-read.<br /> <br /> <strong>Favorite recent posts:</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.alistapart.com/articles/a-checklist-for-content-work/" target="_blank">A Checklist for Content Work</a><br /> <a href="http://www.alistapart.com/articles/audiences-outcomes-and-determining-user-needs/" target="_blank">Audiences, Outcomes, and Determining User Needs</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>5. iMinistries Blog</h3> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/10267/blog/blog_id/90645/Blog">www.iministries.org/blog</a><br /> Building and maintaining a church website is no easy task. It takes special people with a broad array of talents and a deep understanding of ministry. When we present <strong>compelling ideas, church website inspiration, and useful advice</strong> to our readers, we speak from experience -- from building and maintaining church websites ourselves. So we hope this experience gives us perspective into what you need and what your users seek. <br /> <br /> <strong>Favorite recent post:</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=285616">What Makes a Healthy Online Presence for Churches? [INFOGRAPHIC]</a><br /> <br /> <strong> Don't see your favorite blog? Share it with us in the comments.</strong><br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> We all look for inspiration and advice from people smarter than us. For people who create websites, the challenge is finding which of the many "experts" are everything they claim. Good news -- we've done that work for you. Here are five blogs and online magazines you should start reading today. 1. Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com This blog from Katya Andreson, Chief Strategist for online giving platform Network for Good, drops a lot of knowledge in her regular posts. Entries give insight on how to market your non-profit to your regular supporters, as well as people just discovering you. She explains how to communicate your mission through telling stories of those you've impacted personally. She also shares ways to increase online giving , and promotes books and other resources on marketing trends . Favorite recent post: The Five Words That Made Women Give 20% More 2. UX Magazine www.uxmagazine.com You won't find any fluff on this preeminent online magazine about User Experience (UX). Each article is deep, challenging, and full of information on website user behavior and how to make your website user friendly. Diverse writers provide a broad array of viewpoints, from the psychology of UX design to why storytelling is important . If you want to make your website users happy (you do, don't you?), UX Magazine is invaluable. Favorite recent post: Five Popular Web Strategies That Don't Work 3. Mashable www.mashable.com Things in web world change every day -- sometimes even quicker. To stay ahead of the game, follow this social media and web news agency. Since Facebook regularly revamps their system ( Timeline, anyone? ) and new social media websites explode almost overnight, keeping informed is vital to any organization who uses social media to communicate. Just as valuable are the best-practice articles Mashable posts on topics like website content, marketing, and website creation . Favorite recent post: Content Markting: 5 Non-Profit Success Stories to Learn From 4. A List Apart www.alistapart.com "For people who make websites" is this online magazines subtitle and mission. Here you'll find tons of articles on workflow and project management, design, content, and user experience . What you won't find is light reading. Each feature is packed with wisdom from seasoned website developers that you'll probably want to print out, highlight, and re-read. Favorite recent posts: A Checklist for Content Work Audiences, Outcomes, and Determining User Needs 5. iMinistries Blog www.iministries.org/blog Building and maintaining a church website is no easy task. It takes special people with a broad array of talents and a deep understanding of ministry. When we present compelling ideas, church website inspiration, and useful advice to our readers, we speak from experience -- from building and maintaining church websites ourselves. So we hope this experience gives us perspective into what you need and what your users seek. Favorite recent post: What Makes a Healthy Online Presence for Churches? [INFOGRAPHIC] Don't see your favorite blog? Share it with us in the comments. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=294332http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=294332 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT <p>While I was on vacation in Ireland, I caught a story on Sky News about a pastor in Somerset, England who uses Twitter feeds during services to interact with his audience.</p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a target="_blank" href="http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16195983"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/Twitter%20Vicar.jpg" style="width: 323px; height: 182px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div> <br /> <p><em>[The pastor] said: "I think churches across the nation <strong>struggle to reach particularly young adults</strong> in the 18-30 age range.</em></p> <p><em>"Social media - that's their normal form of communication and so I think to use those forms as a way of targeting our audience."</em><a target="_blank" href="http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16195983"> Watch the full video on the Sky News website &gt;</a></p> <p> This "Twitter Vicar" certainly got the attention of secular news agencies -- what kind of impact do you think this had on <strong>potential church attendees</strong>? </p> <p><strong>Does this inspire you to incorporate social media into your services?</strong></p> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> While I was on vacation in Ireland, I caught a story on Sky News about a pastor in Somerset, England who uses Twitter feeds during services to interact with his audience. [The pastor] said: "I think churches across the nation struggle to reach particularly young adults in the 18-30 age range. "Social media - that's their normal form of communication and so I think to use those forms as a way of targeting our audience." Watch the full video on the Sky News website > This "Twitter Vicar" certainly got the attention of secular news agencies -- what kind of impact do you think this had on potential church attendees ? Does this inspire you to incorporate social media into your services? Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=288019http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=288019 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT <p><em>The folks at <a href="http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com" target="_blank">nonprofitmarketingblog.com</a> often have incredible insights into the minds of the people who support non-profits. Many times, these insights are relatable for people who build websites -- especially church websites. </em></p> <p>All people have common needs and <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?entry_id=281036">patterns of behavior</a>. We can use these needs and behaviors to help gain their support, loyalty, and website visits. Meet these needs, and they will return again and again. Here are four common desires people have and how to satisfy them through your church website.</p> <hr /> <h3>TO BE SEEN AND HEARD</h3> <hr /> <p>People have always desired to stand out from the crowd, and most marketing efforts today pander to the idea that everyone is unique and special. No one wants to be a faceless number, now more than ever. So don't make them feel that way when they're on your website.</p> <p>Make it <strong>easy for people to contact you</strong>. And when they do, contact them back IMMEDIATELY. Listen to their feedback, too. If no one visits or likes something on your website, change it, even if it's your pet project.</p> <p> <em> "Not listening is the root of most problems, personal and professional."</em> <br /> - Nonprofit Marketing Blog </p> <hr /> <h3>TO BE CONNECTED TO SOMEONE/SOMETHING</h3> <hr /> <p>More than just being seen and heard, people want to feel like they are contributing to a cause. Be creative in the way in which you interact with your website visitors. Facebook and blogs are easy ways to create a dialogue with people, but how can you get people to join your movement? Why not <strong>tap your church's talented people</strong> to make videos, graphics, stories, and other inspiring content?</p> <p><em> "Engage by connecting to what your audience (NOT YOU) wants to hear."</em><br /> - Nonprofit Marketing Blog</p> <hr /> <h3>TO BE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER THAN THEMSELVES</h3> <hr /> <p>The most important reason to have a website is to share your mission. Why do you exist? What are your goals? How do you achieve them? <strong>Explaining your vision is key</strong> if you desire others to be inspired into uniting with you.</p> <em></em> <p><em> "We need to lay out the grand vision of our cause ... That means a hopeful, inspiring message."</em><br /> - Nonprofit Marketing Blog</p> <hr /> <h3>TO HAVE THE SECURITY OF TRUST</h3> <hr /> <p>Don't just write out your mission statement. Anyone can say they do something. <strong>Show your ministry at work</strong> through compelling stories, videos, and other content. Make regular updates to display a continuous striving to accomplish your vision. When people see you back up your promises, they will trust and support you.</p> <p><em> "Honor the trust others have put in your organization."</em><br /> - Nonprofit Marketing Blog </p> <hr /> <h3>LEARN MORE</h3> <hr /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=281036">Optimize Your Church Website for How People Think</a> - iMinistries Blog<br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=285616">What Makes a Healthy Online Presence for Churches? [INFOGRAPHIC]</a> - iMinistries Blog<br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=254729">What Do 76% of Visitors Want From Your Church Website?</a> - iMinistries Blog<br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>, today.</p> </div> The folks at nonprofitmarketingblog.com often have incredible insights into the minds of the people who support non-profits. Many times, these insights are relatable for people who build websites -- especially church websites. All people have common needs and patterns of behavior . We can use these needs and behaviors to help gain their support, loyalty, and website visits. Meet these needs, and they will return again and again. Here are four common desires people have and how to satisfy them through your church website. TO BE SEEN AND HEARD People have always desired to stand out from the crowd, and most marketing efforts today pander to the idea that everyone is unique and special. No one wants to be a faceless number, now more than ever. So don't make them feel that way when they're on your website. Make it easy for people to contact you . And when they do, contact them back IMMEDIATELY. Listen to their feedback, too. If no one visits or likes something on your website, change it, even if it's your pet project. "Not listening is the root of most problems, personal and professional." - Nonprofit Marketing Blog TO BE CONNECTED TO SOMEONE/SOMETHING More than just being seen and heard, people want to feel like they are contributing to a cause. Be creative in the way in which you interact with your website visitors. Facebook and blogs are easy ways to create a dialogue with people, but how can you get people to join your movement? Why not tap your church's talented people to make videos, graphics, stories, and other inspiring content? "Engage by connecting to what your audience (NOT YOU) wants to hear." - Nonprofit Marketing Blog TO BE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER THAN THEMSELVES The most important reason to have a website is to share your mission. Why do you exist? What are your goals? How do you achieve them? Explaining your vision is key if you desire others to be inspired into uniting with you. "We need to lay out the grand vision of our cause ... That means a hopeful, inspiring message." - Nonprofit Marketing Blog TO HAVE THE SECURITY OF TRUST Don't just write out your mission statement. Anyone can say they do something. Show your ministry at work through compelling stories, videos, and other content. Make regular updates to display a continuous striving to accomplish your vision. When people see you back up your promises, they will trust and support you. "Honor the trust others have put in your organization." - Nonprofit Marketing Blog LEARN MORE Optimize Your Church Website for How People Think - iMinistries Blog What Makes a Healthy Online Presence for Churches? [INFOGRAPHIC] - iMinistries Blog What Do 76% of Visitors Want From Your Church Website? - iMinistries Blog Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , today. http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=244195http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=244195 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT <p>Analytics are an important tool to measure the effectiveness of your website. Measuring and evaluating your website visitors--how they behave, who they are, what they look at, and what they don't--allows you to know what your users want and how you can deliver it to them.</p> <p>But after you've signed up for Google Analytics (or another analytics tool), installed the code in your ministry website, and have begun to receive data, what is the next step? How do you sort through all the numbers and percentages and make them work for you? Here are a few steps to get you <strong>from just compiling data to using it to make your website better</strong>.</p> <hr /> <h3>Use distribution, not averages</h3> <hr /> <ul> <li><em> <strong>Recency: do people come again and again?</strong></em></li> <li><strong><em>Depth: time on site and visitor loyalty</em></strong></li> </ul> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/analytics-new-vs-returning.jpg" style="border:1px solid #000000;border-image: initial; float: right;" />If your ratio leans more toward new visitors than returning, it's time to evaluate your content's freshness. Likewise, if your time-on-site numbers are low for key pages, change the content! In order for you to get people to come back again and again, and stay on your site for long periods, make sure your content is both relevant and updated regularly. Ideally, you want to <strong>engage both new and returning visitors</strong>.</p> <hr /> <h3>Context is everything</h3> <hr /> <ul> <li><strong><em>Diversity: Don&rsquo;t look at one metric by itself.</em></strong></li> <li><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/../Content/10267/2012/Blog/analytics-comparing-past.jpg" style="border:1px solid #000000;border-image: initial; float: right;" /><em><strong>Compare: To the past, to the overall, and to industry standards</strong></em></li> </ul> <p>If you don't compare metrics to other metrics, you'll never know what is good or bad. The easiest way to do this is to <strong>compare to the past</strong>. Are you visits up from last month? Keep up what you're doing. Down? Figure out why and make a change.</p> <p>Also, comparing your metrics to the overall is a good way of seeing where content might be falling short. Is your Contact page consist of 1% of overall visits? Maybe you need to drive traffic there with home page ads or call-to-action links on other pages.</p> <hr /> <h3>Segment your data </h3> <hr /> <ul> <li><em><strong>Break it down &hellip; and down &hellip; and down.</strong></em></li> </ul> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/">Avinash Kaushik</a>, Google Analytics Evangelist and analytics guru, says, "<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Never</span> report a&nbsp;metric ... without segmenting it to give deep insights into what that metric is really hiding behind it." Using filters of data helps you find out where your websites strengths and weaknesses lie.</p> <p><strong>Example segment:</strong><br /> <em>Overall visits &gt; Source: Facebook &gt; Day of week &gt; Wednesday</em><br /> If you post on Facebook every Wednesday and this segmentation yields unimpressive numbers, something is wrong. Try posting on a different day of the week or explore more interactive posts </p> <hr /> <h3>Bounce rate: the "sexy metric"</h3> <hr /> <ul> <li><em><strong>Entry/Landing Pages: Are they effective at keeping people on your site?</strong></em></li> </ul> <p>Your most popular landing page is your home page. This is where the majority of people will enter your website. Bounce rate (defined by Kaushik as "I came, I puked, I left") occurs when a user enters your website and <strong>exits before visiting a second web page</strong>. So do they stay or do they go? </p> <p><strong>Example segment:</strong><br /> <em>Content: Page &gt; Home page &gt; Source: Search engine &gt; Bounce Rate &gt; Compare to overall</em><br /> This combination of segmentation and comparison can tell you if your landing pages are up to snuff. If people searched a keyword that lead to your website but exited before going further, this says they didn't see what they liked--either your site didn't match their search keywords, they couldn't find what they wanted, or the design was bad.</p> <hr /> <h3>"Experiment or go home"</h3> <hr /> <ul> <li><em><strong>Reporting is not analysis. Analysis depends on making decisions.</strong></em></li> <li><em><strong>A/B testing: <em><strong>Let your customers/visitors make design decisions.</strong></em></strong></em></li> </ul> <p>Just because you activate analytics, doesn't mean you are analyzing. You must use this valuable data to improve your website. Don't be afraid to try new things. If it doesn't work (which you'll know through analytics), try something else.</p> <p> One way to experiment is through A/B testing, where you set up two or more versions of an element (red button versus blue button) and randomly show these versions to your visitors. The element that gets more clicks or visits is the winner and should be implemented for everyone. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/websiteoptimizer">Google Website Optimizer</a> makes it easy for you to hold your own A/B tests and track it in real time.</p> <hr /> <h3>Learn More About Church Website Analytics</h3> <hr /> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogArchive.aspx?site_id=10267&amp;blog_id=90645&amp;tag=Google+Analytics">Google Analytics Tips for Your Ministry Website</a> - iMinistries Blogs<br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/">Occam's Razor Web Analytics Blog</a> - Avinash Kaushik<br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.uxbooth.com/blog/complete-beginners-guide-to-web-analytics-and-measurement/">Complete Beginner's Guide to Web Analytics and Measurement</a> - UX Booth</p> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Analytics are an important tool to measure the effectiveness of your website. Measuring and evaluating your website visitors--how they behave, who they are, what they look at, and what they don't--allows you to know what your users want and how you can deliver it to them. But after you've signed up for Google Analytics (or another analytics tool), installed the code in your ministry website, and have begun to receive data, what is the next step? How do you sort through all the numbers and percentages and make them work for you? Here are a few steps to get you from just compiling data to using it to make your website better . Use distribution, not averages Recency: do people come again and again? Depth: time on site and visitor loyalty If your ratio leans more toward new visitors than returning, it's time to evaluate your content's freshness. Likewise, if your time-on-site numbers are low for key pages, change the content! In order for you to get people to come back again and again, and stay on your site for long periods, make sure your content is both relevant and updated regularly. Ideally, you want to engage both new and returning visitors . Context is everything Diversity: Don’t look at one metric by itself. Compare: To the past, to the overall, and to industry standards If you don't compare metrics to other metrics, you'll never know what is good or bad. The easiest way to do this is to compare to the past . Are you visits up from last month? Keep up what you're doing. Down? Figure out why and make a change. Also, comparing your metrics to the overall is a good way of seeing where content might be falling short. Is your Contact page consist of 1% of overall visits? Maybe you need to drive traffic there with home page ads or call-to-action links on other pages. Segment your data Break it down … and down … and down. Avinash Kaushik , Google Analytics Evangelist and analytics guru, says, " Never report a metric ... without segmenting it to give deep insights into what that metric is really hiding behind it." Using filters of data helps you find out where your websites strengths and weaknesses lie. Example segment: Overall visits > Source: Facebook > Day of week > Wednesday If you post on Facebook every Wednesday and this segmentation yields unimpressive numbers, something is wrong. Try posting on a different day of the week or explore more interactive posts Bounce rate: the "sexy metric" Entry/Landing Pages: Are they effective at keeping people on your site? Your most popular landing page is your home page. This is where the majority of people will enter your website. Bounce rate (defined by Kaushik as "I came, I puked, I left") occurs when a user enters your website and exits before visiting a second web page . So do they stay or do they go? Example segment: Content: Page > Home page > Source: Search engine > Bounce Rate > Compare to overall This combination of segmentation and comparison can tell you if your landing pages are up to snuff. If people searched a keyword that lead to your website but exited before going further, this says they didn't see what they liked--either your site didn't match their search keywords, they couldn't find what they wanted, or the design was bad. "Experiment or go home" Reporting is not analysis. Analysis depends on making decisions. A/B testing: Let your customers/visitors make design decisions. Just because you activate analytics, doesn't mean you are... http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=291410http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=291410 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT <h3>iMinistries is pleased to announce that we are now providing responsive website designs for churches and ministries.</h3> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/header%20graphic2.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 314px;" /><br /> <br /> We are excited to announce that we have implemented our latest free design for all of our customers! The design is called&nbsp;<a href="http://jericho.iministries.org" _cke_saved_href="http://www.iministries.org/portfolio#Jericho" target="_blank">Jericho</a>&nbsp;and we think it's really awesome. Why? Great question! One word...responsive.<br /> <br /> <h4>Definition of a Responsive Website</h4> <div>A web site crafted to use media queries with fluid proportion-based grids, to adapt the layout to the viewing environment. As a result, users across a broad range of devices and browsers will have access to a single source of content, laid out so as to be easy to read and navigate with a minimum of resizing, panning and scrolling.<br /> <br /> </div> <div> <h4>What Does That Mean?</h4> </div> It boils down to this. When you look at the&nbsp;<a href="http://jericho.iministries.org" _cke_saved_href="http://www.harvestmuskoka.ca" target="_blank">Jericho website</a>&nbsp;it will <strong>dynamically change the layout based on the type of device you are using</strong>. Give it a try. Open the website on a tablet or on a mobile phone. It's the same content, just formatted differently to fit that specific screen size. With this method there is no need for a&nbsp;separate&nbsp;mobile version of a website tailored to specific devices. This will display correctly on all devices.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/jericho.iministries.org"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/jericho-site.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 626px;" /></a><br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> iMinistries is pleased to announce that we are now providing responsive website designs for churches and ministries. We are excited to announce that we have implemented our latest free design for all of our customers! The design is called Jericho and we think it's really awesome. Why? Great question! One word...responsive. Definition of a Responsive Website A web site crafted to use media queries with fluid proportion-based grids, to adapt the layout to the viewing environment. As a result, users across a broad range of devices and browsers will have access to a single source of content, laid out so as to be easy to read and navigate with a minimum of resizing, panning and scrolling. What Does That Mean? It boils down to this. When you look at the Jericho website it will dynamically change the layout based on the type of device you are using . Give it a try. Open the website on a tablet or on a mobile phone. It's the same content, just formatted differently to fit that specific screen size. With this method there is no need for a separate mobile version of a website tailored to specific devices. This will display correctly on all devices. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=286076http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=286076 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT Content Management Systems can make website management easy. However, sometimes your website needs extra attention that takes a <strong>deeper knowledge of how websites work</strong>. Below are 5 free tools you can use to take your church website from basic to "ballin'."<br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>1. Udemy</h3> <hr /> <br /> <img alt="" style="float: right;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/udemy.jpg" />The "Academy of You" offers <strong>free online courses</strong> in HTML, CSS, YouTube Marketing, and virtually any other tech topic you can think of. After enrolling in a course, you can watch the series of video lectures at your own pace. You can also ask questions of the instructor, or teach your own course.<br /> <br /> If you don't want to limit your learning to technology, Udemy also has courses in History, Literature, History, and others, offered by professors at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country (Yale, MIT, Stanford). <br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.udemy.com"><br /> Check out Udemy &gt;</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>2. Firebug</h3> <hr /> <img alt="" style="float: right;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/firebug-screenshot.jpg" />If you've ever wanted to <strong>preview a content edit</strong> before you make it in your CMS, Firebug is a must have. This Firefox plugin allows you to view and edit website CSS and HTML, seeing the changes in real time. <br /> <br /> Just open the plugin, examine an element (table, list, background, etc.) and edit the HTML or CSS for a sneak peek at what it would look like. If you don't like the change, simply close Firebug and refresh the page. The changes you made will disappear. If you do like the edit, copy and paste the code into your CMS.<br /> <br /> Firebug is also a great way for beginners to learn HTML and CSS. The tool highlights the corresponding code when you hover over an element. You can then edit to see what happens, without risk of permanent change.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://getfirebug.com/" target="_blank">Download the Firebug plugin &gt;</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>3. Mozilla School of Webcraft</h3> <hr /> A "peer to peer" driven learning experience, this online school is <strong>based around "challenges" </strong>or small, interactive tests that help you learn, step-by-step. You'll join a group of other learners for courses like Webmaking 101, Javascript, and CSS Bliss &amp; Beyond. Mentors are available for one-on-one help, as well as a deep forum for answering questions. <br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://p2pu.org/en/groups/?school=school-of-webcraft"><br /> Check out Mozilla School of Webcraft &gt;</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>4. Google Code University</h3> <hr /> In their slow bid to take over the world, Google launched this website to help <strong>learn basic and advanced code</strong> writing. Mostly consisting of video tutorials and forums, Google's web development school features a vast array of topics on Web Programming, Linux, Programming Languages, and more.<br /> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://code.google.com/edu/courses.html">Check out Google Code University &gt;</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>5. Webinars</h3> <hr /> <img alt="" style="border: 1px solid #bfbfbf; float: right;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2012/Blog/webinar.jpg" />You can find webinars on just about any topic imaginable, from website content (<a target="_blank" href="http://thecontentwrangler.com/?s=webinar">The Content Wrangler</a>), to Internet Marketing (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-webinars/">Hubspot</a>), and SEO (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.seomoz.org/webinars#free">SEO Moz</a>). Webinars, especially free ones, can be hit and miss. But unlike a business meeting, you can leave early if you feel its not helpful. <br /> <br /> Many websites provide <strong>archives of past webinars</strong>, too, so you don't always have to sit in on a live event. <br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>Now you've got the tools! See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Content Management Systems can make website management easy. However, sometimes your website needs extra attention that takes a deeper knowledge of how websites work . Below are 5 free tools you can use to take your church website from basic to "ballin'." 1. Udemy The "Academy of You" offers free online courses in HTML, CSS, YouTube Marketing, and virtually any other tech topic you can think of. After enrolling in a course, you can watch the series of video lectures at your own pace. You can also ask questions of the instructor, or teach your own course. If you don't want to limit your learning to technology, Udemy also has courses in History, Literature, History, and others, offered by professors at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country (Yale, MIT, Stanford). Check out Udemy > 2. Firebug If you've ever wanted to preview a content edit before you make it in your CMS, Firebug is a must have. This Firefox plugin allows you to view and edit website CSS and HTML, seeing the changes in real time. Just open the plugin, examine an element (table, list, background, etc.) and edit the HTML or CSS for a sneak peek at what it would look like. If you don't like the change, simply close Firebug and refresh the page. The changes you made will disappear. If you do like the edit, copy and paste the code into your CMS. Firebug is also a great way for beginners to learn HTML and CSS. The tool highlights the corresponding code when you hover over an element. You can then edit to see what happens, without risk of permanent change. Download the Firebug plugin > 3. Mozilla School of Webcraft A "peer to peer" driven learning experience, this online school is based around "challenges" or small, interactive tests that help you learn, step-by-step. You'll join a group of other learners for courses like Webmaking 101, Javascript, and CSS Bliss & Beyond. Mentors are available for one-on-one help, as well as a deep forum for answering questions. Check out Mozilla School of Webcraft > 4. Google Code University In their slow bid to take over the world, Google launched this website to help learn basic and advanced code writing. Mostly consisting of video tutorials and forums, Google's web development school features a vast array of topics on Web Programming, Linux, Programming Languages, and more. Check out Google Code University > 5. Webinars You can find webinars on just about any topic imaginable, from website content ( The Content Wrangler ), to Internet Marketing ( Hubspot ), and SEO ( SEO Moz ). Webinars, especially free ones, can be hit and miss. But unlike a business meeting, you can leave early if you feel its not helpful. Many websites provide archives of past webinars , too, so you don't always have to sit in on a live event. Free Trial Now you've got the tools! See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=283433http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=283433 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT Church websites are so important for attracting new visitors, the topic made the local news telecast in East Texas. Titled, "Church Websites Important in Digital Age," the story features an interview with a pastor from a nearby church explaining why their church website is so essential to drawing new congregants. <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ketknbc.com/news/church-websites-a-must-experts-say"><img style="width: 359px; height: 266px; vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.iministries.org/../Content/10267/2012/Blog/news-video.jpg" alt="news video" /></a>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> </div> <em>Many churches have websites now-a-days, but the question is do they work and what impact do they have on visitors. We spoke with one East Texas pastor to find out.<br /> <br /> With hundreds of churches in East Texas, it's safe to say the competition for churches to gain new members can be a little stiff. But a new report says there's one thing churches badly need in this day-and-age.<br /> <br /> Don Spradling is the lead pastor at CrossPointe Community Church in Gresham. His church has their own website. With that, Mr. Spradling says, it's one of the best tools they have for reaching people.<br /> <br /> <strong>"About half of the people who visit us, visit us as a result of the website"</strong> [Spradling]</em> ...<br /> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ketknbc.com/news/church-websites-a-must-experts-say">Watch the full story video &gt;&gt;</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Church websites are so important for attracting new visitors, the topic made the local news telecast in East Texas. Titled, "Church Websites Important in Digital Age," the story features an interview with a pastor from a nearby church explaining why their church website is so essential to drawing new congregants. Many churches have websites now-a-days, but the question is do they work and what impact do they have on visitors. We spoke with one East Texas pastor to find out. With hundreds of churches in East Texas, it's safe to say the competition for churches to gain new members can be a little stiff. But a new report says there's one thing churches badly need in this day-and-age. Don Spradling is the lead pastor at CrossPointe Community Church in Gresham. His church has their own website. With that, Mr. Spradling says, it's one of the best tools they have for reaching people. "About half of the people who visit us, visit us as a result of the website" [Spradling] ... Watch the full story video >> Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=289239http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=289239 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:00:00 GMT <h3>iMinistries recently completed the design and development of a custom school website for <a href="http://www.harvestchristianacademy.org/" target="_blank">Harvest Christian Academy</a> in Elgin, IL. The website serves as a tool for both potential students and&nbsp;current&nbsp;students.</h3> The iMinistries CMS has many great features that work well with schools of all sizes.<br /> <ul> <li>News and events organized by grade levels for easy viewing by parents</li> <li>Teacher pages so each educator can have it's own "online classroom"</li> <li>Online&nbsp;registration&nbsp;and custom forms</li> <li>Easy abilities to connect socially</li> <li>Newsletter</li> <li>Simple page updating</li> </ul> <br /> <a href="http://www.harvestchristianacademy.org/" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/hca-full.jpg" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></a><br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build a ministry website that meets your users' needs!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> iMinistries recently completed the design and development of a custom school website for Harvest Christian Academy in Elgin, IL. The website serves as a tool for both potential students and current students. The iMinistries CMS has many great features that work well with schools of all sizes. News and events organized by grade levels for easy viewing by parents Teacher pages so each educator can have it's own "online classroom" Online registration and custom forms Easy abilities to connect socially Newsletter Simple page updating Free Trial See how easy it is to build a ministry website that meets your users' needs! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=284177http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=284177 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT <h3><strong>Religious groups now use church websites, ministry websites, e-mail, and social media where they once depended on long meetings and expensive print materials</strong>.</h3> <p><a href="http://pewinternet.org/default.aspx" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/../Content/10267/2012/Blog/pew_logo_thumb.gif" style="float: right;" /></a></p> <p>A recent <a target="_blank" href="http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Social-side-of-religious/Overview.aspx">study by the Pew Internet &amp; American Life Project</a> shows that American religious groups depend heavily on online interaction to connect with members and other religious groups.</p> <p>Members of religious groups said the Internet has had a major impact on regular group dynamics by helping with decision making, member-to-member and group-to-group interaction, and other everyday group efforts. Understanding what <em>group needs</em> are met by online technology can help your church or ministry website become a source of solutions for these groups. Ultimately, this understanding can translate to you serving the wants of <em>all users</em>.</p> <p>Here are seven key needs religious groups solve through the Internet and some ways to satisfy them:</p> <hr /> <h3>Communication</h3> <blockquote>Religious group members: <ul> <li class="first"><strong>49%</strong> said Internet has major impact on <strong>keeping up with group news and information</strong> </li> <li class="first"><strong>68%</strong> said Internet has major impact on <strong>communicating with members</strong> </li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><strong>Meet the need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Make communication more interactive by using social media outlets, like Facebook, to dialogue with users</li> <li>Post regular news updates on your website and sync them with your social media</li> <li>Send e-newsletters to group members with monthly reminders, upcoming events, and meeting agendas </li> </ul> <hr /> <h3>Organization</h3> <blockquote> Religious group members: <ul> <li><strong>57%</strong> said Internet has major impact on <strong>organizing activities</strong> </li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>Meet the need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Use online event registration to track attendees, manage event announcements, and organize ticketing </li> <li>Promote events using news articles and social media posts or contests </li> </ul> <hr /> <h3>Fundraising</h3> <blockquote> Religious group members: <ul> <li class="last"><strong>20%</strong> said Internet has major impact on <strong>contributing money to groups</strong></li> <li class="last"><strong>46%</strong> said Internet has major impact on <strong>raising money</strong></li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><strong>Meet the need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Incorporate online giving into your ministry website</li> <li>Make the giving process as fast and frictionless as possible</li> <li>Use online giving platforms, like Givio, with your branding or embedded within your website </li> </ul> <hr /> <h3>Promotion</h3> <blockquote> Religious group members: <ul> <li><strong>62%</strong> said Internet has major impact on<strong> drawing attention to an issue</strong> </li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><strong>Meet the need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Use ads and banners on your website home page to boost visibility</li> <li>Spread cause promotion across social media using campaigns and contests </li> </ul> <hr /> <h3>Collaboration</h3> <blockquote> Religious group members: <ul> <li><strong>57%</strong> said Internet has major impact on <strong>connecting with other groups</strong> </li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><strong>Meet the need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Join Google+ and join circles with similar groups</li> <li>Share other groups' posts on your Facebook wall</li> </ul> <hr /> <h3>Recruiting</h3> <blockquote> Religious group members: <ul> <li><strong>44%</strong> said Internet has major impact on<strong> recruiting new members</strong> </li> <li><strong>30%</strong> said Internet has major impact on<strong> finding people to take leadership roles</strong></li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><strong>Meet the need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Optimize your website for search engine findability by utilizing key search terms in your content (Chicago homeless ministry; Dallas widow support group)</li> <li>Use collaboration methods to find like-minded people </li> </ul> <hr /> <h3> Community/Society Impact</h3> <blockquote> Religious group members: <ul> <li><strong>46%</strong> said Internet has major impact on <strong>impacting local communities</strong></li> <li><strong>58%</strong> said Internet has major impact on <strong>impacting society at large</strong> </li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><strong>Meet the need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Utilize social media and your website to draw attention to your mission and demonstrate how people can get involved</li> <li>Share compelling stories of your ministry at work through videos and written articles </li> </ul> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build a ministry website that meets your users' needs!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Religious groups now use church websites, ministry websites, e-mail, and social media where they once depended on long meetings and expensive print materials . A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that American religious groups depend heavily on online interaction to connect with members and other religious groups. Members of religious groups said the Internet has had a major impact on regular group dynamics by helping with decision making, member-to-member and group-to-group interaction, and other everyday group efforts. Understanding what group needs are met by online technology can help your church or ministry website become a source of solutions for these groups. Ultimately, this understanding can translate to you serving the wants of all users . Here are seven key needs religious groups solve through the Internet and some ways to satisfy them: Communication Religious group members: 49% said Internet has major impact on keeping up with group news and information 68% said Internet has major impact on communicating with members Meet the need: Make communication more interactive by using social media outlets, like Facebook, to dialogue with users Post regular news updates on your website and sync them with your social media Send e-newsletters to group members with monthly reminders, upcoming events, and meeting agendas Organization Religious group members: 57% said Internet has major impact on organizing activities Meet the need: Use online event registration to track attendees, manage event announcements, and organize ticketing Promote events using news articles and social media posts or contests Fundraising Religious group members: 20% said Internet has major impact on contributing money to groups 46% said Internet has major impact on raising money Meet the need: Incorporate online giving into your ministry website Make the giving process as fast and frictionless as possible Use online giving platforms, like Givio, with your branding or embedded within your website Promotion Religious group members: 62% said Internet has major impact on drawing attention to an issue Meet the need: Use ads and banners on your website home page to boost visibility Spread cause promotion across social media using campaigns and contests Collaboration Religious group members: 57% said Internet has major impact on connecting with other groups Meet the need: Join Google+ and join circles with similar groups Share other groups' posts on your Facebook wall Recruiting Religious group members: 44% said Internet has major impact on recruiting new members 30% said Internet has major impact on finding people to take leadership roles Meet the need: Optimize your website for search engine findability by utilizing key search terms in your content (Chicago homeless ministry; Dallas widow support group) Use collaboration methods to find like-minded people Community/Society Impact Religious group members: 46% said Internet has major impact on impacting local communities 58% said Internet has major impact on impacting society at large Meet the need: Utilize social media and your website to draw attention to your mission and demonstrate how people can get involved Share compelling stories of your ministry at work through videos and written articles Free Trial See how easy it is to build a ministry website that meets your users' needs! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=284178http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=284178 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT <h3><strong>Research continues to show the importance church websites and an active online presence.</strong></h3> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://pewinternet.org/default.aspx"><img alt="" style="float: right;" src="http://www.iministries.org/../Content/10267/2012/Blog/pew_logo_thumb.gif" /></a>A recent <a href="http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Social-side-of-religious/Overview.aspx" target="_blank">study by the Pew Internet &amp; American Life Project</a> shows that religiously active Americans use online technology as much (if not more) than other Americans. <br /> <br /> A <a href="http://www.iministries.org/10267/blogentry/entry_id/285616/What-Makes-a-Healthy-Online-Presence-for-Churches-INFOGRAPHIC"><strong>church's online presence</strong></a> is key to every ministry wishing to remain relevant in today's tech-driven age. A church website&mdash;one that actively engages its users, is findable on search engines, and attracts visitors to its real world counterpart&mdash;is pivotal.<br /> <br /> Here are four important findings from the study and how you should react:</p> <hr /> <h3>Religious Americans are Online</h3> <blockquote>79% of Americans who are active in religious groups are <strong>internet users</strong>, compared with 75% of those not involved with religious groups</blockquote> <p><strong>So you should ...</strong></p> <ul> <li>Have a <strong>church website that engages</strong> your visitors </li> <li>Update your site with fresh, interesting <strong>news articles, event pages, blog entries, podcasts, and videos</strong> </li> <li>Drive your congregation from your bulletin to your website with easy-to-remember <strong>URL shortcuts</strong> </li> <li>Advertise <strong>"exclusive extras"</strong> from the pulpit</li> </ul> <hr /> <h3>Religious Americans are Mobile</h3> <blockquote>86% of Americans who are active in religious groups are <strong>cell phone users</strong>, compared with 80% of those not involved with religious groups</blockquote> <p><strong>So you should ...</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Upload your podcast to iTunes</strong> so listeners can easily upload to smart phones</li> <li><strong>Limit the use of Flash</strong> on your website, so mobile visitors don't miss anything</li> <li>Best-case-scenario: have a <strong>mobile version of your website</strong></li> <li>Research <strong>creating an app</strong> for your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/content.aspx?site_id=10267&amp;content_id=209857">church</a> or <a href="http://www.iministries.org/content.aspx?site_id=10267&amp;content_id=209873">ministry</a></li> </ul> <hr /> <h3>Religious Americans are Active E-mailers</h3> <blockquote>75% of religiously active Americans are <strong>email users</strong>, compared with 68% of those who are not involved with religious groups. </blockquote> <p><strong>So you should ...</strong></p> <ul> <li>Send out <strong>regular e-newsletters</strong> with links back to your website</li> <li><strong>Segment e-newsletter recipients</strong> based on the audience (by ministry, age group, gender, marital status, etc.)</li> </ul> <hr /> <h3>Religious Americans are Social</h3> <blockquote>46% of these religiously active Americans <strong>use social networking sites</strong> such as Facebook, compared with 49% of those who are not involved with religious groups.</blockquote> <p><strong>So you should ...</strong></p> <ul> <li>Create a <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?entry_id=210641">Facebook page</a>, which regularly interacts with users</li> <li>Update social media outlets with links back to website content</li> <li>Use a content calendar and <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?entry_id=210643">social media management tools</a> to help organize updates</li> </ul> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Research continues to show the importance church websites and an active online presence. A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that religiously active Americans use online technology as much (if not more) than other Americans. A church's online presence is key to every ministry wishing to remain relevant in today's tech-driven age. A church website—one that actively engages its users, is findable on search engines, and attracts visitors to its real world counterpart—is pivotal. Here are four important findings from the study and how you should react: Religious Americans are Online 79% of Americans who are active in religious groups are internet users , compared with 75% of those not involved with religious groups So you should ... Have a church website that engages your visitors Update your site with fresh, interesting news articles, event pages, blog entries, podcasts, and videos Drive your congregation from your bulletin to your website with easy-to-remember URL shortcuts Advertise "exclusive extras" from the pulpit Religious Americans are Mobile 86% of Americans who are active in religious groups are cell phone users , compared with 80% of those not involved with religious groups So you should ... Upload your podcast to iTunes so listeners can easily upload to smart phones Limit the use of Flash on your website, so mobile visitors don't miss anything Best-case-scenario: have a mobile version of your website Research creating an app for your church or ministry Religious Americans are Active E-mailers 75% of religiously active Americans are email users , compared with 68% of those who are not involved with religious groups. So you should ... Send out regular e-newsletters with links back to your website Segment e-newsletter recipients based on the audience (by ministry, age group, gender, marital status, etc.) Religious Americans are Social 46% of these religiously active Americans use social networking sites such as Facebook, compared with 49% of those who are not involved with religious groups. So you should ... Create a Facebook page , which regularly interacts with users Update social media outlets with links back to website content Use a content calendar and social media management tools to help organize updates Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=286795http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=286795 Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/dribbbleheader.jpg" style="width: 645px; height: 258px;" /><br /> <br /> Thanks to Jesse Orndorff over at <a href="http://churchwebsiteideas.com" target="_blank">churchwebsiteideas.com</a> I was drafted on Dribbble. In the same fashion, we are having a Dribbble invite contest here on our website. I have one invitation to give away. Here are the rules of the contest.<br /> <ul> <li><strong>Follow</strong> iMinistries on <a href="http://twitter.com/iministries" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li> <li><strong>Like</strong> iMinistries on <a href="http://facebook.com/churchcms" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li> <li><strong>Follow me</strong> on <a href="http://dribbble.com/DavidPohlmeier" target="_blank">Dribbble</a> so I can invite you if you win</li> <li>If you want to get crazy, give us a <strong>+1</strong> on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/104258697334768659424/posts" target="_blank">Google+</a></li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/iministries" target="_blank">Tweet us</a> with a <strong>sample 400x300 shot</strong> and a <strong>link to your portfolio</strong></li> </ul> <div>We'll announce the winner here on <strong>March 5th</strong> and we'll send you a DM via Twitter.<br /> <br /> </div> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Thanks to Jesse Orndorff over at churchwebsiteideas.com I was drafted on Dribbble. In the same fashion, we are having a Dribbble invite contest here on our website. I have one invitation to give away. Here are the rules of the contest. Follow iMinistries on Twitter Like iMinistries on Facebook Follow me on Dribbble so I can invite you if you win If you want to get crazy, give us a +1 on Google+ Tweet us with a sample 400x300 shot and a link to your portfolio We'll announce the winner here on March 5th and we'll send you a DM via Twitter. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=285616http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=285616 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT <p>Over a period of six months we monitored the usage of all of iMinistries websites using Google Analytics. Some results were to be expected. Others surprised us. From these statistics we've come to the conclusion that <strong>the convergence of technology, social media, and design/UX create a healthy church web presence.</strong></p> <hr /> <h3>Technology</h3> <hr /> <p><strong>Definition:</strong> <em>The platform your website is built upon, and how you manage website content.</em> </p> <p>A church should be using some sort of content management system (CMS). Website content includes, pages, blog entries, sermons, news, and events. This technology should be SEO friendly and easy to update.</p> <p><strong>Why?:</strong> People come to your website for content (see the astounding numbers below). It is important to present that content in a way that is easy to find and interesting. A CMS is the best tool for completing those tasks because:</p> <ol> <li>A CMS helps you<strong> organize</strong> your content.</li> <li>A CMS lets you <strong>concentrate on the content</strong>, instead of the back-end technology.</li> <li>A CMS makes your website <strong>findable</strong> on search engines.</li> </ol> <hr /> <h3>Social Media</h3> <hr /> <p><strong>Definition: </strong><em>Outlets used to engage and connect with users and draw traffic to your website.</em></p> <p>Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, and LinkedIn are a few examples. Newcomers are Google+ and Pinterest--both showed good results in the first six months, but not enough to give much thought to them yet. We plan on revisiting this in another six months and are curious to see if that changes.</p> <p><strong>Why?: </strong>Social media hubs like Facebook give you a level of personal interaction that is usually lacking on your main website. Twitter and video sites can also help your content be shared to audiences who wouldn't normally come into contact with you.</p> <hr /> <h3>Design/UX</h3> <hr /> <p><strong>Definition:</strong> <em>How your website looks and functions. </em></p> <p>Is it easy to navigate and find content. Is your website visually appealing? Is it simple? Your website should look professional. This design should be carried over into the social media outlets to create a uniform online presence.</p> <p><strong>Why?:</strong> What good is content if your visitors can't find it? Or if interacting with your website is not a positive experience? Your UX leaves a lasting impression to users, most of the time within seconds of their arrival. </p> <hr /> <h3>The Infographic</h3> <hr /> <p>Put all these things together, and you have a healthy web presence. Here is a visual representation of our data:</p> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/church-infographic.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 2583px;" /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Over a period of six months we monitored the usage of all of iMinistries websites using Google Analytics. Some results were to be expected. Others surprised us. From these statistics we've come to the conclusion that the convergence of technology, social media, and design/UX create a healthy church web presence. Technology Definition: The platform your website is built upon, and how you manage website content. A church should be using some sort of content management system (CMS). Website content includes, pages, blog entries, sermons, news, and events. This technology should be SEO friendly and easy to update. Why?: People come to your website for content (see the astounding numbers below). It is important to present that content in a way that is easy to find and interesting. A CMS is the best tool for completing those tasks because: A CMS helps you organize your content. A CMS lets you concentrate on the content , instead of the back-end technology. A CMS makes your website findable on search engines. Social Media Definition: Outlets used to engage and connect with users and draw traffic to your website. Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, and LinkedIn are a few examples. Newcomers are Google+ and Pinterest--both showed good results in the first six months, but not enough to give much thought to them yet. We plan on revisiting this in another six months and are curious to see if that changes. Why?: Social media hubs like Facebook give you a level of personal interaction that is usually lacking on your main website. Twitter and video sites can also help your content be shared to audiences who wouldn't normally come into contact with you. Design/UX Definition: How your website looks and functions. Is it easy to navigate and find content. Is your website visually appealing? Is it simple? Your website should look professional. This design should be carried over into the social media outlets to create a uniform online presence. Why?: What good is content if your visitors can't find it? Or if interacting with your website is not a positive experience? Your UX leaves a lasting impression to users, most of the time within seconds of their arrival. The Infographic Put all these things together, and you have a healthy web presence. Here is a visual representation of our data: Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=278247http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=278247 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT <h3>Among many of the <a href="http://www.iministries.org/10267/content/content_id/154820/Features">great features</a> that the iMinistries church CMS has to offer, a few of them really stand out as powerful tools for a church or ministry to use. One of them is the <a href="http://www.iministries.org/Content.aspx?site_id=10267&amp;content_id=193798">location feature</a>--a dynamic Google map that marks your locations. </h3> <br /> Three of our clients use locations especially well. Check out their websites below, and you might be inspired to use this feature for your church or ministry.<br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>Iowa Association of Regular Baptist Churches</h3> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/iarbc.jpg" style="width: 341px; height: 190px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;" />First on our list is a Baptist organization in Iowa called the <a href="http://iarbc.org/" target="_blank">Iowa Association of Regular Baptist Churches</a> (IARBC). According to the IARBC website, their mission is:<br /> <br /> <em>"The purposes of this Corporation shall be to maintain an association of sovereign, Bible-believing, Christ-honoring Baptist Churches; to promote the spirit of evangelism; to spread the Gospel; to advance the Regular Baptist educational and missionary enterprises at home and abroad; to raise and maintain a testimony to the truth of the Gospel and to the purity of the church, and to raise a standard of Biblical separation from worldliness, modernism and apostasy."&nbsp;<br /> </em><br /> The IARBC chose to use our location feature to give it's website users a clear and easy to use method of finding churches. In addition to that, they were seeking a simple way to update this list. Because the page is database-driven, there is <strong>no special coding</strong> or HTML knowledge involved with&nbsp;creating&nbsp;the web page. Updating the location is as simple as updating a few form fields, saving, and letting the CMS do the rest. It's that simple.<br /> <br /> <hr /> <h3>Harvest Bible Fellowship</h3> <img alt="" style="float: right;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/hbf-locations.png" />Let's now take a look at <a href="http://www.harvestbiblefellowship.org/" target="_blank">Harvest Bible Fellowship</a> (HBF). Here's a description of HBF from their website.<br /> <em><br /> "Harvest Bible Fellowship is the <strong>church planting arm of Harvest Bible Chapel</strong>.&nbsp;Passionately pursuing the fulfillment of Jesus Christ's promise to build His church is what we're all about.&nbsp;Founded by Pastor James MacDonald, the Fellowship trains, equips and coaches men to serve as Harvest Bible Chapel Senior Pastors.&nbsp;We oversee the development and launch of new Harvest Bible Chapels and the replant of existing churches into Harvests. We support every Harvest Senior Pastor through ongoing equipping and training throughout the life of their church."</em><br /> <br /> Harvest attendees traveling on vacations or moving to new areas have used this feature to find a church wherever they are. Harvest Bible Fellowship plants churches all of the world. The location map they've created displays that nicely, and allows for visitors to <strong>easily visualize the depth and breadth of their global ministry</strong>. <br /> <br /> <hr /> <br /> <h3>Entrusted Ministries&nbsp;</h3> <img alt="" style="float: right;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/entrusted-locations.png" />Another creative&nbsp;implementation&nbsp;of the location feature can be found on the website for <a href="http://www.entrustedministries.com/">Entrusted Ministries</a>. From the Entrusted website: <br /> <br /> <em> To impart to parents a personal, God-honoring vision and biblical plan for family life which acknowledges that they have been entrusted with the nurturing, training, care, protection, discipline and discipleship of their children for the glory of God, while stressing the need for a precious connection and understanding of their child's heart.<br /> </em><br /> The <a href="http://www.entrustedministries.com/10186/content/content_id/26645/Mission_and_Vision" target="_blank">location map</a> for Entrusted <strong>shows locations of local churches where studies are held</strong>. Displaying a dynamic Google map is more useful to users than making them sift through location lists.<br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Among many of the great features that the iMinistries church CMS has to offer, a few of them really stand out as powerful tools for a church or ministry to use. One of them is the location feature --a dynamic Google map that marks your locations. Three of our clients use locations especially well. Check out their websites below, and you might be inspired to use this feature for your church or ministry. Iowa Association of Regular Baptist Churches First on our list is a Baptist organization in Iowa called the Iowa Association of Regular Baptist Churches (IARBC). According to the IARBC website, their mission is: "The purposes of this Corporation shall be to maintain an association of sovereign, Bible-believing, Christ-honoring Baptist Churches; to promote the spirit of evangelism; to spread the Gospel; to advance the Regular Baptist educational and missionary enterprises at home and abroad; to raise and maintain a testimony to the truth of the Gospel and to the purity of the church, and to raise a standard of Biblical separation from worldliness, modernism and apostasy." The IARBC chose to use our location feature to give it's website users a clear and easy to use method of finding churches. In addition to that, they were seeking a simple way to update this list. Because the page is database-driven, there is no special coding or HTML knowledge involved with creating the web page. Updating the location is as simple as updating a few form fields, saving, and letting the CMS do the rest. It's that simple. Harvest Bible Fellowship Let's now take a look at Harvest Bible Fellowship (HBF). Here's a description of HBF from their website. "Harvest Bible Fellowship is the church planting arm of Harvest Bible Chapel . Passionately pursuing the fulfillment of Jesus Christ's promise to build His church is what we're all about. Founded by Pastor James MacDonald, the Fellowship trains, equips and coaches men to serve as Harvest Bible Chapel Senior Pastors. We oversee the development and launch of new Harvest Bible Chapels and the replant of existing churches into Harvests. We support every Harvest Senior Pastor through ongoing equipping and training throughout the life of their church." Harvest attendees traveling on vacations or moving to new areas have used this feature to find a church wherever they are. Harvest Bible Fellowship plants churches all of the world. The location map they've created displays that nicely, and allows for visitors to easily visualize the depth and breadth of their global ministry . Entrusted Ministries Another creative implementation of the location feature can be found on the website for Entrusted Ministries . From the Entrusted website: To impart to parents a personal, God-honoring vision and biblical plan for family life which acknowledges that they have been entrusted with the nurturing, training, care, protection, discipline and discipleship of their children for the glory of God, while stressing the need for a precious connection and understanding of their child's heart. The location map for Entrusted shows locations of local churches where studies are held . Displaying a dynamic Google map is more useful to users than making them sift through location lists. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=284908http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=284908 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT <h2>Another free skin is available for all of our church website customers.</h2> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://gibeon.iministries.org/">Gibeon</a> is now available to be selected! Just like all of the new free designed church website skins that we introduced last year, (<a title="Free Church Website Skin" target="_blank" href="http://olivet.iministries.org">Olivet,</a> <a title="Free Church Website Skin" target="_blank" href="http://ephesus.iministries.org">Ephesus,</a> <a title="Free Church Website Skin" target="_blank" href="http://capernaum.iministries.org/">Capernaum</a>, and <a title="Free Church Website Skin" target="_blank" href="http://bethsaida.iministries.org">Bethsaida</a>) the introduction of this skin also introduces some of our newer editable features like:</p> <ul> <li>Adding your own logo.</li> <li>Adding your fav icon.</li> <li>Adding your Social properties like Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube and more.</li> <li>Adding different editable text fields. You can use these to add your service times, location and more.</li> </ul> <div><a target="_blank" href="http://gibeon.iministries.org/"><img alt="" style="width: 600px; height: 451px;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Portfolio/Gibeon1.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://gibeon.iministries.org/"></a> </div> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Another free skin is available for all of our church website customers. Gibeon is now available to be selected! Just like all of the new free designed church website skins that we introduced last year, ( Olivet, Ephesus, Capernaum , and Bethsaida ) the introduction of this skin also introduces some of our newer editable features like: Adding your own logo. Adding your fav icon. Adding your Social properties like Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube and more. Adding different editable text fields. You can use these to add your service times, location and more. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=283953http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=283953 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT <h2>We here at iMinistries recently created our own editable social media icons to add to our church websites. And we want to give our work away ... </h2> <p>This set of icons are <strong>scalable and completely customizable</strong>. Scroll down to download our zip file which contains a PSD and PNGs. Who doesn't love free stuff?</p> <br /> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/Social%20Graphic.jpg" /><br /> <br /> <a onclick="[$SCRIPT CODE='" href="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/291993.zip" class="first button2 green">Download</a> <br /> <br /> <br /> Zip file includes 20 PNG files and 1 PSD.<br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> We here at iMinistries recently created our own editable social media icons to add to our church websites. And we want to give our work away ... This set of icons are scalable and completely customizable . Scroll down to download our zip file which contains a PSD and PNGs. Who doesn't love free stuff? Download Zip file includes 20 PNG files and 1 PSD. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=281036http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=281036 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT <table> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;">In their article, <a href="http://uxmag.com/articles/the-psychologists-view-of-ux-design" target="_blank">"The Psychologist's View of UX,"</a> <em>UX Magazine </em>explains the how the working of the human brain effects how we should create websites. <br /> <br /> Below are five facts about how people behave and how we we should take these behaviors in account when creating church websites.&nbsp;</td> <td style="text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="http://uxmag.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/../Content/10267/2012/Blog/uxmag_logo.png" style="width: 185px; height: 32px; float: right;" /></a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br /> <hr /> <h3>1. People Crave Information</h3> <hr /> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/../Content/10267/2012/Blog/brain.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 205px; float: right;" />People will always desire more and new knowledge that comes from consuming information. Your <strong>church website</strong> exists mainly to help quench that thirst, so make sure you <strong>provide the information visitors seek</strong>. Check which words and phrases people are searching on your website--maybe they can't find this information easily enough.<br /> <br /> More wisdom from <em>UX Magazine</em>...<br /> <ul> <li>"People will often <strong>want more information than they can actually process</strong>. Having more information makes people feel that they have more choices. Having more choices makes people feel in control. Feeling in control makes people feel they will survive better."</li> <li>"People need feedback. The computer doesn't need to tell the human that it is loading the file. <strong>The human needs to know what is going on</strong>."</li> </ul> <p><strong>Read it:</strong> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=255408">4 Questions You Should Answer on Your Church Website's Home Page</a></p> <hr /> <h3>2. People Don't Want to Work or Think More Than They Have To</h3> <hr /> <em> UX Magazine</em> explains, "People will do the <strong>least amount of work possible</strong> to get a task done." This means not overwhelming users with more "stuff"--links, banners, graphics, text--than necessary. Find out, through analytics and user testing, what the most important information is to users and make it easier to find. Through the same means, find out what is not important and get rid of it.<br /> <br /> More wisdom from <em>UX Magazine</em>...<br /> <ul> <li>"It is better to show people a little bit of information and let them choose if they want more details."</li> <li>"Instead of just describing things, show people an <strong>example</strong>."</li> <li>"Only provide the <strong>features that people really need</strong>. Don't rely on your opinion of what you think they need; do <span class="topics-tag">user research</span> to actually find out. Giving people more than they need just clutters up the experience."</li> <li>"Provide defaults. <strong>Defaults let people do less work</strong> to get the job done."</li> </ul> <p><strong>Read it:</strong> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=261803">Your Church Website's Reservoir of Goodwill (and 3 Ways to Keep it Full)</a></p> <hr /> <h3>3. People Have Limitations</h3> <hr /> Even though people often crave more information than they can process (see #1), their brains do have limits. <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?entry_id=247063">Making your content readable</a> and <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?entry_id=263723">eliminating unnecessary content</a> will <strong>fill visitors with the right information instead of the useless</strong>.<br /> <br /> More wisdom from <em>UX Magazine</em>...<br /> <ul> <li>"People can only look at so much information or read so much text on a screen without <strong>losing interest</strong>. Only provide the information that's needed at the moment."</li> <li>"Make the information <strong>easy to scan</strong>."</li> <li>"People <strong>can't multi-task</strong>. <a target="_blank" href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/only-a-few-can-multi-task/">The research</a> is very clear on this, so don't expect them to."</li> <li>"People prefer <strong>short line lengths</strong>, but they <strong>read better with longer ones</strong>! It's a conundrum, so decide whether preference or performance is more important in your case, but know that <strong>people are going to ask for things that actually aren't best for them</strong>."</li> </ul> <p><strong>Read it:</strong> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=261042">3 Things to Remove to Improve Church Website User Experience </a></p> <hr /> <h3>4. People Make Mistakes</h3> <hr /> None of us are perfect. This is what makes the good news of the gospel so good! Translate that to your church website's usability by knowing that your visitors will ultimately get lost, click on a link that goes a different place then they thought, or find something hard to understand. <br /> <br /> Try to anticipate these future errors by making a list of all the tasks a visitor might try to complete on your website--are they easy to complete? If not, try to <strong>find a way to prevent these mistakes</strong>.<br /> <br /> More wisdom from <em>UX Magazine</em>...<br /> <ul> <li>Preventing errors from occurring is always better than helping people correct them once they occur. <strong>The best error message is no message at all</strong>.</li> <li>If a task is error-prone, <strong>break it up into smaller chunks</strong>.</li> <li>If the user makes and error and you can <strong>correct it</strong>, then do so and show what you did.</li> <li>Whoever is designing the UX makes errors too, so make sure that there is time and energy for iteration, <strong><span class="topics-tag">user feedback</span></strong>, and testing.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Read it:</strong> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=243202">10 Mistakes Not to Make on Your Church Website</a></p> <hr /> <h3>5. People are Social</h3> <hr /> <p>UX Magazine explains that, "People will always try to <strong>use technology to be social</strong>. This has been true for thousands of years." You can cater to this desire by creating content that is sharable between groups of people. Videos, blogs, interesting stories, and podcasts are all ways to spark the social fire in your website visitors.<br /> <br /> More wisdom from <em>UX Magazine</em>:</p> <ul> <li>If you do a favor for me then I will feel indebted to give you a favor back (reciprocity). Research shows that if you want people to fill out a form, <strong>give them something they want and then ask for them to fill out the form</strong>, not vice versa.</li> <li>When you watch someone do something, the same parts in your brain light up as though you were doing it yourself (called <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neuron">mirror neurons</a>). We are programmed with our biology to imitate. If you want people to do something then show someone else doing it.</li> <li>You can only have strong ties to 150 people. Strong ties are defined as ties that with people you are in close physical proximity to. But <strong>weak ties can be in the thousands</strong> and are very influential (&agrave; la Facebook).</li> </ul> <p><strong>Read it: </strong><a href="http://www.iministries.org/10267/blogentry/entry_id/244230/4-Reasons-Your-Church-Website-Should-Tell-Your-Story">4 Reasons Your Church Website Should Tell Your Story</a><br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=258549"></a><a href="http://www.iministries.org/blogentryedit.aspx?entry_id=258549">5 Reasons Why Your Church Website Should Have a Blog</a></p> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>, today.</p> </div> In their article, "The Psychologist's View of UX," UX Magazine explains the how the working of the human brain effects how we should create websites. Below are five facts about how people behave and how we we should take these behaviors in account when creating church websites. 1. People Crave Information People will always desire more and new knowledge that comes from consuming information. Your church website exists mainly to help quench that thirst, so make sure you provide the information visitors seek . Check which words and phrases people are searching on your website--maybe they can't find this information easily enough. More wisdom from UX Magazine ... "People will often want more information than they can actually process . Having more information makes people feel that they have more choices. Having more choices makes people feel in control. Feeling in control makes people feel they will survive better." "People need feedback. The computer doesn't need to tell the human that it is loading the file. The human needs to know what is going on ." Read it: 4 Questions You Should Answer on Your Church Website's Home Page 2. People Don't Want to Work or Think More Than They Have To UX Magazine explains, "People will do the least amount of work possible to get a task done." This means not overwhelming users with more "stuff"--links, banners, graphics, text--than necessary. Find out, through analytics and user testing, what the most important information is to users and make it easier to find. Through the same means, find out what is not important and get rid of it. More wisdom from UX Magazine ... "It is better to show people a little bit of information and let them choose if they want more details." "Instead of just describing things, show people an example ." "Only provide the features that people really need . Don't rely on your opinion of what you think they need; do user research to actually find out. Giving people more than they need just clutters up the experience." "Provide defaults. Defaults let people do less work to get the job done." Read it: Your Church Website's Reservoir of Goodwill (and 3 Ways to Keep it Full) 3. People Have Limitations Even though people often crave more information than they can process (see #1), their brains do have limits. Making your content readable and eliminating unnecessary content will fill visitors with the right information instead of the useless . More wisdom from UX Magazine ... "People can only look at so much information or read so much text on a screen without losing interest . Only provide the information that's needed at the moment." "Make the information easy to scan ." "People can't multi-task . The research is very clear on this, so don't expect them to." "People prefer short line lengths , but they read better with longer ones ! It's a conundrum, so decide whether preference or performance is more important in your case, but know that people are going to ask for things that actually aren't best for them ." Read it: 3 Things to Remove to Improve Church Website User Experience 4. People Make Mistakes None of us are perfect. This is what makes the good news of the gospel so good! Translate that to your church website's usability by knowing that your visitors will ultimately get lost, click on a link that goes a different place then they thought, or find something hard to understand. Try to anticipate these future errors by making a list of all the tasks a visitor might try to... http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=279270http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=279270 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT <h3>I am a former Hootsuite user and social consumer. Now I've become a social sharer. All because of my switch to Buffer.</h3> <p > When I began to use Buffer a few weeks ago, I made the shift <strong>from being someone who only reads tweets</strong> to someone who wants to <strong>provide useful content</strong> and <strong>interact with people</strong> through tweets.</p> <h3>How It Works</h3> <p>I don't know if this happens to you, but when I find one item online that I want to share, I often find five. We all know that it isn't a good idea to blast out everything that you find all at once because it is a sure way to lose followers. That's why using something like Hootsuite is a great tool because it gives you the ability to space out your tweets. However, due to my workload, I don't really have time to log into Hootsuite and schedule a tweet. <br /> <br /> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/bufferapp.jpg" style="width: 235px; height: 235px; float: left;" />Buffer, on the other hand, gives me the ability to click a button and add a tweet in a second. <strong>I don't have to log in to anything</strong>, I just hit a button and "bam" ... it's done. I also <strong>don't have to configure a date or time</strong> for my tweet to go out. That piece is already configured in my account settings inside of Buffer.<br /> <br /> I have gone from finding items online and wanting to share, but not sharing due to fear of becoming annoying, to being able to load up tweets, knowing that only four are going to go out in a given day. I like having the opportunity to point out new things, promote our growing company, and promote others.</p> <h3>Must Have Plugins</h3> <p> After I <a href="http://bufferapp.com/r/6e3f4" target="_blank" title="Gain an additional post using this referral link">signed up to use Buffer</a>, I immediately installed their <a href="http://bufferapp.com/goodies/" target="_blank">plugins for Chrome, Firefox, and Twitter</a>. Doing this made my experience that much better. If you are interested in trying their service out, I highly recommend doing this too.</p> <h3>Signing Up</h3> <p> If you are interested in trying Buffer, do us both a favor and sign up using this <a href="http://bufferapp.com/r/6e3f4" target="_blank" title="Gain an additional post using this referral link">Buffer referral link</a>. By doing so, we both gain the ability to add an extra post to our Buffer.<br /> <br /> Does Buffer interest you? If so, let us know in the comments below.</p> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> I am a former Hootsuite user and social consumer. Now I've become a social sharer. All because of my switch to Buffer. When I began to use Buffer a few weeks ago, I made the shift from being someone who only reads tweets to someone who wants to provide useful content and interact with people through tweets. How It Works I don't know if this happens to you, but when I find one item online that I want to share, I often find five. We all know that it isn't a good idea to blast out everything that you find all at once because it is a sure way to lose followers. That's why using something like Hootsuite is a great tool because it gives you the ability to space out your tweets. However, due to my workload, I don't really have time to log into Hootsuite and schedule a tweet. Buffer, on the other hand, gives me the ability to click a button and add a tweet in a second. I don't have to log in to anything , I just hit a button and "bam" ... it's done. I also don't have to configure a date or time for my tweet to go out. That piece is already configured in my account settings inside of Buffer. I have gone from finding items online and wanting to share, but not sharing due to fear of becoming annoying, to being able to load up tweets, knowing that only four are going to go out in a given day. I like having the opportunity to point out new things, promote our growing company, and promote others. Must Have Plugins After I signed up to use Buffer , I immediately installed their plugins for Chrome, Firefox, and Twitter . Doing this made my experience that much better. If you are interested in trying their service out, I highly recommend doing this too. Signing Up If you are interested in trying Buffer, do us both a favor and sign up using this Buffer referral link . By doing so, we both gain the ability to add an extra post to our Buffer. Does Buffer interest you? If so, let us know in the comments below. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account , Buffer, Twitter, Tweet Scheduling http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=277787http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=277787 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:00:00 GMT Everyone loves a good year-end "best of" list. We at iMinistries are no different. Here are our favorite blog entries of 2011, each one packed with great advice, tips, and tricks to improve your church website.<br /> <br /> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=217721">John Maxwell on Websites: Communicating vs. Connecting</a></h3> In his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Communicates-Few-Connect-Differently/dp/0785214259/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1280703406&amp;sr=8-1"><em>Everyone Communicates, Few Connect</em></a>, leadership guru <a href="http://www.johnmaxwell.com/">John Maxwell</a> talks about the difference between communicating with people and actually connecting with them at a deeper level. While reading this book, I found that many of the strategies he uses for connecting with others in social interactions and speaking engagements can be used for ministry and church websites. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=217721">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="width: 108px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2010/Imagery/Blog-Entries/resized_everyone_communicates_few_connect.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 150px; vertical-align: middle;" /><br /> &nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=237319">5 Ways to Improve Your Church Website, <br /> Gordon Ramsay Style</a></h3> Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has a potty mouth. He also has a tested method of saving failed restaurants. See how his process can help make your church website better. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=237319">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/Kitchen_Nightmares.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 100px;" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=234858">5 Types of People You Need To Make a Great Church Website</a></h3> It takes a village to raise a child. But it only takes a few motivated people to make your church website a success. Here are the people you need on your web team. Or you could luck out and meet a person with all these traits. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=234858">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/Imagery/Icons/Blogs.png" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=243202">10 Mistakes Not to Make on Your Church Website</a></h3> Here are the most common mistakes made by church websites. Be sure you don't make them. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=243202">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/Imagery/Icons/No.png" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=244229">4 Calls to Action Your Church Website Should Have</a></h3> Your church website is more than just pretty graphics and flowery text. It should be a catalyst for action. When visitors land on your home page, they should be prompted to do something. We call these prompts "calls to action." <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=244229">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/contact_footer_thumb.jpg" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=244230">4 Reasons Your Church Website Should Tell Your Story</a></h3> One of your church website's primary goals should be to explain <strong>who you are and what you strive to do</strong>. Most websites simply create a few pages in their About Us section to achieve this goal, writing out their mission and beliefs in lists or bullets. This can be an effective way of <em>telling</em> your values, but a better way is to <strong>show your values at work in the lives of people</strong>? <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=244230">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/megafone.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 101px;" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=255408">4 Questions You Should Answer on Your Church Website's Home Page</a></h3> When users come to your home page, they often come wanting four specific questions answered. It's your job as web administrator to <strong>make sure these questions are answered immediately</strong>, and without creating other questions in the user's mind, or risk losing the visitor to frustration. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=255408">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"> <img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/Imagery/Icons/Help.png" /><br /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=261803">Your Church Website's Reservoir of Goodwill <br /> (and 3 Ways to Keep it Full)</a></h3> Your website visitors enter your site wanting something--your service times, your location, to contact you--and <strong>each obstacle they encounter decreases their experience satisfaction level </strong>(a Reservoir of Goodwill, if you will). <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=261803">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"><img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/../Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/Dont%20Make%20Me%20Think_Small.jpg" /> <br /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=268027">4 Free Tools to Test Your Church Website's Usability</a></h3> Here are four <strong>free and easy-to-implement tools</strong> that will give you insights on your website's user experience from real, unbiased sources (actual website visitors). <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=268027">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/SeeVolution%20Heat%20Map_thumb.jpg" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=268835">4 Steps to Treating (Not Tricking) Your Church Website Visitors</a></h3> Your church website visitors are no different than the costumed children who go house to house during Halloween--give them what they came for, or they're moving on. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=268835">Read more &gt;&gt;</a><br /> <br /> </td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/Candybar_Icon.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 100px;" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <h3><a href="http://www.iministries.org/BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=273584">4 Things the First Thanksgiving Can Teach us About Church Websites</a></h3> Since history can be studied to teach us lessons for the future, I thought it would be fun to see what the first Thanksgiving could teach us about church websites. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../BlogEntry.aspx?entry_id=273584">Read more &gt;&gt;</a></td> <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2011/Imagery/Blog%20Entries/The_First_Thanksgiving_thumb.jpg" /><br /> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a class="first button2 grey" href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> Everyone loves a good year-end "best of" list. We at iMinistries are no different. Here are our favorite blog entries of 2011, each one packed with great advice, tips, and tricks to improve your church website. John Maxwell on Websites: Communicating vs. Connecting In his book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect , leadership guru John Maxwell talks about the difference between communicating with people and actually connecting with them at a deeper level. While reading this book, I found that many of the strategies he uses for connecting with others in social interactions and speaking engagements can be used for ministry and church websites. Read more >> 5 Ways to Improve Your Church Website, Gordon Ramsay Style Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has a potty mouth. He also has a tested method of saving failed restaurants. See how his process can help make your church website better. Read more >> 5 Types of People You Need To Make a Great Church Website It takes a village to raise a child. But it only takes a few motivated people to make your church website a success. Here are the people you need on your web team. Or you could luck out and meet a person with all these traits. Read more >> 10 Mistakes Not to Make on Your Church Website Here are the most common mistakes made by church websites. Be sure you don't make them. Read more >> 4 Calls to Action Your Church Website Should Have Your church website is more than just pretty graphics and flowery text. It should be a catalyst for action. When visitors land on your home page, they should be prompted to do something. We call these prompts "calls to action." Read more >> 4 Reasons Your Church Website Should Tell Your Story One of your church website's primary goals should be to explain who you are and what you strive to do . Most websites simply create a few pages in their About Us section to achieve this goal, writing out their mission and beliefs in lists or bullets. This can be an effective way of telling your values, but a better way is to show your values at work in the lives of people ? Read more >> 4 Questions You Should Answer on Your Church Website's Home Page When users come to your home page, they often come wanting four specific questions answered. It's your job as web administrator to make sure these questions are answered immediately , and without creating other questions in the user's mind, or risk losing the visitor to frustration. Read more >> Your Church Website's Reservoir of Goodwill (and 3 Ways to Keep it Full) Your website visitors enter your site wanting something--your service times, your location, to contact you--and each obstacle they encounter decreases their experience satisfaction level (a Reservoir of Goodwill, if you will). Read more >> 4 Free Tools to Test Your Church Website's Usability Here are four free and easy-to-implement tools that will give you insights on your website's user experience from real, unbiased sources (actual website visitors). Read more >> 4 Steps to Treating (Not Tricking) Your Church Website Visitors Your church website visitors are no different than the costumed children who go house to house during Halloween--give them what they came for, or they're moving on. Read more >> 4 Things the First Thanksgiving Can Teach us About Church Websites Since history can be studied to teach us lessons for the future, I thought it would be fun to see what the first Thanksgiving could teach us... http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=277400http://www.iministries.org/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10267&entry_id=277400 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:00:00 GMT <img alt="" style="float: left; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 5px;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/2010/hbc_logo_basecamp.jpg" />iMinistries continues to be blessed by our relationship with <a href="http://www.harvestbiblechapel.org/">Harvest Bible Chapel</a>. Not only do we get to work with the church and its six main campuses, we also have the&nbsp;privilege&nbsp;to work with their church plants all over the world. Each year a new group of pastors partner with us to create their new church websites. This year literally had church plants from the east coast to the west coast. We set up seven websites in just two months!<br /> <br /> <hr /> <br /> <strong>Harvest Greenville South</strong> -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvestgreenvillesouth.org/">www.harvestgreenvillesouth.org</a><br /> <strong>Harvest Los Angeles South</strong> -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvestlosangeles.org/">www.harvestlosangeles.org</a><br /> <strong>Harvest Nashville Central</strong> -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvestnashvillecentral.org/">www.harvestnashvillecentral.org</a><br /> <strong>Harvest Cambridge Ohio</strong> -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvestbiblechapelcambridge.org">www.harvestbiblechapelcambridge.org</a><br /> <strong>Harvest Clear Lake</strong> -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvestclearlake.org/">www.harvestclearlake.org</a><br /> <strong>Harvest Fort Wayne</strong> -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvestfortwayne.org/">www.harvestfortwayne.org</a><br /> <strong>Harvest Traverse City</strong> -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.harvesttraversecity.org/">www.harvesttraversecity.org</a><br /> <br /> <hr /> <br /> Because of our unique and ongoing relationship with Harvest Bible Chapel, we're able to move quickly on each website. We understand the culture of Harvest and are able to work with them efficiently with a great deal of mutual trust and support. If you're a <strong>large church</strong> or <strong>church planting organization</strong> and would like to talk with us about&nbsp;partnering&nbsp;with iMinistries, <a href="http://www.iministries.org/mailto:support@iministries.org">contact us</a>. We'd love to learn about your ministry and see if there is any way that we can further the Gospel by working/partnering with you.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.harvestlasouth.org"><img alt="" style="width: 310px; height: 218px;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/harvestlasouth.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.harvesttraversecity.org"><img alt="" style="width: 310px; height: 218px; margin-left: 20px;" src="http://www.iministries.org/Content/10267/harvesttraversecity.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <div class="FreeTrialBox Wide"> <a href="http://www.iministries.org/newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1" class="first button2 grey">Free Trial</a> <p><strong>See how easy it is to build your church website!</strong><br /> Start your <a href="http://www.iministries.org/../newaccount/createaccount.aspx?platform_id=1">15-day free trial account</a>,</p> </div> iMinistries continues to be blessed by our relationship with Harvest Bible Chapel . Not only do we get to work with the church and its six main campuses, we also have the privilege to work with their church plants all over the world. Each year a new group of pastors partner with us to create their new church websites. This year literally had church plants from the east coast to the west coast. We set up seven websites in just two months! Harvest Greenville South - www.harvestgreenvillesouth.org Harvest Los Angeles South - www.harvestlosangeles.org Harvest Nashville Central - www.harvestnashvillecentral.org Harvest Cambridge Ohio - www.harvestbiblechapelcambridge.org Harvest Clear Lake - www.harvestclearlake.org Harvest Fort Wayne - www.harvestfortwayne.org Harvest Traverse City - www.harvesttraversecity.org Because of our unique and ongoing relationship with Harvest Bible Chapel, we're able to move quickly on each website. We understand the culture of Harvest and are able to work with them efficiently with a great deal of mutual trust and support. If you're a large church or church planting organization and would like to talk with us about partnering with iMinistries, contact us . We'd love to learn about your ministry and see if there is any way that we can further the Gospel by working/partnering with you. Free Trial See how easy it is to build your church website! Start your 15-day free trial account ,