Top tips for a functional church homepage

Mar 3, 2023 by

Diane Kern

Design a stunning first impression for your church website.

Your church’s website is an extension of the very atmosphere of your faith community … only online. It should be a place that welcomes, engages, and answers questions. It’s about getting people connected to the right resources and helping your frontline staff by alleviating phone calls and emails. It works to empower members and guests to participate in their faith and rediscover what it means to live the Gospel.

Seem like a lot? Not when you break it down into smaller pieces. Here are a few ways your website's homepage can help your church accomplish an amazing first impression…
 

1

Place your name and logo where it can be seen

Don’t leave visitors guessing where they are. Make your church name and logo visible and easy to find so that people are immediately assured they landed in the right place. Bonus points if you can upload a logo too!
 

2

Share your mission clearly

Your homepage is your first impression where people connect to your unique mission and vision. So find a place - whether near the site name, in the footer, or another special spot - to express your organization’s purpose and goal.
 

3

Keep the most essential content front and center

Within the actual homepage, be sure to display content that is most sought after by visitors. This can include your service times, event calendar, latest community news, and custom buttons that link to newsletters, formation programs, youth pages and more!
 

4

Utilize quick links

Website providers often offer easy-to-use quick link options for prominently displaying links separate from your navigation bar (yes, GabrielSoft websites offer this too!). Use links like this to provide visitors with a "quick click" for things like contact info, donations and giving, or details about your worship schedules.
 

5

Create a features section

When it comes to content on your homepage, sometimes, less is more. However, there will be times when certain special occasions need more of a spotlight than a simple slot on your calendar! Using a featured section where you can highlight information can provide a big visual impact that attracts viewers but can also be easily rotated out when time has passed.

GabrielSoft website themes have built-in feature regions specially designed just for this purpose. When you are not highlighting your mission, you can easily populate images and links to things like the Christmas pageant event, service day details, and more.