I am still looking for an in-depth scientific study on the matter, but the common wisdom is that between 75% and 90% of potential guests to your church will look at your website before they decide to attend. That’s a really big deal. If that is true, how are you doing? Our next stop in this series is The Journey United Methodist Church in Kyle, Texas.

I suggest you check out the site yourself to get the full experience. Let me point out some things that really work well here. The first impression of this church is great. The first things we see are pictures of the church. When I say the church, in this case, I am not talking about their location, I am talking about the people. I love the rotating banner. You get an immediate glimpse of what their people look like and what they do together.

This entire website appears to be designed for the people who might be making their first visit via the web. The banner gives them a peek at what to expect, the worship time and location is right there on the front page and there is a large button for people who are new. It is worth a moment to click the “New to The Journey” button and see what is inside. If I find myself designing a new church website, I am going to steal this idea and layout.

These are the things people checking out your church want to know and there is no need for them to go searching all over the website to find them. When and where do you worship? What do you believe? What can I expect when I show up? How do I get ahold of you? If people can’t find this information on your website, they may just look at another church’s site.

If you are creating, designing or renovating your church’s website, spend some time at thejourneyumc.org, another Rio Texas website that works.