Now more than ever people are looking for hope, encouragement, fellowship, and support. All things you have to offer as a church. But without the right people in their life, many people don’t know where to find the life-giving hope they are longing for.
So where do they turn? The internet.
Unfortunately, this can often lead people to feel more lost, lonely, and confused. For this reason, it is incredibly important you do whatever you can to make sure your website is easily accessible.
We know this is much easier said than done. The world of internet marketing and even search engine optimization (SEO) can feel overwhelming. Unless you are a marketing specialist it can be hard to know where to start.
Luckily, helping people find your church website, and more importantly, the Hope of Jesus Christ, is easier than you may think.
5 easy things you can do to draw more visitors to your website
1. Build a User-Friendly Website
Your website is the center of your online presence and digital marketing efforts. All other forms of marketing, social media, youtube, yelp, ect… will lead to your website. It is also one of the easiest ways to make an impression on new visitors. Whether that impression is positive or negative can depend on the quality of your website.
If your website doesn’t deliver value to your visitors or represent your church well, it could be time for a new website. Our team of church website developers can get your marketing efforts off on the right foot with a beautifully designed and customized website for your church.
Not sure how effective your website is? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does your site immediately deliver the core message of your church?
- Is it easy to find location and service times?
- Is it clean-looking and aesthetically pleasing?
- Is it responsive? (loads quickly, formats to screen size)
- Does it have everything you need to communicate what your church does and what it offers?
If the answer was no to any of these questions it could be time to upgrade. It’s imperative your website is easy to navigate, gives opportunities for action (give, register, listen, sign up, learn) and represents your church and core message in an accurate way.
2. Create a Blog
What many don’t realize is a blog is more than just a way to give your visitors valuable content. A blog is a powerful tool in search engine optimization (SEO). which is a valuable marketing technique. SEO is all about getting your website to show up in Google results as people search-relevant keywords.
Check out our beginner’s Guide to Church SEO for more.
A blog is also indeed valuable content that you can share with your congregation and visitors. You can link blog posts in emails, share them on social media, and highlight them in other ways.
A blog can be a great opportunity to share other voices in your church with guest writers such as your children’s pastor or a lay leader.
3. Publish Weekly Sermons as a Podcast
A big part of digital marketing is getting your content on as many platforms as possible. We know this may sound overwhelming, but let’s simplify it. You are likely already recording your weekly sermons and maybe even posting them on your website. If not, look into why it may be a good idea to start.
Let’s take that one step further and publish these sermons as a podcast. It is easier than it has ever been to start a podcast and they continue to grow in popularity. Why not take the content you are already capturing and get it in front of a new audience through podcast platforms like Spotify and the Apple store?
4. Utilize Social Media
Social media has gotten a bad reputation. But the reality is that most people are on at least one social media platform. When the church participates in this space, not only can it be a light in a dark world, but they have the opportunity to reach a whole new demographic of people.
When posting on social media, keep these tips in mind:
- Be authentic and friendly- Just as Jesus was.
- Give people a chance to respond- be interactive by linking to your website for the next steps or giving people a chance to register or sign up.
- Create a look and feel for your church- whether we like it or not aesthetics matter on social media.
- Be consistent- This is the most important thing you can do! Show up consistently and stick to a plan.
Finally, make sure all your social media accounts link back to your church website. That way, people who find you on platforms like Instagram or Facebook can learn more about your ministries, messages, and weekend services.
5. Get on Youtube
YouTube is still the most watched video platform in the world, with more than 122 million active users every single day, what an incredible opportunity to reach new people with Biblical teaching and encouragement.
Youtube is another opportunity for you to utilize content you are already creating (Sunday Sermon) and put it in front of a new audience. It is going to be important to capture high-quality video and sound, though. Check out this guide to getting set up to do that.
Your YouTube channel can also show up in Google search results, making it even simpler to find your church online.
Helping People Find Your Church Online
You may be thinking we labeled these as “easy” things you can do to increase your online presence. But to you, it may sound like anything but easy. That’s okay. Know that you don’t have to start all of these at once. Take it one step at a time. Digital marketing is often about long-term efforts, with consistent results will come.
We advise you to start with your website. If you already have one, ask yourself the questions provided to evaluate its effectiveness, and reach out to our team at Torrch if you feel it’s time for an upgrade to your church website. Let’s get your digital marketing process off the ground!