Picture the person. They moved to the area in the spring, or something in their life changed and they want to go back to church. It is Saturday night. They are on their phone, looking at three or four church websites, trying to pick one for tomorrow morning. They will give each site about ten seconds before they move on.
Most church websites fail that test, not because they look bad, but because they are written for people who already attend. Here is what the visitor is actually looking for, in order.
When, and where
Service time and address, on the first screen, without scrolling. Not under “Visit,” not under “About,” not in a PDF bulletin. If there are two services, say which one has children’s classes. If the address is hard to find, say what it is next to. Add a map that opens in their phone’s directions app when tapped.
What it will be like
This is the part churches skip and it is the part that decides whether they come. Answer the questions a nervous person has and will not ask: How long is the service? What do people wear? Where do I park? What happens with my kids, and can I keep them with me? Will I be asked to stand up or say anything? Is there communion, and what if I am not sure about taking it?
A short “what to expect” section, written plainly, does more than any welcome video. Be specific. “Most people wear jeans or khakis. The service runs about seventy five minutes. Kids are welcome in the service, and there is a nursery for under fours if you would rather.”
A real face and a real name
A photo of the pastor, with a name and two honest sentences. Not a professional headshot in front of a bookshelf. A photo that looks like a person you could talk to after the service. If the church has elders or deacons who greet people, a photo of them too.
Real people in the building
One photo of an actual Sunday, taken from the back, with the congregation in it. The visitor is trying to work out if they will fit. A stock photo of a lifted hand against a sunset tells them nothing. A photo of forty people in a plain sanctuary in Belle Vernon tells them everything.
What you believe, briefly
A short statement, one screen long, in plain English, with a link to the full one for people who want it. The visitor is checking whether this is a church that takes the Bible seriously and whether they would be welcome. Answer both.
A sermon they can actually play
A visitor will often listen to ten minutes of last week’s sermon before deciding. The audio has to play on a phone with one tap. Not a link to a third party portal that needs a login. Not a video that takes a minute to load on rural cell service. One recent sermon, one tap, and it plays.
Where it all goes wrong
The most common church website puts a mission statement and a rotating banner of photos on the home page, with the service time somewhere in the footer. It was built by a member who has since moved, nobody has the password, and the Easter service times from three years ago are still on it. If that is yours, the visitor on Saturday night has already moved on to the next tab.
The fix is not complicated. Put the practical things first, write for the person who has never been, and make sure somebody on staff can change the service time without calling anyone. That last part is most of what we do for churches, and it is the part that keeps the site honest a year after it launches.