Menus make it easy for visitors to browse or find specific information. Generally, when an individuals peruses a church website, they’re asking specific questions and looking to menus for answers such as:
- When and where does this church meet?
- Does this church have ministries for my children or teens?
- What are their doctrinal beliefs?
- Who are the pastors at this church?
- How could I get involved in this church?
There’s no one way to organize a church website menu, but considering the above questions, here are a few of the best pages to consider including in your church website:
- About Us – includes Leadership, Contact, What We Believe, and Mission and Values pages
- Visit – includes details about service times, locations, and expectations (Pro tip: Have service times and locations also included on your Home Page with a link to your Visit page.)
- Ministries – includes details about the ministries you offer. (Pro tip: In the items under this menu option, use general terminology visitors will understand like “High school” or “Young adult” rather than a special youth group name like “Ignite.”)
- Getting Involved – includes details about membership, baptism, small groups, volunteering, and joining the church’s email list (Note: This is slightly different from Ministries, in that it represents first steps someone might take to put down roots. Some churches call this page “Start Here” and include a brief welcome letter from the head pastor or elders.)
- Events – includes calendars, forms to RSVP or register, and FAQs about events
- Resources – includes sermons, podcasts, recommended reading, and study guides
Giving – includes a link or form for online giving (Pro tip: Ideally, your giving solution is in the same platform as your website and church management software. This will make it more convenient for members, make them feel safer to give, and save your church money by removing a middleman.)
Give careful thought to organization, and the right information will be easy to find. And remember: people skim sites, so use headlines and keep body copy brief.
3. Use simple language
The best practices for church websites use simple, hype-free, factual language. One way to do this is to pretend that with every word you write, you’re speaking to your unchurched neighbor.
