If you’re looking to start your church website, after doing research, names such as SquareSpace and Wix must have got your attention. These are good companies that offer a variety of website services at an affordable cost. From providing sleek templates and a layman interface that anyone can use, they are a great entry point for anyone looking to create a website. However, while they are great for creating websites for your generic businesses, the reality is that they are built for exactly that, a business not a ministry. Let’s take a look at what an affordable church website company can offer in comparison to these websites.
A focus on ministries and churches
A church’s needs differ in some aspects to a business. While they share common features, they are also plenty that they do not. A business website sees a site visitor as a customer while a church would see them as a guest or member. Due to this, a business-focused website company will promote tools useful for an e-commerce system. A church website company will provide the tools to better fit the needs of a ministry. These can be a sermon manager, an online giving plugin, and many more.
Staff can help understand and assist you better
A church-orientated company will naturally have staff that can assist and understand your problems better. In church website companies, it’s common to see some or most of the staff members have worked with churches. A company dedicated to providing service for churches and ministries is going to be able to understand your goals better than a general company for everything. You can get better customer support and service when talking to someone who shares and reciprocates your desires.
Church website companies support churches
A church website company’s main goal is to support the work and ministry of churches. While there are exceptions, most companies care about the ministries as much as they do about making a profit. Affordable church website companies are more likely to help support the ministry through various means such as doing pro-bono work for church-related organizations, offering church-related graphics, or leading workshops at church communications events.
Helps build connections with other organizations
Having a partnership can open doors to new places. A church website company will have connections to various other churches and organizations that you can meet through conferences and events. You can find other businesses committed to your goals and establish partnerships. You can ask the company for help and they can help refer people to companies that know and help churches.
Church website companies help influence the world
Current trends have shown that church denominations and church attendance are on the decline in the United States. With the impact from COVID and various other reasons, it is understandable but this is something that we should all strive to better. With everything becoming digitized, it becomes harder and harder to stand out and interest people with just the basic means. People look for meaningful digital engagement that can excite and entertain them. A common trend amongst church websites is that they treat their website like a digital pamphlet, simply presenting information and links, thinking that is enough.
However, this is not to say that all fault is on the church. While there is an apt number of guides on how to promote and make a business attractive, the same cannot be said on church websites. A generic website provides with you the tools but a church website company will help you use those tools to create dynamic churches that reach people everywhere.
At the end of the day
Every website company has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s always important to consider what you as a ministry require and if the company can provide you with your needs. They may have values you don’t support and offer to host to groups with messages that are utterly incompatible with the Christian faith. When you consider everything, while a normal website company may fulfill your current needs, an affordable church website company is a better fit for you in the long run.