Church Website Design

There are a lot of things to consider when approaching a website design for a church. The site needs to promote an open arms, welcoming atmosphere in its look and feel, and also needs to be easy to use for all types of users (old, young, mobile, etc.). Let's explore the different options for website design.

Custom website design.  If budget allows for it, a custom website design should be the option of choice. Custom allows for the most flexibility with custom graphics, textures, and layout. In some cases, the desired functionality inthe website forces our hand in choosing the custom design route. Custom can just do more to support development needs than theme designs. A custom design will perfectly fit your functionality requirements; when implementing a theme website, you need to build the functionality to fit the template.

Theme website design.  We understand that churches are sometimes tight on resources and budget when wanting to implement a new website. In these cases, custom may not be a suitable option. However, we still want to work with you to enhance your online presence. In these circumstances, we can pull in a theme website design, or template design. You can still achieve a lot of the branding and usability requirements that are needed in a church website (logo and color scheme), but themes do limit you in some cases. A theme may also be a suitable option if the website does not require a lot of custom development; or if your custom functionality can fit within a theme we can save cost by skipping the custom graphic design phase.

Responsive web design.  People are searching for churches in their area online, but not just from a desktop or laptop computer. These days, more than likely people are searching for a local church via a tablet or smartphone. Your website needs to be optimized for these various devices, and a responsive web design will accomplish just that. A responsive design gives your website the ability to adapt, or respond, to any device's screen size, which eliminates the need for users to zoom in and scroll side to side just to read your content. Both theme and custom website designs can be responsive.

The majority of church websites are in need of at least some custom website development. It really depends on each church's specific situation and current needs. Larger churches might have greater development needs, while smaller local organizations may just need the basics. The great thing about working with Five is that every website is built on the Site Management Console (SMC) is that our team of web developers can build custom apps and plug-ins very efficiently, now and down the road as your technology needs progress.

Our team can build just about anything that you feel is needed for your site to improve functionality and efficiency. If you bring us an idea we can make it a reality, and if you bring us a frustration we can help you discover a solution.

All church websites are not created equal. Each of our clients has different needs and different budgets, so we work to create effective solutions that fit within budget restraints. Some of church website development items we have implemented in the past include:

• Google Calendar integration
• Blog/newsfeed for online bulletins
• Image gallery
• Video integration
• Social media integration

Having a person on staff or a volunteer build your website can save you money, but sometimes it can only get you so far. In most situations we see these days, church website needs go above and beyond what your average IT person or parish volunteer can accomplish on their own. When a high standard becomes the reality for your church's website, you need to partner with a website design company that can get bring the website to the next level.

Let's start the conversation about improving your church website.