Why is user interaction so important when building a website for your church or ministry? User interaction is a tool to get visitors to your site to explore, to delve more deeply into the various pages and features. User interaction turns your site from a one-dimensional newsletter into a three-dimensional world, where they can virtually come inside your church and take a look around.
Some interactive features you should consider adding to your site are:
• I am New button, that takes new visitors to special introductory content to familiarize them with your ministry;
• Watch Now button, so visitors can see streaming video of a live sermon, or listen to a live audio broadcast of a sermon, church meeting or anything else that may be going on;
• Multimedia section, so that interested viewers can go directly to your multimedia page and see the latest postings;
• Self Help section, for visitors who are in need of spiritual guidance to go directly to useful content that will help them with their current difficulties;
• Web store button, to take visitors directly to your online store, where they can purchase DVDs, CDs, downloads and more.
Other ways to get visitors to interact with your website are to include things like:
• Online registration forms, for church events and activities; • Online ministry forms, which will save your church printing costs when members print them out themselves, fill them out and return them; • Online donations modules, where visitors can donate via credit card or their PayPal account; • Online events calendar, where visitors can check times and days for mass, Sunday school, bible study, church events and more; • Online prayer requests, to allow visitors to submit prayers for the ministry, causing them to feel more connected.
Your church is a House of God, and as such, your website should also be a virtual House of God, where visitors can come inside and see everything that your ministry has to offer. User interaction features make that possible, and encourage visitors to become part of your congregation. A visitor who has had an opportunity to take a long walk through your website is more likely to come and visit your church in person.
For more information on this and other topics, get your copy of "The iChurch Method Volume 1: How to Advance Your Ministry Online." or The iChurch Method Volume 2: Changing the World When You Login or even sign up for the iChurch Method Online School.