Calls to Action on Ministry Websites

Quality content, needed services, and curiosity bring people to websites through search engines and recommendations of others. Why do some people who visit our sites, click away almost immediately? It could be because we do not offer the content or services they are looking for and it could be because there is nothing there to engage them after arriving on the site. Calls to action engage people.

Ministry websites that are for information only are dinosaurs today. Websites need to provide opportunities for people to act and interact with us. We need to give people access to links and information that allows them to go forward and deeper with us.

Engagement is more than listing phone numbers and email addresses. Although, I am amazed at the number of ministry websites that do not include a contact phone number or email address for follow-up questions. When we set up a ministry website, we need to think about the intended or expected audience. We should also decide what we want the visitor to do when they get to the site and we should call them–invite them–to do just that. We need to encourage our visitors to act and to interact with us.

Here are some of the typical calls to action on engaging ministry websites today:

• Comment
• Contact Us (Phone, email and fax info provided)
• Donate
• Download
• Fill out Form
• Find a member (for religious communities)
• Follow Us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
• Get Directions
• For More Information
• Join Us
• Listen (link to audio)
• Read more
• Register Here
• Request Prayers
• Share on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Sign-up
• View (link to video)
• Visit our (bookstore, chapel, gift shop, etc.)

Are there any other calls to action we could add?
Look at the home page of your ministry website. How many calls to action (invitations to engage) do you provide your website visitors? What about on the inside pages as well?

Image by Floeshie