Effective Parish Websites Part III: Homepage Content

The most important component of every parish website is its content. This is especially true for the home page. Most visitors spend less than 15 seconds on a website. The homepage either turns them off or invites them in. The most challenging task for the website manager is to keep the homepage attractive and the content relevant and useful to visitors. Lack of quality content or failure to update content in a timely manner results in mediocre website homepages that are neither welcoming, helpful, nor engaging.

Website managers generally post homepage content provided by others. They frequently complain that “no one sends them content” or some people send them content in an unusable form which needs to be rewritten. Some people send content at the last minute and want it posted yesterday or they want it to be “featured.” Content issues can be trying at times.

If you are a parish website manager as I am (for multiple parishes), you know that parish staff are busy and usually they have no idea what’s involved in what you do. But my job is to work with them to produce and maintain an attractive, welcoming website that serves the needs of those who visit it. My solution to the “content problem” is to keep my audiences in mind and break content into two categories: fixed and seasonal. If something needs to be written, rewritten or edited, I do it.

Fixed Content

Fixed content that serves visitors, seekers and those who may want to return to the sacraments includes Mass times, links to directions and contact information, and parish office hours. They are looking for answers to how to join the parish, how to become a Catholic, how to enroll children in sacramental preparation, the Parish School or Parish School of Religion, how to get married or get an annulment, etc. Fixed content for active members generally includes: the bulletin, a link to online donations or schedules, Mass Times for holy days of obligation or holidays, or a link to a specific staff member, report or resource.

Much of the fixed content is either always in season or as in the case of the parish bulletin consistently available often through the bulletin publishing company.

Seasonal Content

Seasonal content is event or activity based news, fliers or links to registration/volunteer forms or schedules. Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter seasons tend to have more content than others. The events during these seasons tend to occur annually. We know what is coming.

There are some special events such as parish anniversaries, or dedication of new facilities, installation of a new pastor etc. which also have to be represented online. News about seasonal content is usually in the parish bulletin and can be taken from there. I read the parish bulletins every week for that purpose.

My Solution: A Homepage Design that Supports both Fixed and Seasonal Content

Effective parish websites need a website homepage design that features fixed content and has sufficient space allotted for the seasonal news. The homepage is the “Display Window” for what people are seeking: fixed and seasonal.

The effective parish website homepage includes inviting images, welcoming words and easy access to the information visitors want. In my view, the homepage is not a bulletin board. Generally, I do not post full fliers on the homepage. I write a headline with a brief description and link to the flier.

My next post will be about homepage designs that support fixed and seasonal content.

Your comments are welcome!