The Power of Checklists in Church Communications

Checklists are essential for consistent execution of any communications projects. They help even the most seasoned professional remember every step in a process. Even the most experienced staff member needs to stay on track. Do you think otherwise? Consider pilots and surgeons. These highly-skilled professionals use the power checklists to ensure mistakes are not made. This article delves into several ways checklists can help your team succeed.

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Why Your Church Website Needs Encryption

Encrypted website traffic is not just for eCommerce sites. All websites can benefit from encryption. Many browsers and search engines even alert users to unsecure connections. The good news is that several new services make getting an SSL certificate cheap and easy. Read more to learn about the benefits of a secure website.

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Coping with Church Scandals in a Digital World

The news is rife with stories of high-profile people abusing positions of authority. A recent story close to my heart is sex abuse scandals in my home state of Pennsylvania. How does the church react to such accusations and scandal? How we react on our digital platforms is closely scrutinized. Here is my playbook for what to do if a scandal hits your area or church.
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What Coaches Can Teach Church Communications

Sports and competition teach us many life lessons. They are often learned because of a good coach. We receive both encouragement and admonishment from them. Coaches see the potential we have and know how to get us to reach it. Years of expertise give them keen insights. But anyone with a good coach knows, they help us with life as well as our sport. Here are a few lessons coaches have taught me, and how church communications can also benefit.

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My Formula for Homepage Redesigns

I will go ahead and say it. Homepage redesigns are the worst! They are the central focus point for any church. Everyone wants representation there. Every event demands attention. Each of your personas has the possibility of landing here. How do you do the impossible task of designing for everyone? My suggestion is to proceed with patience and planning. Here are my tips on the dreaded homepage update.

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Why Your Church Needs Digital Signage

Digital signage is the use of screens instead of traditional signs. If you visited a fast-food restaurant recently, you likely saw this in action. Yet this advancement in technology is not out of your reach. Large-screen television prices are falling every year. Plus content delivery tools make managing several screens fast and easy. In this article, I will explain several advantages of digital signs and how your church can use them.

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Stop Bullying Users

The benefit of digital ministry is that you can track every click. Remember that those numbers are people. This article explores practices you need to avoid. Shaming and bullying should not be in your digital toolbox. Pushing up numbers can be at the expense of a good experience. The easiest way to see them is through real-world examples.

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What Net Promoter Score Means to Church Communications

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a popular method of gauging success. Many companies use it to determine how good their company and products are. It is based on one very important question we need to answer. Would you recommend this to a friend or colleague? In this article, I delve into this statistic, as well as why it may or may not be right for your church.

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Church Communications Checklist for GDPR Compliance

The impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has many organizations worried. Your church does not have to be one of them. This article addresses several steps you can take to follow these new laws. The good news is that these changes all positively impact your users’ experiences.

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How GDPR affects Church Communications

An international ministry needs to follow international regulations. This includes the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Starting on 25 May 2018, European countries are clamping down on privacy issues. Here is a brief overview of what these new regulations are. Also, I mention a few ways this will impact your church.

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Optimizing Church Landing Pages

One of the most important tools a church has on its website are landing pages. Social media shares and paid advertisements often drive traffic to a landing page. Those landing pages inform and persuade users to take action. Here is an updated article on this most important of page types.

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Why You Need to Know the Difference Between Benefits and Features

Like a good sermon, the message of your website must relate to your audience. They need to know why your church is right for them. Do this with a mix of benefits and features. Unfortunately, we often confuse them and use them in the wrong context. In this article, I review what benefits and features are. Then I give an example of how to use them on your church’s website.

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