What kind of prototype works best in which situations? When should you create high-fidelity mockups? When will a low-fidelity wireframe suffice? Does your team know the difference and what the benefits of each are? Read more to better understand this essential UI/UX tool and how to use it well.
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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.
Continue reading “My Formula for Homepage Redesigns”Why Website Analytics Tell Half the Story
A key advantage websites have over traditional media is the ability to track every click. Servers log every action to be later scrutinized. Yet how we interpret that data is important. It is very easy to assume we know what our users were doing. In this article, I show why it is important to find out why visitors are making these decisions.
Continue reading “Why Website Analytics Tell Half the Story”When to Use Gated Content at your Church
Gated content is premium website content that sits behind some type of barrier. This seems counterintuitive to the Gospel message. We are to share the Good News with the world. Yet in some cases, gated content can help your church grow. The key is knowing when to use this practice. In this article, I will dig into this technique in greater detail.
Continue reading “When to Use Gated Content at your Church”The 90-Day Church Website Plan
Working on a church communications team can be both exciting and intimidating. You cannot wait to have an impact. You are now the digital voice of your church. Getting off to a good start is important. But where does that journey begin? Where will that path take you? Start with understanding your website. This article is based on recent success in my professional career.
Continue reading “The 90-Day Church Website Plan”Creating Useful Internal Interviews
Internal interviews help whether you are starting out, or are a seasoned professional. They help you better understand the corporate knowledge that exists in your church. Plus it further cements you as a digital advocate that cares about your church’s problems. Your church’s staff has plenty of information to share. Rediscover your audience by following the steps below.
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Recharge your Empathy to Create Better Experiences
Understanding your users’ needs is the biggest part of creating a good experience. But what happens when you cannot understand their perspective? You lose sight of the real goal. Even worse, you insert your own desires into the process. Solve this by recharging your empathy.
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Make Exits Helpful and Not Awkward
We do not want to think about members leaving the church. But we must admit that it happens. Sometimes they just want to switch churches. Other times they are leaving their faith behind. Regardless of the situation, we should provide an easy way for them to exit. This article explores how to create an easy and accurate method for members to leave your church.
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Updating and Validating Personas
After creating your initial draft of personas, you need to confirm your guesses. I know you already did this with internal ministry leaders. But this is with actual users. Validating personas against users should uncover interesting details your ministry leaders missed. Or you may uncover larger problems. Regardless, you will better understand how people use your digital ministries.
Continue reading “Updating and Validating Personas”How to Quickly Create Personas for your Church
Personas are a tool to help focus discussions on users rather than yourself. Ideally, you do a lot of research first. Yet that is not always possible. How can you create something meaningful, but in a short period of time. Start with good guesses and help from church leadership. Present your findings to your larger team for minor edits. Then start moving forward on your projects!
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10 Years of the iPhone
It has been 10 years since the mobile revolution truly hit the web. Granted many platforms had been able to view websites before the iPhone. But usability and widespread use brought the mobile web to the forefront. Let us examine the biggest changes the iPhone brought to your digital ministries.
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Get the Most from a Church App on Wearable Tech
Wearable technology, namely watches, are the latest craze. They have become popular for a good reason. They can perform many simple tasks and have a wide range of functions. Essentially, smartwatches have become an extension of your smartphone. Many churches have, or are thinking of creating a mobile application. In this article I will discuss four critical points on how church apps should interact with wearable technology.
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