The eMinistry Letter : December 2007
I realize that there are still many of you out there who feel that trying to share the gospel in Cyberspace is just too difficult … or who believe discipleship via the internet is simply nonsense.
The simple truth is that many are seeking spiritual guidance online today. Christian sociologist George Barna writes in his 1998 book, The Second Coming of the Church, that in the early 21st century “millions of people will never travel physically to a church, but will instead roam the Internet in search of meaningful spiritual experiences.”
At an SEO seminar I attended recently, we were told by an SEO expert that 700 million searches are done every day, 365 days a year. And about seventy-five percent of the traffic on the web is generated via search engine searches.
Knowing this, it is easy to understand how important it is that your website be found in the search results of people who are looking for the information, products or services that your website presents.
I've heard churches and ministries say it many times.
"We need a good website. One that will really represent our values and ministries to those who see it... one that will engage visitors and show them what we're all about. But we can't afford to hire a professional to design and build it. There just isn't any money in the budget for that.”
Or, “Our website was built by a volunteer and we don't want to hurt his feelings by getting someone else who can do a better job.”
Or, “There are too many other things that have to come first, etc. etc."
Any of this sound familiar?
Saul had been gone for three years. Many, no doubt, believed they would never see him again. Perhaps the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem had caught up to him and imprisoned or killed him. It is doubtful that anyone knew where he was, or if he was still alive.
But then he suddenly reappears. After three years away in the desert Saul is back, and he is sharper and bolder than ever. He could have gone to Jerusalem to join with the apostles and church there but he knew that would reignite the persecution and put them at unnecessary risk. So Saul decides to rejoin the disciples in Damascus, who are astonished at the growth in his understanding and faith in the Lord Jesus.
There is a wonderful tool available online to any and all churches to help you assess the design and effectiveness of your church or ministry website.
It is absolutely free and there are no strings attached to it. You will not even be asked for your email address. This assessment questionnaire was developed by the Internet Evangelism Coalition. I highly recommend it and admire their goals of making resources available to help churches evangelize more effectively on the web.
Your church website has enormous potential as part of your outreach strategy to reach into your community. It can be like an enticing 'shop window' and virtual doorway to draw people into faith and fellowship. However, many churches do not understand how to design a site that will do this effectively. This self-assessment questionnaire helps you evaluate your site, and creates a detailed free evaluation report to help you consider new ideas or aspects of the site that could perhaps be modified.
Assess and improve your website design
We will be starting out the new year with our first and only sale on our search engine optimization work. To show our appreciation to our clients and eMinistry Letter subscribers, for the first twenty to respond, we are offering one half off our everyday rates. This special price is available only for our first twenty takers. After that the sale is over.
To get the details of what exactly our search engine optimization work entails, read the article in this newsletter entitled, Putting Together A Search Engine Optimiztaion Program For Your Website.
Visit our Pricing Schedule page to view our current rates. Enter coupon code 6CM86UV to take advantage of this limited-time offer.
Google Analyzes New Webmaster Tools
Ever since we first chatted with now-former Googler Vanessa Fox about webmaster tools, Google has released new capabilities for those on a fairly regular schedule.
Christian website offers YouTube alternative for wary Baptists
Move over, YouTube. Baptists have video cameras. And they�re using them, now that they have a �safe� place to share their videos online, says Bill Nix, CEO and president of Axletree Media.
Google Provides SEO Advice With Webmaster Tool's New "Content Analysis"
On December 13 Google released a new feature for Google Webmaster Tools named Content Analysis. Vanessa Fox's Search Engine Land post named Google's Webmaster Tools Adds More Diagnostic Features and Video Sitemaps is outstanding.