New Church, New Website

Legacy Church in Tucson is starting services on December 6th.  It’s the first time I have been involved in a church plant, but it is exciting.  Since my area of expertise is the web stuff, I am building the web site for the church and will also be posting the sermons online and producing the videos announcements, etc.  The site is still a work in progress as I write this, but you can take an early sneak peak at www.thelegacychurchonline.com.

If you are looking for a group of people who love Jesus and each other and who are committed to planting more churches, then we hope to see you the morning of December 6th at the corner of Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde.  The church is so new, I’m not even sure what time yet!  Send me a note via the “Contact Us” tab and I will make sure you know when I do.

Let Your Mouse do the Clicking

Remember the slogan of the Yellow Pages?  “Let Your Fingers do the Walking.”  While the Yellow Pages still have a place on counter tops and on the bottom shelf under the coffee table, more and more people are letting their mouse do the clicking.

Think of your web address as your “property” online.  What you build on it becomes your store front.  Many small businesses and churches have web sites that they have designed themselves, or by someone who knows a little bit about web design has developed it for them for free.  For some businesses and churches this works just fine.  For many others they are hoping to do better but don’t have thousands of dollars to spend.

One reason why a good church site is important is that when people move to a new place the first place many start church shopping is online.  If they find a nice looking site that is easy to navigate and has a lot to say about the church, it’s already a good first impression.  If not, they may never come through the front doors.

Same with a business.  It’s very important to have a site that looks good and is functional.  Otherwise potential clients will surf, and then drive, to the competition.

In addition to having a professional site that looks good with easy to find information, a web site can also include a blog.  A Blog Site!  This is particularly important for a church.  A pastor can write about;  what God is showing Him, church news, how excited he is that 6 people got baptized last Sunday, etc.  People can also comment on posts, and a conversation can take place right on the site.  New visitors get a feeling for what’s on the Pastor’s heart.  Current congregates feel more plugged in to the church.

For a small business, the blog can be a place to offer helpful hints on how to use a product, or ask for comments.

It’s also part of using the new media to market online.  There is a big rush to combine Twitter, Facebook and Blogs to build an audience.

Ultimately, it’s all about building relationships.  If you have a web site that has compelling content and a way for visitors to participate, then it will help build relationships.  Through those relationships a church can speak (and demonstrate) God’s Love.  A business can cultivate relationships and increase sales.

What is a Blog Site?

Remember the old Saturday Night Live commercial for the floor wax that was also a dessert topping?  Well it’s kinda like that.  A blog site is a web site that is also a blog!  With all the functionality of both, a blog site can meet the needs of any small business or ministry that wants to connect with it’s customers.  With a blog site you have the professional look and functionality of a web site along with the look and functionality of a blog.

Each new article is assigned a category.  Each category appears in the drop down menu in the top navigation that is present throughout the site.  You can get to any part of the blog site from any blog entry.  Simple navigation is key to keeping customers from getting confused or lost!

Each new article is also a blog entry allowing visitors to comment on the article.  With each comment you can capture information about your visitors while at the same time getting to know them.  Your customers can get to know each other as well.  As your site grows, so does your community.  As you build a community you can sell them products or present ideas.  Together you can change the world, or sell some useful gadgets.  It’s all up to you and your passion, using your blog site as a way to grow your audience.