FGW Ministries, Inc., ~ Building a Web Site 101

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
I John 3:18

Building a Web Site 101

Introduction

You know you need a web site but you're not sure where do to begin?
By now every UM church and ministry has heard that they should have a web site. Maybe you are not sure why you need a web site or perhaps your wondering what the best approach to getting a site would be. But the constant chatter about web sites, domains, software, different ways of building sites, the maintenance involved, and costs can make anyone feel overwhelmed. Understandably, you might feel like the World Wide Web has you tangled up in a World Wide Mess.

The good news is that you are not alone. Finding GodsWay is here and we can help you make sense of these things and lead you on the right path. Whether you are a web development pro or novice, you will find the following information helpful as we discuss building web site basics, options and costs. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us by calling 903-831-5272 or complete our short REQUEST INFO form.

Why Do I Need a Web Site?

Why does my ministry need a web site? Can it really help?
Over the years, Finding GodsWay has received hundreds of calls from UM church and ministry leaders wondering if a web site can really help their ministry. Many feel that the size of their congregation or their ministries location negates them from having a web site. Simply put, they don't understand how a web site will really help their church and ministry grow.

Let us explain. There are two big reasons why your UM church and ministry should have a great web site:
1. To provide your local community with information about your church and ministry.
2. To minister online within your local community and across the world even when you doors are not open.

FACT: According to the Pew and Internet Report, the number two method the public uses to get information is the internet - preceded only by television. It is estimated that over 65% of Americans who are searching online are doing so for religious reasons. That calculates to over 85 million Americans online, at any given time, for this very purpose.

The truth is, in today's society, more and more people are using the internet rather than phone books or newspapers to get information. If used properly, your ministry's web site is a valuable tool for both you and your web visitor. It will give access to untold numbers of people online 24/7. Now with this information, it is easy to see why a web site is necessary for your church.

Finding GodsWay UM Church and Ministry Customers Receive an Average of
8,000 Hits Per Month with Thousands of Visitors!

The Essentials

Web site essentials - 4 elements you must have:
    1. A domain name.

    2. A web site host.

    3. Someone to develop or build your web site.

    4. Capabilities to list and maintain your web site with search engines (SEO) so that your site can be found online through Google, etc.

1. About domain names, e.g. www.myministry.org.
Domain names are not owned but are rented. It is important to have your own unique domain name. A domain name is fairly inexpensive. You can expect to pay between $10 and $35 a year. You can lease your domain through many web companies, Finding GodsWay is one of those companies.

2. About web site hosting:
Hosting companies have specialized computers called servers which are optimized for internet access and they rent space to house websites. Basic shared hosting services cost around $10 per month. Hosting is included with all Finding GodsWay WEB PACKAGES.

3. About developing or building your web site:
You now have your domain name and server space reserved and need a web site. Let's take a moment to explore your options.

General Considerations:
With the development of WSWYG (what you see is what you get) software such as FrontPage and Dreamweaver, many people think that building a web site is relatively easy. Truthfully, a well built web site requires extensive training and takes an enormous amount of time to build.

All web page content must be kept up-to-date. People will quickly judge your ministry by what they see on your website. If you show outdated activities or information then it appears that you don't care or are unorganized. This can have a direct impact on your church and ministry. Pastors have told us stories about how people did not bother visiting their church because their web site looked like it was quickly thrown together.

Your web programming code needs to be current and continually monitored. This will keep your site secure and compatible with search engines. WARNING! The lack of proper security can give access to hackers who can then use your site to access personal information, send spam or promote illegal activities. A website without security is very dangerous and can get you expelled from your web host and black listed from search engines permanently. Ouch!

How important is the design of your website?
Think about the websites you've visited that were poorly designed. I'll bet you can remember some of your frustrations and complaints with that site. If your website is properly designed, people will be able to smoothly navigate and quickly find the information you were searching for without getting lost. A good professional design may not always jump out at you, but it will ALWAYS enhance your web site and bring attention to its purpose. Good design is critical.

4. About search engines - Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
What good is a web site if people can't find it online? Users find web sites using search engines (Yahoo, Google, etc.) and it is CRUCIAL that your site be listed with them.

To procedure involved in listing your site is complex and does require regular maintenance. Each search engine has its own rules and regulations which you must abide by. If you don't, they can remove and blacklist your web site. Today there are a multitude of web sites on the internet and the number is growing. Keeping your web page content current, indexed and legal are key components to working with search engines. Finding GodsWay takes care of all of this for you when you SIGN UP for one of our WEB PACKAGES.

Getting Started - Making the Right Choice

There are 3 types of web sites available.

Static Web Site:
Using html or html and CSS you can develop what is called a 'static' site. Done properly this type of web site can look pretty but has no interactive action with your web visitors, it simply displays information. You can think of them as big online phone books.

Smart Web Site:
Using Html, CSS, and a scripting language (e.g. php, javascript, perl, asp). These sites use secure web forms. An example would be registering for an upcoming event in your ministry. Your web visitors can complete and interactive online form that would send to you all of the information they completed.

Dynamic Web Site:
This is an intelligent site that runs off of a database and allows your web visitors to fully interact with you. This type of site is known as dynamic or fully interactive and uses applications such as an online store, calendars, blogs, libraries, media centers, secure log-ins, user defined page content, etc.

Now the BIG question... Who will build your web site?
Basically you have 4 options to consider:
    A. Build the site yourself.
    B. Have a volunteer build your site.
    C. Hire staff to build your site.
    D. Hire a professional company (like Finding GodsWay) to develop it for you.

Let's talk about these options.
A. Building the site yourself.
This is an option that can save you money if you have the web programming expertise and time to dedicate to building your site. You can build a site using software such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage or you can use template web building services or web site builder applications provided by various hosting companies. Don't be fooled, many template services pose themselves as a quick and easy solution but for the untrained person but that may not be entirely true. Even with a template service you still need creative web trained personnel to do this right. Template services are limited and don't give you complete freedom to express the personality of your church and purpose of your site, it's plug and play.

B. Relying on a volunteer(s) to build your site.
A volunteer is a great thing but it's our experience that volunteers are most often not fully trained or experienced enough to create the site you really need. Many UM church leaders have voiced their frustrations to us explaining that even though the volunteers heart seemed to be in the right place they usually don't have the time to maintain the site properly and many times 'move on' leaving the church stranded and helpless in cyberspace.

C. Hiring staff to build your site.
The big benefit of hiring qualified web personnel is that they are under your control and will dedicate as much time as you give them to keeping your web site current and up to date. The drawback is that they are expensive. A basic web designer will want a minimum of $20.00 per hour and a web developer/programmer requires much more.

D. Hiring a professional company (like Finding GodsWay) to build your site for you.
The clear advantages of using professional web services are; professional quality, better service, up-to-date security, they keep up with the latest in web technologies, keep your site current and in compliance with search engines (Google, Yahoo etc.), and very important, it keeps your time free so that you can do what you do best, minister.

Web Site Pricing

Truth be told, don't get caught off guard by promises of quickly built web sites.
Building and maintaining a web site that can easily be found on a search engine
is not that easy and requires a lot of time - even for professionals.

What will a good web site cost?
Most professional web development companies charge between $1,000 to $2,500 to develop a 10 page Static web site. A Smart site ranges from $2,500 to $5,000 and a Dynamic site is priced from $5,000 to $10,000. After your site is developed they will usually ask you to sign on for extended maintenance services and extensive search engine optimization (SEO) services. Be careful, these services can be VERY expensive.

Finding GodsWay does not play games with the UM church and ministries. There are no contracts to sign. We don't force you to pay monthly fees annually and all of our services cater only to United Methodists. We take care of all of your search engine needs and keep current with security issues keeping you and your web visitors safe. We are very affordable with WEB PACKAGES starting at only $29.99 a month!

Thank you and we hope this helps you in your decision making process. We'd be lying if we didn't say that our hope and prayer is that you would consider Finding GodsWay for all of your web needs. Finding GodsWay can help you develop a great and secure website that people can easily find online. We are unique because we are United Methodist, serve United Methodists only and develop and manage UM web sites at an affordable price. We are extremely devoted to the church and passionate about the ministry of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to see what others are saying about Finding GodsWay and how we've helped them, we invite you to visit our TESTIMONIALS page.

If you have any questions about the information we've provided or if you are considering a web site for your ministry, we would be glad to speak with you. Contact Us today via our secure REQUEST INFO form or give us a call at 903-831-5272. All inquiries are without obligation and only meant to help your ministry. God bless you.

FGW Ministries, Inc. • 903-831-5272