What do you know about Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Orkut, MyChurch and other social networking sites? Do you know how to leverage these sites in your ministry? We'll take a quick look at what they are, why they are significant to your church web presence and how to connect with others using these Internet applications.

As a web master, at some point you will undoubtedly begin to work on your search engine optimization, or think you need to work on optimizing your site for the search engines. Before you do, read this article and stop to think about who's more important - your readers or the robots?

1. Having a web presence is no longer a nicety, but a necessity
2. You have limitations, as do the various options for establishing your web presence
3. It's not that difficult or stressful to make a decision, once you know what your choices are

There are lots of ways to communicate online and there are a variety of costs - where should you focus your attention? Where should you start? Website? Facebook? Twitter? Google Sites? Blogspot? Tumblr? YouTube? MySpace?

Well, you get the idea - there are a lot of facets to your online presence and you might want to hear what others have to say about building your online identity and communicating your message.

The last thing you want is an ineffective web site. Your church web site must share your story and connect with your intended audience. To do this, you must determine who will build it and maintain it and what tools and resources they will need.

You also need to know what to look for when evaluating possible platforms for your church web site. Have a clear set of requirements ready as you look for your solution for an effective web site.

A conversation consists of more than 2 people talking - it also involves listening by all parties involved. What does this have to do with your church website? Everything!

Are you using your website as another vehicle for broadcasting your message, or are you also using it to listen to what others are saying? A recent study by LifeWay Research indicates the majority of churches (even those with fewer than 50 in attendance each week) maintain websites for their church. Yet, of those, only about 40% are actually engaging their members and visitors in conversations on their websites through features such as prayer requests.

The web has changed. In the beginning, it mimicked print media's "Publish and Read". In a relatively short time, however, the web has become dramatically different - instead of a few publishers, everyone is contributing content to the web. Internet users no longer just consume content, they also create content. Position your site to be one of the 'Net Generation's places to be.

People are bombarded with information - radio, television, magazines, newspapers, text messages, email and social media updates. Despite all the noise, people are still starved for good information. How do you get heard above the noise? Contribute to the noise? Quantity does not guarantee quality.

The biggest factor in getting heard is actually saying something on a regular basis. Not just anything, but something of value - timely and relevant. I will bet you have something of importance to share with people, but you haven't used your website to share it. Or, by the time you did post it, the timeliness or relevance was lost.

'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.' ~Aristotle

Print formats have fixed physical dimensions - 8.5" x 11", 4-page, 1/2-page folded - and the temptation is to fill every available square inch of space in an effort to get the most for your money. The web has no boundaries and pages are not limited by a fixed format, but the temptation still remains - publish everything, including the filler. The result? Lots of web content with little impact. We look at some of the consequences of continuing to follow the print mentality when publishing on the web.

When technology works - it's great. When it doesn't, life can be miserable. God had Noah build the ark. He also had Joseph store up grain for the famine. What preparations have you made for the ups and downs you'll experience?

We all remember being taught the Five W's (and one H) in school, don't we? Well, they are still relevant in the realm of the World Wide Web. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How apply not only to your online content, but also to your online outreach.