Search engines and users rely on you to provide information about your site's content - leverage your XOOPS meta tags and begin to improve your position on search engine results page (SERPs)

In a post on Church Marketing Sucks, Brad Abare posted a series on producing church web sites that don't suck. Let's face it - it is just as easy to produce a web site that sucks as it is to create one that doesn't suck. Follow these tips so your site is good for more than just serving as a bad example.

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.

There are numerous web sites devoted to the technical, design aesthetics and usability aspects of web sites, but few help you with the editorial aspect (content) of your site. We start a discussion about what (and what not) to put on your church's web site.

How much of an impact does the look of your site have on the messages you convey with it? Do you think it matters?

It certainly does! Here's a little example of how the media shapes the message. Write a note and hand it to someone - you have just delivered your message to the person it was intended for. Now, take the same note, wrap it around a rock and throw it through the same person's window. The message hasn't changed, the sender hasn't changed, the recipient hasn't changed, but the method of delivery (or, the 'media') has changed. Do you think the recipient would regard the content the same in both instances?

Now - let's talk about your church website design and learn the right questions to ask before you use, buy, or hire a designer to design a custom theme for your church web site.

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.

After you have done all your planning and organizing and finally have your site online, is it doing what you expected it to? Your web site is quite a bit different than the place where you worship - you don't see the faces that visit your web site or get a chance to shake their hands. You will need some tools to help you discover if you are hitting your goals for your web site. You will need more than just a simple counter to properly gather and analyze the statistics and trends for your site.

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?

People long for meaningful connections and will pursue them in a multitude of ways. This is at the core of all the social networks - Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Instagram, LinkedIn, eHarmony, Match.com, et al. Who do I know? And, just as importantly, who knows me?

People are communal beings - we need each other. We also look for meaning in our lives. As these 2 things merge, local churches play a significant role - if they are prepared for it.

Applications and search results are becoming very localized - providing different results for the searcher, depending on their place and time. All organizations need to center their online (searchable) content around their location and their website.

Has your church prepared itself to be a place of community for people seeking meaning in your area? We'll give you an overview of the local search landscape and how you can become a better online neighbor.