With the start of a new year for IJHAW, I've recently been thinking more about some of the keys to site longevity. This idea is important when it comes to church websites because most churches can't afford to have a webmaster on staff full-time to constantly be making updates to the sites, so we must focus on making our sites viable in the long term. The question then becomes, "How do we do so?"

There tend to be four of factors that play into extending site longevity: design, usability, utility, and technology. Over the course of this series, we will be exploring ways to improve our sites for the future in these key areas.

When it comes to the design of your site, the one thing that can force a redesign quicker than anything else is an appearance that does not have universal appeal; the dreaded "I don't like how it looks". While it is appropriate to design towards a particulary audience in some cases (Youth Groups, Women's Ministry, etc.), the majority of the time we want to put together a neutral design that appeals to the masses. A neutral design also tends to extend site longevity because there will be less of a need to keep up with the Jonses'. So, if you've got a new design idea, make sure to pass it by a few different people of different backgrounds and ages to make sure it will fly, or else you'll find yourself at the drawing board again sooner than you'd like.

With your design, you also want to consider the following factors:

• Readability – How easy is it to read the text on your site? High contrast is desired, especially in case a colorblind person were to reach your site. Poor readability can quickly cause people to stop visiting your site.

• Attention – What areas draw your attention the most when someone visits your site? Are those the places where the most important information is? They probably should be. Otherwise, your site won't be a effective as your church may like.

• Speed – Does your design load up quickly, or does it require a lot of images and scripts to get the look you desire? Remember, people are impatient, so quicker is usually better and increases lifespan, even if it may not be as visually engaging (as del.icio.us has helped prove).

There are other aspects of your design that will play roles in the longevity of your site design, but these will probably be the main factors that every church webmaster should investigate. Take the time to evaluate these for yourself, or ask others their opinions on it (and be specific about the feedback you'd like, as people may not give you much more than "it's OK") to get a better feeling for the current state of your site, and where it needs to go. If you can improve the longevity of your design, you'll also take some work off of yourself in the future (something I'm sure we can all appreciate).