For the second entry in our free website critique series, we're taking a look at Christ the King church in Kingwood, Texas.

Again, I'll be taking the same approach as last time, and I would encourage you to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Appearance

• What's done well?
  • Design – The background and the shadows incorporated into the design really make it pop.  Plus, it really fits the style of the logo, so there a coherency there.
  • Colors – The mix of colors do a great job of making the site appear very lively, but they all work together as well.  Good choices.
  • Eye-Catching Graphics – Many of the images on the site, like the ones on the Help & Healing page are nice and eye-catching.  However, I would check the spacing on the images to make sure text is given ample space.
• What needs work?
  • Pick A Font – Just on the main page, I count at least three different fonts, and that's not including graphics and images.  You really should select just one to help maintain a better consistency in your site.
  • Link Inconsistencies – Some links are underlined, while some aren't.  Some underlined links change colors and lose their underlines when hovered over, and some don't change at all.  While I'm not saying all links should look exactly the same, they should behave in a consistent way so they are easy to identify.
  • Trees? – I guess I don't understand the use of the tree images in the top area of the site.  It really left me scratching my head.  I'd think that images of the congregation or from around the church might be more effective.
  • Flashing – While using Flash and other similar technologies can do great things for a site, I've also been know to advocate that they be used properly.  In this case, I don't think the use of Flash really does anything to enhance the site.  On the main page, with two different sections changing at different rates, I'd say it's more of a distraction.
• Suggestions
  • I'd lose the Flash and reexamine ways to display that content.
  • Find some new images that convey more about the church to use in the top section of the page.
  • Make sure your design template is consistent, and stick to it.

Organization

• What's done well?
  • Menu Structure – I like the breakdown of main topics with sub-topics.  It's clear and easy to follow.
  • Well Organized Pages – Each page is nicely broken down into sub-sections that allow a visitor to quickly scan for the information they need.
  • Upcoming Events – Even though they're in the Flash area, having this information right up front is very logical and useful.
• What needs work?
  • Duplicated Content – How many different places do you need to have the map to your church?
• Suggestions
  • Honestly, there isn't much.  I'd just take a look at the duplicated content and figure out the best place for it.

Utility

• What's done well?
  • Service Times Up Front – Something I always like to see!
  • Sermon Podcasts Available – Having not only the most recent sermon podcast available, but the last ten, is a nice feature for visitors to “try out” a pastor's preaching style or for members to miss a sermon and catch up (especially in the case of a sermon series).
  • A Plethora Of Information – Honestly, there is just a lot a lot of information to wade through in a critique, but for a new visitor that can be a good thing.  It means that if someone's looking for some information, they're likely to find it.  Especially when it's presented in such an organized manner.
• What needs work?
  • Meaningful URLs – Unfortunately, the URLs aren't indicative of what content is at that page, which is bad for search engines.  In addition, if I send a link to a certain page to a friend, they may avoid it in this day and age of phishing because they don't know where the link is taking them.
• Suggestions
  • I know that it's likely a big hassle, but it would do a world of good to clean up the site's URLs.  Not only will the links be more indicative of the content, but they'll also look more professional.

Additionally, I'll add a bonus point for the use of ColdFusion, being a ColdFusion Developer myself.

In the end, Christ the King church has got a very strong base established.  They've done a lot right, but haven't addressed all of the details.  While it may take some time to address these, it will be worth your effort.  They may not seem like much, but they will help your site with the search engines, and they will help give your site more credibility and a more professional appearance.