Three Ways To Make A Good First Impression

Last month, a group of Canadian researchers published a study where they found that most internet users judge the aesthetics of a website in a fraction of a second , which in turn influences their overall opinion of the site. From the perspective of a web developer, that is a pretty scary thing to find out. So what things can we do to help make that most of that fraction of a second? Here's three ways you can help make the most of that first impression.

1. Don't put a photo of the church on the church homepage - While it's often the easiest quality photo to obtain, it puts too much focus on the building and not enough on the people and congregation inside. The one exception may be if the building is truly unique . After all, you don't see most major businesses putting their building on their website. Try to get pictures of church activities that you can use, or if you need to you can use stock photos to fill in what you don't have. You can still have the church photo on your directions or contact information page, but just try to avoid having it front and center.
2. Make sure your site is very readable - If the text on your page is not easily readable, then visitors are less likely to stay and check out the content you have available. Spend a little time working with a color contrast engine , and come up with a combination that works best for you. Black on white always works well, but it may not grab your eye like some other color combinations.
3. Give your church site a professional appearance - If your church website looks like it was put together by someone who is just learning HTML, then it will be a negative reflection on your church. A clear, organized site with a polished appearance is more likely to draw in a visitor to find more of what your church is about.