Getting a new website off the ground can be intimidating, so I want you to know in advance how it works with me. The more we work together, the faster we can get your project done.
Understanding Your Values
The first thing we need to do is to get on the same page with regard to your values as a church. Are you a church that likes to promote your connection to deeply important traditions? Are you a church that is trying to push the envelope in new ways?
I love both kinds of churches, and I will do my best to help you present yourself well, but what will help me more than anything is if you can get to me the following:
- Give me your mission statement, vision statement, logo files, and photos of your church building and your people.
- Send me a list of websites you like (church-related or not) and why you like them.
- Send me a list of websites you don’t like and why you don’t like them.
- If you already own a web domain, tell me what it is, and if not, I will find one that makes sense for you (with your approval, of course).
- If you have a restricted budget, and can’t make my package pricing, also tell me what your annual total budget is. I know how church budgets work, so I’ll make sure my quote will fit within what’s reasonable for you.
Understanding What You Have Now
If you have a website already, I definitely want to see it, so make sure you send me a link to it, but also, I want to know what other kind of technology your church uses. The more I know about your current technology situation the better able I will be to describe for you what it’s going to take to move forward.
Let the Fun Begin
Once I have the basics from you, I will be able to assemble an initial concept website for you in less than a week. I use WordPress for my websites, and that allows me to work efficiently at getting the first temporary site set up.
Once I get the initial site set up, I will send you a link to your temporary page so you can see how it is developing and you can give me your feedback.
Based on your feedback, I will refine your site into something that’s uniquely you, and it will be ready in less than one additional week.
I Train You, You Pay Me
After the first two weeks of development (or even sooner), I will set up a Zoom training session for you and others from your church where I will walk you through the features of your site and teach you how to fill out your data so it fits your church people.
At that point, I will invoice you for the website.
We Launch When You’re Happy
The last part of the process is when you are finally happy with your site, all the features are set up, and you are ready to “go public.” I will take care of transferring from your old website if you had one, and at that point, if you want to use my hosting services, we will start that too.
About Hosting Services
There are a lot of companies out there that offer hosting services, and I have a number of options for you. I’m willing to manage it for you if you want, or I can coach you on how to manage it yourself. Either way, you should expect to spend about $10 per month either with my service or with another hosting company. Companies that charge more than that might be worth it, but as a church, you really don’t need to be spending more than $10/mo.
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