So, the big question is "Why do you need a website?"
Well, the short answer is, because you will be lost,
left behind and lacking if you choose to ignore the need for one. An online
church is a virtual representation of who you are and what your church
represents. There are many people who live in remote areas far from a local church
who need the gospel of Jesus Christ. “How much money does a website cost?”
This is a question I always hear. This is like
asking. How much is a car? How much are shoes? How much is land?
There are several factors to consider when thinking of
which direction to go.
Knowledge: How knowledgeable are the people
that will be working on your website? Will these
people work for peanuts or are they skilled and/or trained?
Content: What is the nature and degree of your content? Is
this content text-heavy or media driven? What are the design and development
implications of this answer?
Purpose: What is the theme, purpose or end goal for your entity?
Audience: Who is your demographic? What are their habits and
patterns? What are their needs?
Time and Planning: What realistic time frame is plausible? Which
resources are you willing to yield in order to contribute to the planning?
Communications/Contracts/Expectations:
Who will be the liaison between your church and the
website company? What is their availability?
Agreements must be in writing. As far as possible,
all communications must be recorded and /or be in writing. More than two people
should be present. If by email, the written communication is perfect.
What expectations do you have of the entity that
will be designing your site?
Content Management System(s):
A paid programmer will need to be paid for every
minute change done to your website. You do not need Please believe that Chase
does not have one person responsible for every aspect of their website. They
have developed a special team of trusted architects that have pioneered their
site. However, the duty of customers logging in, and conducting online banking
is an automated process. These processes are running in the back ground,
in like fashion to when we breathe while sleeping. It is something that is
independent of us. We need not think about it. How automated will the website
be? The more automated the website the less money is needed to allocate to
maintenance.
(ie. Login, Log offs, user control panel etc.)
Paid versus Free: What is the difference between paid versus free?
What is the difference between Family Dollar and Macy’s? Exactly.
