Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find the most frequently asked questions that we have received via email and over the phone. If you have questions that has not been answered on this page, please contact us.

1. Why do I need a church website?

2. What are the benefits of your service?

3. Can you redevelop existing church websites?

4. How can a church website encourage people to visit my church?

5. How much will a professional church website cost?

6. How much will your advice and telephone consultations cost?

7. How do you make sure we receive visitors to our church website?

8. How long does it take to develop a church website?

9. Who owns the content of the website once it is finished?

10. Can you meet with our church leaders?

11. Who would be in charge of updating the website?

12. How do you advertise our church online?

13. Is there funding available to help us develop a church website?

14. Can we have an online shop?

15. How much does the hosting service cost?

16. Who owns the church domain address once it is registered?

17. What happens if we decide to ask someone else to do our website?

18. What software do you use to create the website?

19. How can we help promote your service?

Q: Why do I need a church website?

A: Web sites have developed considerably in the last few years with the result that the more professional a site appears, the more people are likely to take notice of it. If a website is not well presented and professional in its appearance, people will log off the site after only a few seconds. First impressions are very important with websites as with many other things in life. A church website is very much the online "shop window" to your church. A wise shop owner knows the value of professional window design and in the same way a church will see the benefits of a professionally designed website.

As website designs and trends change and develop with time, it is essential to keep it up to date and this is the website developer's main function: to predict change and adapt to the expectations of the target audience. This of course does not mean the church loses control of the site or input. There will still be plenty for the church to do in updating the content of the site. Once the site is up and running, our role as professional web developers moves from a web development to an advisory and consultative role. We will continue to help you develop a website that is fresh, professional and relevant to the developing 'needs' of online users.

 Q: What are the benefits of your service?

A: We have the experience, knowledge and skills in developing bespoke online communications for churches and faith groups. We combine this with our experience in communications from a range of experience backgrounds and our Christian beliefs and values to offer one of the most progressive church website design services in the UK. Our team is made up of clergy and lay members of churches who have significant experience in rural and urban church ministries and can support you and your church develop the best church website for your needs.

Q: Can you redevelop existing church websites?

A: Yes. We can perform a free professional review and analysis of your existing website and provide you with a report of our findings. This will evaluate your sites strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. From the SWOT analysis we can advise you on the changes that would make the most impact to your website and help support a rebuild of your site.

Q: How can a church website encourage people to visit my church?

A: Relevant content, quality presentation and a true and clear depiction of your church ministry and life. As statistical research has shown us, many more people are now using the internet for spiritual purposes. Helping people to engage with your church online will encourage more people to visit your church, contact clergy and ultimately share in the fellowship and ministry of your church. View our statistics page for information on how people are using the internet for spiritual purposes.  

Q: How much will a church website cost?

A: One of THE most frequently asked questions. And rightly so. We understand and appreciate the financial constraints that many churches face today. The Church Website Design Project was designed to provide support to churches, no matter what your size or bank balance. To that end, all of our website design packages offered to church groups are more than 60% lower than the commercial rates offered by most professional website developers. Cost will depend on the size of site you require. Review the range of services and features that can be included as part of your site and this will give you an indication of the number of pages you may require. For an exact quote, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Q: How much will your advice and telephone consultations cost?

It will cost you nothing; our advice and telephone consultations are FREE. Approximately 75% of our work is offered FREE to churches and religious groups. This ensures that we are able to support as many church communities and groups as possible, alleviating you from the financial burden that would otherwise be associated with the same level of professional support and consultation.

Q: How do you make sure we receive visitors to our church website?

A: We have experience in online search engine marketing and optimisation. Our Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Marketing services are included FREE OF CHARGE to all church and community based websites. We will spend time listing your website with over 3,000 search engines and over 300 major search directories throughout the world. We will submit your website to a number of specialist search directories, forums and interest group websites. We will develop a link campaign whereby we petition thousands of targeted religious websites to add your website's website link to their homepage or website. We will undertake a Search Engine Optimisation Plan that will target keywords so that when someone searches for that particular keyword, such as the name of your parish church, your website will be the first to be listed on all the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. This service is provided FREE and is offered commercially at £1,600 per year.

Q: How long does it take to develop a church website?

A: A church website can be designed and launched within a matter of days, providing all the content and graphics has been provided by you and your church team. In reality, many churches require our help in a number of areas and there is a process of consultation that can take a matter of days or even weeks, depending on the working arrangements within your parish or church. Most recently, in the case of a Deanery website, it took over 3 months to develop. However, a single church website is undergoing developing and has thus far taken just under 3 months to get to the design stage. We do not put pressure on you to meet deadlines and understand that you do not have all the time in the world to develop a web project, which is why we take the strain from you and provide the support and guidance to develop a professional and modern church website. 

Q: Who owns the content of the website once it is finished?

A: The site and its content is the property of the church and its administrating body or committee. Unlike other website design providers, we do not insist that the content and graphics that we create for your are ours. The site belongs to the church.

Q: Can you meet with our church leaders?

A: Yes. We can travel any distance within the UK providing the travel costs are covered if the travel is more than 30 miles radius from our location in Norfolk. Occasionally, depending on the size of the project, we may provide this free of charge, or can be 'purchased' as part of our extended service plan which includes three days 1-1 consultation and development at a location suitable to you, along with presentations for committees and the inclusion of workshops to develop content and participation in the site. Included in this extended service plan is our photographic service. which has been a great addition to our service options and allows us to present your church and team in a professional and inviting way.

Q: Who would be in charge of updating the website?

A: Updating of the website can work in two ways. We can take responsibility for managing and updating the site for you if you do not have the time, computer access or skills to carry out the necessary changes. You can send changes and additions to us via email or over the phone and these will be implemented quickly. Alternatively, we can provide Content Management Software that is fairly easy to use and will give you access to agreed content on the site.

Q: How do you advertise our church online?

A: We use a range of tried and tested marketing tools and techniques to enable your website to be accessed by as many people as possible. We will publish your website address on several hundred global search engines, directory listings and dedicated Christian web resources. We use search engine optimisation techniques to ensure your website can be found on Google, Yahoo and MSN search engines. All of our church website design projects include professional SEO and online marketing strategies to help your website gain visitors and interest locally and internationally.

Q: Is there funding available to help us develop a church website?

A: There are a number of initiatives available with local authorities, depending on the support that is available within your area. In Wales, for example, there are a number of rural support groups that will part finance 'community service websites', as well as the creation of bilingual content. For more details on whether funding can be provided to help your church develop online communications, please contact us with details of your location in the UK and we will endeavour to identify groups and societies that can assist in financing your project.

Q: Can we have an online shop?

A: Yes. No matter the quantity of items you have to sell, we can develop a professional user friendly online shop with fully automated payment systems and easy to use back-end facilities to help your church generate more income. Contact us with full details of your retail requirements.

Q: How much does the hosting service cost?

A: We do not charge churches or faith groups for their hosting packages. The commercial 'value' of the package we offer is worth £15 per month. We provide a number of unlimited features such as: web space, emails and bandwidth etc. Once we have transferred or registered your chosen website domain, you will receive full details on how to access and manage your account online. For screenshots of the online software that you will use, click here.

Q: Who owns the church domain address once it is registered?

A: The domain address belongs to your church. We do not register domain addresses in our name unlike most other website development companies, we make sure that the ownership of the website domain resides with the church committee or administrative group. When a website address is registered, the full ownership details are recorded on the WHOIS database, a database that publishes the legal owner of the domain.

Q: What happens if we decide to ask someone else to do our website?

A: Our priority is to encourage clergy and church groups to develop professional websites with relevant and user friendly resources and material. While we feel we are best suited to support the final development of the technical elements of the website, we would not penalise any church that sought our help and then chose alternative means of developing online communications. Our advice and support is free, our website design charges are significantly lower than other professional web designers and it is only this element of the process that we ask churches to pay for.

Q: What software do you use to create the website?

A: We use a range of  to develop our websites, including Dreamweaver, FrontPage, Photoshop CS3, Flash Macromedia and a host of industry leading online marketing and advertising packages. We primarily use HTML code to develop websites as this is the core language of the internet. We occasionally work with PHP, MySQL and Apache language structures and often incorporate these elements into most of our websites.

Q: How can we help to promote your service?

A: One of the easiest ways to support our work is to provide a link from our website to your website. Talk to your colleagues and church members about website development. Ask your church leaders about how they are using the internet to bring people back into the church. Anything you can do to support out work will be greatly appreciated.