Church Internet Statistics

Visit our 'Project Web Statistics: Demonstrating Success' for a stats focus on our own websites.

The internet is an extension of our local community: we can search for what’s on at our local theatre; book a hotel; organise a weekend away; email our family and friends – all of which are examples of how the internet has become rooted in every day life. In the UK alone 82.5% of the population are ‘online’, 78% use the internet for searching for online services in their local community. We are now in an age where people are ready to search the internet to find a church and, in most cases, are willing to consider a church that is not in their local community... all based on an online assessment through a church website.

With search engine statistics we can evaluate how people have accessed the internet; however the stats themselves are all historical data, indicators of what was – it is therefore vital that we look to the future of the internet and how this may change the way a church sees itself in the wider community. Just as the internet revolutionised how the world accessed information and communicated through the 1990's, the ongoing development in speed, bandwidth and functionality will continue to cause fundamental changes to how our world operates for decades to come.

The future of the internet communications revolution is ongoing, now uniting communities as it recently united networks. The internet will increasingly be used for communications within church communities as much as across countries. Local church communities will organise in virtual space and take increasing advantage of group communication tools, such as mailing lists, newsgroups, blogs and websites, and towns and cities will become more organised and empowered at the neighbourhood level.

At the same time, church communities will be as profoundly affected by the capabilities the internet is bringing to the way individuals communicate, providing individuals in the once isolated communities the ability to easily establish relationships with others in their local area by first meeting in cyberspace. Church websites will change expectations of geographically oriented community organisations, and provide increasingly wide choices to individuals who wish to participate in local communities that share their interests.

The geographical boundaries of a church quickly dissolve as it emerges online, opening its doors to a virtual congregation of 1.8 billion people; your church quickly becomes 24 / 7! It is perhaps no surprise that the largest percentage growth (in internet usage) in recent years has been in Africa (1,089.8% increase between 2000-2009) and Asia (568% increase).  And it is online users from these countries, above all others, who are searching for guidance in their faith journeys. While your website will help and support people within your own local communities, the rippling effect will find your site visited by a large number of people from these emerging international online communities. What better way is there than to use the online community to fulfil the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt 28:19).

E-mail: info@churchwebsitedesign.org.uk