As I continue to visit churches, I see a lot of importance placed on having greeters in place once you arrive at the facility to insure you have at least two points of contact with people as you enter. Many people say that people make a decision about the church within a few moments of entering the church, thus the importance of a quality greeter ministry.

I’d like to propose that 1st time visitors receive their first impression well before they enter the shadows of the doors of your facility. In this day in age, having an internet presence for the church is vital, especially if you are seeking to reach the “younger generation”. Before I ever visit a church, I always, yes ALWAYS, look to see if they have a web site. If the web site is maintained, the calendar has current events, service times are displayed prominently, then it shows me that they care about their people, and those who may be visiting by providing current information. If they list a Facebook page or a Twitter account, then I will look at them to see how often they are used. To me, that shows how well they embrace, and understand, how to reach people today (they don’t need the Facebook and Twitter accounts, but if they do, they should be utilized).

While a poorly maintained web site may not keep me from visiting the church, when I do, I already have a pre-conceived notion about the church, either positive or negative that I’m seeking to confirm.

Having a doctrinal statement on the web site is also important. By viewing the doctrinal statement, it allows a visitor to know what the church believes and any denominational affiliations. If the visitor’s doctrinal view is not in line with the church, they will know this upfront and possibly avoid conflict later.

The web site should also have a section specifically for the potential first time visitor as to what to expect when they visit and how they can connect once they arrive. While the visitor may not make that connection, they will know that it exists if they choose to utilize it.

How does your church web site look to visitors?

Will it invite people to visit, or will it keep them away?