Church Website Design Q&A with Michael Buckingham of Holy Cow Creative

Michael Buckingham, creator director and founder of Holy Cow Creative, answered my church website questions. I really enjoyed reading his comments and love his passion for helping churches communicate better. Here’s his answers:

1. What’s your company’s mission?

Our mission is to partner with churches and ministries in pressing towards excellence in communicating God’s truth based on Luke 14:23 and John 12:49.

2. Can you give me some background on how you started doing church web sites?

We have the most astounding truth and yet we proclaim it in such a mediocre way. I saw that we, as the church, had settled for less than excellence. To be honest at first I just complained about it, shaking my head but God was stirring up a hunger within me, a hunger to change the way we communicate. Today, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

3. What products and services do you specialize in?

We offer the full gamut from print to interactive. We specialize in communication. Whether we are developing a website, designing a visitors packet … whatever the final product, its goal is to always communicate. There must be strategy in telling the story in order for true excellence to be achieved.

4. Any products you would like to highlight or mention that would be of specific value to churches?

We have always looked at ourselves as partners, not simply vendors. We’ve never charged hourly rates but instead developed a flat per project rate. This has helped in attaining the goal while working within established budgets. This year we have taken that a step further by developing a monthly all-inclusive fee. It simply means once a monthly budget is established we never have to talk about money again and can focus on developing great marketing.

5. What are the basic steps to designing a church site?

A website must be a part of a larger strategy, so we begin by learning about the ministry, the people that carry the vision, the work that is being done and the people that are being reached.

The first question to answer is “Who is the website for?” Is this for the body or will it be used as an outreach tool. While it won’t necessarily be one or the other and ultimately you would have two distinct sites for the different groups, you need to begin with a focus.

Once the audience is determined we can then ask the next question “What do they need, and what do they want.” This is the foundation of the functionality of the website. Quickly followed is “What do you need.” There is nothing worse than a website that is unusable by either your audience or yourself. By establishing these parameters we can then move forward with building the framework of the website.

While this is in progress we can then turn to the design aspects. This step deems the question “What should the website feel like?” For some it should feel like a Harley shop, for others it should feel like a coffee house. With that information in hand we can then develop the look and feel of the site.

Then it’s just a matter of putting the pieces together.

6. Do you have a creative questionnaire that you would be willing to share?

Sure … see this PDF — Holy Cow Web Strategy

7. Realistically, how much should a church expect to pay for a top-quality Web site?

We do everything we can to take cost out as a factor. Sure, we can tell you that a website typically costs between $2,000 and $10,000 … but we’ve then put walls up that can restrict what it is we have set out to do – advance the gospel with excellence.

8. What church web sites have you done?

A site (actually more of a sub-site) that we just wrapped up on is a missions outreach page that we did for Christian Celebration Center. We will also be launching a new site for their church as well at the beginning of the year.

9. What advice do you have for smaller churches who may not have the resources to pay for a full-fledge site design?

My advice is to not hide behind the fact that you are a small church. There are many options that you can have customized that will serve your purpose. Take advantage of blog technology, MySpace, Second Life … these are all free frameworks that you can have customized to look, feel and act like your church. With companies like ours who are focused more on ministry than money, you can develop and deliver excellence in your communications.

10. What purpose should Web sites accomplish for churches?

You need to reach the lost and equip the saints. You need to be doing both, and not just in your website but in all your marketing efforts. The only question left is how that is achieved. If you can’t allow for separate sites, make your website (especially the front page) visitor friendly with areas of the website geared towards the people of the church that you can direct them to.

11. What trends (for good or bad) do you see in church web site design?

The church has begun to embrace some of the new avenues of outreach that are out there such as blogs, podcast and even MySpace.

We are often guilty of blending in … many people know within a few seconds if they are at a church website or not. There is little distinction. This year I’ve not seen a lot of activity with churches websites, they received a lot of attention a couple years ago and have sat static or unchanged.

12. What one (or more) Internet technology do you wish more churches would take advantage of?

Actually I wish the church would only take advantage of new technology when they are ready for it, or as I often put it ‘earn the right to it.’ If your basic website hasn’t been updated and looks like it did 5 years ago … don’t add features, clean house first.

13. What are a few basic search engine optimization techniques you would suggest churches do?

Optimize your keywords : think of what’s going to be typed into Google
Skip full flash sites : instead use flash elements to liven things up
Hang out with popular sites : a link on a well visited site is worth big points
Buy local : Take advantage local adwords, skip words like “Baptist Church” and focus on “Ashland church”

14. How should a church evaluate a prospective web site design firm or designer?

I really think it comes down to relationship and vision. Look for someone who understands your ministry and brings ideas to the table.

15. Any resources, sites, links, magazines, or articles that you’d point churches to?

Wow, where to start … I haven’t found any great web-focused magazines, but that’s probably because the web is chock full of more web development reading material than you could every digest. Don’t get blinded by the technology, look at what others are doing well both inside and outside the church.
[Thanks, Michael, keep the Cow rockin’ for churches and the gospel!]

See all the previous Q&As in the Building Rockin’ Church Websites series.

November 29, 2006 · Filed Under Rockin' Web Sites, Web Site Design

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