Some home pages are sparse and bare, with little information and only one photo, often a photo of the building. Some are quite unattractive to look at, with a bland layout, poor quality photos, and unharmonious colors. Some are cluttered with too much information and a hodgepodge of fonts, colors, and styles. An attractive home page that presents key information about a congregation’s heart and soul is an excellent investment of time, money, and energy.

Your home page is very likely the most visited page on your site. Here is one month's hits for one congregation:

Home page—2,112
Congregational values page—311
Audio and media page (includes sermon downloads)—232
How to get involved in ministry page—222
Marketplace (a place to exchange things and services)—185
News and events—184
Pastors and staff—175
Contact us—121
Small groups—119 

Next: Congregational websites have 3 audiences

This resource was written by Lynne M. Baab, author of the book "Reaching Out in a Networked World: Expressing Your Congregation's Heart and Soul"  (The Alban Institute).