{"id":19013,"date":"2026-02-17T17:41:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=19013"},"modified":"2026-02-17T17:41:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:41:49","slug":"how-to-get-your-church-website-to-do-more-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=19013","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Your Church Website to Do More for You"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">We continue to walk you through our website design process.\u00a0 (Click if you missed steps 1-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">We build all of our custom-designed business, ministry and church websites using WordPress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">WordPress is open source software, so there\u2019s no cost for the core software itself. It\u2019s estimated that 43% of all websites use WordPress.\u00a0 Because it\u2019s so popular, there are many themes and plugins available \u2013 some for free, some for a fee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">At this point in the process, we install and configure WordPress. Then install the theme selected in Step 4.\u00a0 Because WordPress already has its\u00a0Famous 5-minute Installation instructions online and because the configuration process is more detailed and personalized than we want to get into here, I\u2019m going to move on to the next step\u2026<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Step 5) Select and Install Plugins<\/h2>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">There are more than 61,000 WordPress plugins that provide almost every imaginable function \u2013 calendars, newsletters, online forms, event registration, photo galleries, SEO, just to name a few.\u00a0 For each of these functions there may be dozens of different plugins to choose from.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">So, how do you choose which plugins to use?<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">1) Make a list of the features you would like on your website.<\/h4>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Talk with the staff and ministry team leaders about the features or functionality they think should be on the website.\u00a0 When you talk with people, try to get a sense for how important they think each feature is.\u00a0 Let them know you\u2019re just getting ideas at this point, and not every idea will be implemented.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">2) Whittle down the features list<\/h4>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Even though many WordPress plugins are free, there are other \u201ccosts\u201d to consider.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Everything you add to your website has to be managed and maintained.\u00a0 For example, most churches say they want sermons audio or videos on their website.\u00a0 But keep in mind, someone has to record, edit, and publish the sermon consistently every week.\u00a0 If no one is committed to doing this, then it\u2019s better not to find, install, and setup the plugin for an empty sermons section\/page.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Another cost that comes with each plugin is the divided attention it produces.\u00a0 Everyone has a limited amount of time and attention.\u00a0 Each feature you add to your website, reduces the time and attention the other features will get.\u00a0 Therefore, before you choose to move forward with a feature, ask yourself is it important enough to sacrifice time and attention from the other features.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">3) Evaluate available plugins<\/h4>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">The WordPress website has a very useful\u00a0plugin search\u00a0feature. Type in the feature you\u2019re looking for, and then review the available plugins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">When we evaluate plugins we look for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Tested in the latest version of WordPress.\u00a0If a plugin hasn\u2019t been tested with the latest version, it could be an indication that the developer(s) are no longer active.<\/li>\n<li class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Active support.\u00a0Every plugin has a \u201cSupport\u201d tab. Check to see if the developer(s) have responded to recent in inquiries.\u00a0 Check to be sure there aren\u2019t a bunch of unresolved issues. If the developer hasn\u2019t responded for several weeks and there are a lot of unresolved issues, it\u2019s probably not a good idea to use the plugin.<\/li>\n<li class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Updated recently.\u00a0 We prefer plugins that have been updated within the last 3 months, however if a plugin has been updated within the last 8 months and it has good ratings and active support responses, we consider it.<\/li>\n<li class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Good ratings. We like to see at least 4 out of 5 stars<\/li>\n<li class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Active installations.\u00a0 Some plugins have millions of active installations others have less than 10.\u00a0 There\u2019s no rule of thumb for how many active installations is enough, but it can be helpful when comparing plugins that provide the same feature to see which is most popular.<\/li>\n<li class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Features.\u00a0 Every plugin includes a list of features.\u00a0 Sometimes we\u2019ll choose a less popular or slightly lower rated plugin if it has some features another similar competing plugin doesn\u2019t have.<\/li>\n<li class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Price.\u00a0 While a lot of plugins are free, some have to be purchased. Some may have a free and a \u201cpro\u201d version.\u00a0 Some high-end plugins may require a maintenance subscription.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">This will help your website not only look great but also be helpful for those who visit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\" align=\"center\">What separates design from art is that design is meant to be\u2026 functional. -Cameron Moll<\/p>\n<p>Click to share this image on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram <\/p>\n<h4>Save Time with a Trusted Partner<\/h4>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">If all of this seems like a lot of work to do for each and every feature you add to your website, well\u2026 it is.\u00a0 Depending on how many features\/plugins you want to add to your website it could take 2-20 hours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">This is why one of the biggest benefits of hiring a professional\u00a0church website developer\u00a0like OurChurch.Com is we have already researched the features churches want, and found good, stable plugins for each, saving lots of time and headaches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Similarly, using a DIY\u00a0church website builder\u00a0like our WP-EZ Website Builder also saves tons of time by eliminating this step.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call with our team!<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Comment and discuss\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>What questions, comments, or suggestions do you have about website plugins and functionality?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"m_-6281565331687285437gmail-Preformatted\">Continue reading\u2026\u00a0The inside scoop on our 10 step church website design process<\/p>\n<p><strong>Co-founder &amp; CEO, OurChurch.Com<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ChurchLeaders.com<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The JoyFM<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and his personal blog, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LiveIntentionally.org<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journey Community Church<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We continue to walk you through our website design process.\u00a0 (Click if you missed steps 1-4). We build all of our custom-designed business, ministry and church websites using WordPress. WordPress is open source software, so there\u2019s no cost for the core software itself. It\u2019s estimated that 43% of all websites use WordPress.\u00a0 Because it\u2019s so<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[82,1250],"class_list":{"0":"post-19013","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-prayer","8":"tag-church","9":"tag-website"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}