Church web design has a quite staggering array of potential pitfalls just waiting to catch out the developer, with the following examples being common on thousands of such websites today:
Beginning With The Building - Opening the homepage with a description of the stunning building may seem appropriate and interesting, but is a key example of poor church web design. All such focus does is reinforce the notion that the church in question is the building alone, rather than the people in it.
Complex Belief Statements - Good church web design is such that will attract new followers along with those already practicing their faith, therefore it is always essential to include information and statements written in plain English that all newcomers will understand.
Dated Content - Keeping the site inclusive of news and special events is helpful, but it must be ensured that nothing is displayed regarding minor events and occasions that have already passed. Readers seeing such items will at first glance conclude the whole site to be dated and will likely never be compelled to stay.
Loud Visuals - While many modern visual effects and the like may be attention grabbing, most are simply annoying and scream desperation. Good church web design is there where the content is all the attraction and hook that should be needed.
Loading Times - Not just a problem with church web design but all others across the board, as if the pages themselves take too long to load, interest is guaranteed to be lost. This is best avoided by limiting graphics and media content as much as possible, providing options for viewing such content rather than displaying it automatically.
"Clever" Navigation Systems - There is a reason so many navigation system basics are used across thousands of sites - they work and visitors like them! Every now and again, a home-made and impressive looking navigation system will prove right on the money, but more often than not will be unappealing to the visitor and dilute appeal significantly.
