What Every Church Website Needs (and What to Cut)
Your website's real job is helping a nervous first-time guest decide to visit.
The thisweek.church editorial team · Updated August 5, 2026 · 5 min read
A church website's main job is helping a potential guest decide to visit, so lead with the essentials: service times, location, and what to expect. Make it fast and mobile-first, keep navigation simple, write for newcomers rather than insiders, and give one clear next step.
Most people visit your church website before they ever visit your church. That single fact should shape everything about it: the site isn't a bulletin board for members, it's a front door for guests deciding whether to walk in.
Answer the guest's questions first
A potential visitor has three questions: when do you meet, where are you, and what will it be like? Put the answers where they can't be missed — at the top, in plain language. Everything else on your site matters less than getting these right.
Design for phones
The majority of people will see your site on a phone, often in the car or on the couch the night before. If it isn't fast and easy to use on a small screen, it doesn't matter how it looks on your desktop. Check the mobile experience first, not last.
Keep navigation simple
Every extra menu item is a chance to get lost. Trim your navigation to the few things guests and members actually need, and resist the urge to give every ministry its own top-level link. Clarity beats completeness.
Write for newcomers, not insiders
Insider language quietly tells a guest they don't belong yet. Swap ministry-specific names and church jargon for plain descriptions of what things are. Write as if you're talking to someone who's never been — because you are.
- —Service times and location, above the fold.
- —A simple 'what to expect' for first-time guests.
- —A fast, mobile-friendly layout.
- —One clear next step — plan a visit or connect.
Give one clear next step
Don't make a ready visitor guess what to do. Offer one obvious action — plan a visit, get directions, say hello — and make it easy to find. A website that ends in a clear next step turns curiosity into a visit.
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Frequently asked questions
What should a church website include?
At minimum: service times, location, and a simple 'what to expect' for guests, all easy to find; a fast mobile layout; simple navigation; and one clear next step. Lead with what a first-time visitor needs to decide to come.
What's the most important page on a church website?
The page — often the homepage — that answers a guest's core questions: when you meet, where you are, and what it's like. Most visitors are deciding whether to attend, so make that decision easy.
Should a church website be mobile-friendly?
Yes — most people will view it on a phone, frequently right before deciding to visit. If your site isn't fast and easy to use on a small screen, it's failing its most important audience.