Having wrapped up initial redesign planning, it’s time to gather your redesign team. For many of you, this will be where the rubber hits the road. Intertwined with creating a team are two key pieces: your budget and your content management system.

Perhaps the most common mistake I see with website redesigns is jumping in at the deep end — going straight to design or code. My theory about why this happens so frequently is that it’s very human. We love to create. Specifically we love to create things.

Arguably the single most important step of a congregational website redesign is figuring out what users need — not what you think they need and certainly not just what you need — but what they really can use.

Do you want to know what’s really happening on your congregation’s website — basing it on hard data instead of your best guess? Or would you like a few compelling graphics about your site to show leadership? It’s surprisingly easy to do this with a new breed of software tailored to websites, loosely named “analytics.” […]

The very first step of a great redesign is ridiculously simple. It’s to dream — dream big even — and then (here’s the key) capture your ideas and organize them. To do this, you’ll need a place to record not just these thoughts, but other plans as you get further into the redesign. This is […]

Beginning a Step By Step Series on Web Redesign for Congregations. Over the next few months I’ll be on a journey overhauling my church’s site. I’d love for you to join me and rebuild your congregation’s site, perhaps even at the same time.