{"id":30256,"date":"2020-10-14T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2020-10-14T16:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/?p=30256"},"modified":"2020-10-16T17:11:39","modified_gmt":"2020-10-16T21:11:39","slug":"attack-of-the-content-creep-how-to-get-people-to-browse-your-church-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/attack-of-the-content-creep-how-to-get-people-to-browse-your-church-website\/","title":{"rendered":"Attack of the Content Creep: How to Get People to Browse Your Church Website"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fighting Content Creep<\/h2>\n

Sure, it *can* be added, but *should* it?<\/em><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

So maybe you\u2019re sitting there, and you feel like the Lord has given you a lot of vision for your ministry and you want the world to know all that is possible with your ministry. You\u2019re editing the content of your website, full of dreams, and you start thinking about all the things you CAN add to your website.<\/p>\n

But before you start adding, stop to ask yourself, \u201cSHOULD I add this?\u201d Or, better yet, ask, \u201cWHY should I add this?\u201d<\/p>\n

By asking this one simple question, you switch your perspective from \u201cWhat do I want to tell people?\u201d to \u201cWhat do my people need to hear?\u201d Once you can ask the second question, you move from mere self-expression into the communicative challenge of helping others with what you publish.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Root of Content Creep<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So often, the problem of content creep \u2014 having too much information on your web pages or your top-line site navigation \u2014 comes from the simple problem of not having a plan.<\/p>\n

What do we say \u2018no\u2019 to? What do we say \u2018yes\u2019 to? When we say yes, where does it go so people can most easily find it? It is erroneous to believe that once you\u2019ve put it on your homepage everyone will see it.<\/p>\n

If you have children, you\u2019ll understand the simple reality that if you say \u2018yes\u2019 to them all the time, very quickly things get crazy in your house. Your children need boundaries, guidelines, and parental wisdom to discern the best path forward.<\/p>\n

Content creep comes from the same place \u2014 you can<\/em> do that (add the extra page, put the additional button\/section\/graphic on the homepage), but should <\/em>you? What\u2019s the result of haphazardly adding things?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Fruit of Content Creep<\/h2>\n

In a word: confusion. When content is added without a clear, site-wide strategy, you\u2019re leading people to confusion, frustration, and ultimately giving up on your website.<\/p>\n

Have you ever had someone at your church\/school\/non-profit tell you, \u201cI don\u2019t use the website to get the information I need. I just get what I need to know from _________ (the bulletin, social media, email, friends).\u201d<\/p>\n

If so, your website either a) didn\u2019t have relevant content for your members, or b) led them on a confusing user journey.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fight the Creep: Craft User Journeys<\/h2>\n

After you understand the story you\u2019re trying to tell online, so that people can clearly understand the personality and values of your faith community, then you can think through how you want your users to interact with that story. What part should they play? How do they progress from merely interested into being fully invested?<\/p>\n

One straight-forward approach is to think through the users on your website in terms of their level of interest and involvement with your organization.<\/p>\n