FREE CHURCH WEBSITE GUIDE
Can a first-time visitor find what they need?
Use this checklist with someone who does not already know your church. Open the site on a phone, follow the visitor’s path, and write down the moments that need explanation.
THE STARTING POINT
Start by testing a real task: “Find Sunday’s service time, get directions, and ask a question.” If the tester needs help from a staff member to navigate the website, you have a useful place to improve.
Your first-visit checklist
Mark what you have checked on your live website. Answers stay on this page and reset on reload; they are not sent to Avandria.
Run the test together
Ask the tester to speak their thoughts aloud as they look for practical information. Avoid explaining the menu or pointing at buttons; the hesitation is the useful finding.
Check the live mobile site, not a design mockup. Try the directions link and a clearly labeled test inquiry. Confirm which inbox or system receives it, then remove the test record when you are finished.
Fix problems in the order they affect visitors
First correct inaccurate service times, broken directions, and forms that do not arrive. Next make essential information easier to scan and explain unfamiliar ministry names. Then work on visual improvements and extra content.
Keep a short action list with an owner and a due date. “Make the website better” is hard to complete; “Add parking directions beside the Sunday service time” is a manageable task.
Make a small review part of the routine
Recheck the first-visit path when the schedule changes, before a major event, and when responsibility passes to a new volunteer. Archive expired event information and test the form after changing providers.
Keep account ownership, editing responsibilities, and renewal information somewhere your authorized team can access. Avoid making one volunteer’s personal account the only way to maintain the site.
Then look at search visibility
A helpful page still needs to be discoverable. Check that your important pages have descriptive titles and can be reached through normal links. Compare your Google listing with the actual service schedule and address.
Use Search Console to investigate indexing or search performance when you have access. Passing this checklist is a visitor-experience review, not a guarantee of Google indexing or a complete technical SEO audit.
Common questions
Do we need to score perfectly before improving the site?
No. The checklist helps identify practical tasks. Start with the issue most likely to prevent a visit or a reply, then work through the rest.
What if nobody has time to maintain all these pages?
Simplify the structure. A few accurate pages with clear ownership are easier to sustain than many ministry pages with no updater. Use an event calendar or supported embed where it reduces duplicate work.
Does the checklist save or send our answers?
No. Checkmarks stay in this page’s current session and reset when you reload. Nothing from this checklist is submitted to Avandria.
A clear next step for your church.
Share your church’s website and the outcome your team needs. Luke will review your website and follow-up process, then suggest a practical next step. Prefer to talk? Book a free 15-minute call.