Writing content for your website can be a huge task. It seems like there is so much to get done, and you just don't know where to start. It can feel really overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Here are a few tips on how best to gather content and get it completed without stressing out yourself or others on staff.
At Fishhook, we typically start with a map of the site navigation. This helps us put together a list of all the pages where unique content is needed. From there, we identify all the people/departments where information is needed.
Here are some questions I suggest communications directors send to their ministry directors when trying to write their website content:
- What is the mission of your ministry area?
- Why do you feel it is important to have this ministry at the church?
- What are the most important 3-5 things that people should know about your ministry?
- What are your goals of your ministry? How do you want to connect with the people?
- What logistical things do people need to know about your ministry (when/where it meets, ages, etc.)?
- What are some FAQs you get about your ministry area from new visitors?
- Why should people get involved?
- Who should people contact to get more info (person, phone number, email, etc.)?
- Anything else that you hope might be included about your ministry area on the website?
These questions help lay the foundation of the content that should be included on each ministry area's page. When writing, make sure you keep a consistent hierarchy to the content on each page. Think of ministry pages as your evergreen (not changing often) content. Events, sign ups, etc., can be placed on your timely content pages, such as a calendar, blog, etc.
Typically, a staff page is one of the most visited pages on any church website, so don't forget about gathering content for this important page. And start asking for the information sooner rather than later because sometimes it takes people a while to get the content sent. Many times, a staff page will need the following information for each person: