Are you needing to write new website content? Here's how to get started and stay motivated.
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:
- Name
- Title
- Department
- Email
- Phone
- Bio (explain the length and style of the bio)
When writing content for the website, remember to start gathering a few timely pieces of content as well. It might be current serving opportunities, events for the calendar, small group information and sermon audio/video. It is also helpful to have a few blog posts written and ready for the launch of a new site.
My last piece of advice is to give yourself plenty of time. Don't write it all in one sitting. Take out a calendar and start assigning due dates to content, so you are working steadily on it for 4-6 weeks at a time. Then make sure you share it with others, so you have another set of eyes to make edits to the content. It's also important to make sure to show consistency through the language, so it sounds like it is coming from one voice.
Good luck and happy writing!
