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October 13, 2023There’s nothing in the world that could deny the importance of spirituality. The church is meant to share the Gospel, to offer love and help to people, and to be the place that offers you comfort whenever you are in need. And in today's world, thanks to the Internet, spreading the word is easier than it has ever been.
The church is known for the services it offers to whoever is in need. Even so, not everyone can go to church regularly for all sorts of reasons, including lack of time or long distances. Fortunately, the online world has opened a new door for churches, allowing them to invite anyone, anywhere to participate in the church community. In this article, you're going to learn how to create a professional website for a church with an easy-to-use church website builder.
Wix
Wix is one of the most popular website builders for websites of all kinds and it is just as suitable for church website design. Even though this builder is intended to help people build general informational websites, it is so versatile that it allows anyone to personalize their website the way they want. Not only that, but Wix also has a few non-profit religious templates ready for you to use. Choose one and customize it according to your own needs.
Once you’re done, publish the new website and enjoy the great features it comes with. With this church website builder, you can manage events, add photos, audio or video files, set up donations, and more. Wix even enables users to set up a forum or blog section on the website, so you can communicate with your congregation and let them interact among themselves. For more formal communications, you can also send newsletter emails to let people know about events or other important info.
PRICE: Wix has a free plan that includes ads and fewer features and a paid plan that can cost anywhere between $5 and $25/month based on the website’s size.
Another good church website builder is Ministry Designs. As the name suggests, the builder is perfect for any ministry trying to reach people online. Ministry Design comes with included customer support and a drag-and-drop system for managing content.
This builder is great for creating church websites if you are not tech-savvy. It is a secure platform that also offers the chance to raise funds, as well as a sermon storage feature. With the storage feature, you can record sermons and store them on the website so that other people can download them or listen to them at any time.
PRICE: For Ministry Designs, you will have to pay a $1000 upfront free and then $20 per month to continue using the services.
ShareFaith
With ShareFaith, you can build an incredible church website quickly and easily. In fact, you don’t have to do much at all. Simply select one of the templates that they offer and customize it with the content of your choice. All the templates already have what you need, including about, contact, donations, and events pages. The templates are pre-populated with content which you simply replace with your own. There are some templates that include options such as offering Sunday School lessons online.
It’s important to mention that ShareFaith was nominated by the Worship Leader Magazine as the best church website builder for nine years in a row.
PRICE: You can try ShareFaith for free in a demo version. The premium plan costs $45/month if you choose a yearly plan paid in advance or $50 for a monthly plan.
Finalweb is perfect for church website design for any size church. It has a complex customization system, features like podcasting sermons, uploading both audio and video files, integrating an event calendar, setting up a registration form, and more. What's more, all this can be easily managed by those who don’t have knowledge in the field of technology. You can choose between multiple pre-set themes and simply add your own media to it. The site automatically turns audio sermons into podcasts and has a calendar system so you can plan and announce future events in advance. Finalweb is also mobile-friendly, which makes it a great church website builder for the modern age.
PRICE: For Finalweb you need to pay $29/month.
Nucleus
This might be the best website builder for your church if you have zero experience with building websites. However, even though it is convenient to use, you can only choose between two templates. These are enough if you’d like to put together a website in no time at all, but may lack the features to do what you want. That said, you can still add a variety of features to the site such as sign up forms for events or uploading sermons.
PRICE: Nucleus is free for 30 days and then you will have to pay $80/month.
Churchikon
Churchikon comes with a variety of templates you can choose for your website. This is a church website builder that is purposefully designed for the task of creating stunning church websites. The program offers two plans, basic and premium. You should choose the plan that works best with what you want to obtain from your site, so make sure to go over the feature list before you buy.
The most important feature that is present in both plans is the events function, which gives you the ability to set up activities that your church will engage in in the future, which visitors can sign up for. Moreover, you can also add maps to help people with finding the physical location of the church, as well as detailed directions on how to get there.
PRICE: The basic plan for Churchikon costs $59/year, while the premium one costs $89/year.
Church Web Builder
As the name says it suggests, this is a church web builder that can help you put together a website in less than a few hours. You need to choose the plan that fits your needs best and includes the features that you will regularly use on your website. Church Web Builder offers includes SEO tools to keep your website on top of Google's search results, email campaign tools to keep in touch with your members, as well as a ministry application form to sign up new members. You can create a small eCommerce store, too, and ask people to answer surveys when they enter the site.
PRICE: Church Web Builder plans start at $21.95 and can go up to $34.95/month.
Clover Sites
Clover Sites is a church website builder that offers the user a lot of templates to choose from. It is a content management system that is friendly for both beginners and those who are experienced with websites. Clover Media is a tool that lets you customize the content the way you want it to, using pre-designed files that are ready to use. Clover Media has no less than 90,000 elements and is very convenient for finding exactly what you need.
PRICE: For Clover Sites, you will have to pay a $1000 upfront fee, as well as $20/month for hosting.
FAQ on church website builders
Why do churches even need a dedicated website builder?
Well, you see, churches, like any other organization, need to have an online presence. It's the digital age, after all! A dedicated church website builder is tailored to the specific needs of religious institutions. Think about it: sermon archives, event calendars, donation portals. Generic website builders might not cater to these unique requirements. So, having a platform that understands the church vibe? That's gold.
What features should a church website builder offer?
Alright, here's the deal. A church website builder should have features like sermon management, event scheduling, and a donations system. Plus, it'd be super cool if it had member directories and prayer request sections. Oh, and don't forget about integrations with social media and email newsletters. It's all about connecting the congregation and spreading the good word, right?
Are these church website builders user-friendly?
Totally get where you're coming from. Nobody wants to wrestle with complicated software. Good news is, most church website builders are designed for folks who aren't tech wizards. They usually come with drag-and-drop features, pre-designed templates, and intuitive interfaces. So, even if you're not a tech guru, you can still create a fab website for your congregation.
How much do these platforms typically cost?
Ah, the million-dollar question (or maybe not that much!). Prices vary, but many church website builders offer free basic plans. However, if you're looking for more advanced features or more storage, you might have to shell out a few bucks monthly. Always a good idea to compare prices and see what fits your church's budget and needs.
Can I integrate online donations?
Absolutely! Most church website builders understand the importance of tithes and offerings. So, they often come with built-in donation tools or integrations with popular payment gateways. This way, your congregation can easily contribute online, especially in times when they can't make it in person.
How about mobile responsiveness?
Oh, for sure! In today's world, a lot of folks browse on their phones or tablets. So, it's crucial for church websites to look good and function well on mobile devices. Thankfully, many church website builders prioritize mobile responsiveness. So, whether someone's checking out the Sunday sermon on their phone or looking up event details, it'll all look sleek.
Can I upload sermons and other media?
You bet! Uploading sermons, videos, podcasts, and other media is a big deal for churches. Most church website builders get this and offer ample storage and media management tools. This way, members who missed a service or those who just want to revisit a message can easily do so.
Is there support for multi-language websites?
Great question! As churches often cater to diverse communities, having multi-language support can be super beneficial. Many church website builders offer tools or plugins that help with translations or setting up multi-language sites. So, whether your congregation speaks Spanish, French, or any other language, you're covered.
What about security and privacy?
Oh, totally vital! Churches handle sensitive information, from member details to donation records. So, a good church website builder will prioritize security. Look for platforms that offer SSL certificates, regular backups, and robust privacy policies. Peace of mind is priceless, right?
Can I get a custom domain with my church's name?
For sure! Having a custom domain like "ourchurchname.org" gives a professional touch. Most church website builders allow you to either purchase a domain through them or link an existing one. It's all about making your church's online presence as authentic and recognizable as possible.
Final word
Hopefully, the list above will help you pick the best church website builder for your own church and offer your visitors the perfect user experience. It doesn’t matter whether you choose a general website builder or one that is specifically built for church websites since you can achieve the same great result with just a little bit of effort. And if these don't work for you, there are lots of church website templates online that you can use.
