At the end of the year it can be fun to look back and see what the trends of the past year were like. It can help us to know where we ve been and where we might be going. If you are into fabric, you want a fabric supplier that understands the fabric trends of today and is looking ahead to the trends of tomorrow. My Fabric Connection is that fabric supplier! We know fabric and can help you find the fabric that is perfect for you, whether you re looking for the hot new trend in fabric, something vintage or a fabric that will be unique to your sense of style. My Fabric Connection has seen that 100% cotton and a rayon/linen blend fabric are the fabrics that have been selling well over the past year. These cotton and linen fabrics are most popular when they are printed with a design. Printed fabrics such as florals, stripes and chevrons are all very popular right now. Printed fabric allows for a lot of creativity and has been trending well this year for use in clothing, purse
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2014/01/popular-fabric-2013/Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Is Your Website Still Worthless?
Last week, we talked about the importance of setting goals for your website and what kind of goals should be set. Today, we are going to discuss measuring the goals for your website. One of the most common goals that an organization will set for their website is for some specific action to take place by a visitor. When a visitor completes a desired task or step on your website, it is called a conversion. So ask yourself, “Once visitors are on my website, what do I want them to do?” Do you want them to submit form, watch a video, place a phone call, make a purchase, or visit your organization in person? List specific things you want visitors to do. Tracking of goals and conversions: Many website builders will have built in traffic monitoring software that will give you the ability to track things like total visitors, unique visitors, and visitors to specific pages. However, to track conversions or more detailed goals, you will probably need 3rd party software like G
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/1QFLNgzl45g/Popular Fabric Trends
We know that fabric trends come and go and you want your fabric supplier to understand the current fabric trends. Fabrics like velvet and corduroy used to be very popular. Polyester was popular beginning in the 1970s. Neon colors were popular in the 1980s and in the 1990s tiny prints were popular. What are the popular fabric trends that fabric companies are seeing these days? My Fabric Connection knows fabric and understands fabric trends! The popular fabric trend that My Fabric Connection has seen over the last year is that people are getting cotton and rayon/linen blend fabrics. Of the cotton and linen fabrics, the trend is fabrics with a printed pattern on them. Pattern fabric, such as florals, chevron and stripes are very popular fabric trends right now. Prints can be a very versatile choice that allows you to make your project look unique. Pattern fabric is a popular choice to use for clothing, purses and even draperies. There is just so much you can do with pattern f
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/12/popular-fabric-trends/Sunday, December 29, 2013
How We Teach Christian Leadership Qualities
At Christian Leadership University, we want to cultivate strong Christian leaders. So, how do we teach Christian leadership qualities? A Different Concept Most Christian leadership courses solely focus on trying to teach techniques a person can use to become a more effective leader. They talk about communication skills, creating a team, inspiring people, etc. While this can create effective leaders, it’s missing the core of Christian leadership, God. This can lead to people who lead people towards ungodly pursuits or people leading towards good goals, but relying on their own reason and will to get them there instead of God’s reason and power. Our leadership concept focuses on each student s spiritual formation and ability to hear the voice of God. We want to help form leaders who know how to hear God s voice, to know how to respond to God s voice, and to know how to act upon God s voice. God tells us the goals to lead towards and the way to go. So, at CLU, the Chris
http://blog.cluonline.com/2013/12/teach-christian-leadership-qualities/Thursday, December 26, 2013
Should Christians Get Involved in Online Public Advocacy?
As Christians who use social networks, maintain websites or blogs, or other online activities to serve God and others, I think we all agree on some matters. We agree that we are to do all things, offline or online, to glorify our great and awesome God. We agree that we have been called to love and serve others as He has loved us first. We desire to share Christ s love and to let what whatever we do be the outflow of our relationship with Him. Yet, whether you mean between individuals or Christian denominations, we re divided about how to go about some of this. Take the matter of public advocacy. Why should we Christians get involved in that? Should we? What Is Public Advocacy? Public advocacy is using any means, offline or online, to speak up for those who can t speak up for themselves. There are numerous forms of advocacy, including disability rights, autism awareness, crime victim advocacy, missing persons advocacy, child advocacy, sanctity of life advocacy, just to name a few. Advo
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/mwrKFrSjvPw/Should I Upholster Myself or Hire Someone?
If you have furniture that you want to upholster, you might be wondering if you should upholster it yourself, or hire someone to do it. Doing it yourself could be a fun project, or it could turn into a stressful and expensive experience. To make the best decision on if you want to do your own upholstery or hire someone to do it for you, you should consider a few variables. 1. Your Skill Set How comfortable do you feeling tackling this project? Maybe you are excited about the opportunity to create something yourself. Or maybe you would rather let someone else take care of the mess. If you don t already know how to upholster furniture, do you have time to learn? 2. Upholstery Accessories To properly upholster furniture you will need the necessary upholstery accessories. Some of the accessories include the wooden frame of your chair or couch, the springs that will make your furniture comfortable to sit on, and the foam piece cut to the correct size for the cushion. You will als
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/12/upholster-hire-someone/Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Wise Men Still Seek Him – Online
You are no doubt familiar with the story of the magi, or wise men, who came from the east in search of Jesus, but their story is not entirely unique After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” -Matthew 2:1-2 The wise men were the first to search for Jesus, but certainly not the last. Throughout the centuries, millions of men and women have sought Jesus for forgiveness, for salvation, to give their lives meaning, to worship Him. While the wise men searched for Jesus on the backs of camels, today s wise men (and women) search for Jesus on the backs of mice, computer mice that is online. Will they find your website? We talk a lot about how a good website, web hosting and search engine optimization are essential to achieving your mission online. While we want you and your organization to suce
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/RnFGpprPOj4/Monday, December 23, 2013
You Think You Know, But Without This Your Website is Worthless
It’s nearing that time of year again; Time to set goals for the New Year. Some of the most popular areas people set goals are finances, health, and spiritual growth. But if you have a website, you should set goals for it as well. We here at OurChurch.Com have been working through our strategic planning process for the last couple of weeks. We have been reviewing our goals and performance from 2013, doing our SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, & threats), and setting our goals for 2014. But before we go any further, the question should be asked Is it really necessary to set goals for your website? We’ll that depends. Do you want to know if the investment that you or your organization is making in a website is worth it? Do you want to know if the marketing you are doing to drive traffic to your website is worth it? If the answer is “yes” to these questions, then it is necessary to set goals for your website. I receive many phone calls from people wh
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/9o_Rp4Yn_aI/What is the Difference Between Leather and Faux Leather Material?
If you are looking to complete a project using leather material, you may be considering using faux leather material, but wonder what the difference will be between leather and faux leather material. The manufacturers have perfected their creation of faux leather material to make it look and feel very close to the real thing, but there are some differences. To make an informed decision about which fabric to use, you are going to want to know the differences between leather and faux leather material. And while we re on the subject, what is faux leather material anyway? So, what are the differences? 1. The Price! One of the biggest differences between leather and faux leather material is the cost. Leather is much more expensive than faux leather. Leather is also sold by the square foot, while faux leather can be sold by the yard. An average hide is going to run 45-60 square feet, which would cost an average of $450 to $600. By comparison, you could get the same amount of mate
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/12/difference-leather-faux-leather-material/Christian Leadership Concepts: Which is Best?
Our world is in need of strong Christian leaders. Our churches need leaders who can help their members be in the world but not of it. What makes someone a strong Christian leader? There are several Christian leadership concepts that can be helpful, but there is one that is crucial to being a strong Christian leader. Some Christian leadership concepts include goal setting, ability to organize committees and the humanistic effort of grunting out results. The problem with those styles, for Christian leaders, is that God is not asking us to do our work on the Earth, but His work. In order to do His work, we need to be able to hear the voice of God, and then act on what He says. Biblical Examples: Moses We have biblical examples of great leaders who heard the voice of God. Moses was a great leader who heard God speaking to him from a bush and listened. Jesus said, “I do only what I hear my Father speaking and what I see my Father doing”. Paul Paul is another example of a
http://blog.cluonline.com/2013/12/christian-leadership-concepts-best/Friday, December 20, 2013
Video: Funny Christmas Church Signs
Ah the infamous church sign message some are cheesy, some make us cringe and a few here and there make us laugh. Here s a montage of Christmas-themed church signs. Which ones is your favorite? Which one is the worst?
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/iWs6e_Xc6sU/Thursday, December 19, 2013
Spiritual Formation – Christian CHARACTER Education
Spiritual formation is the core of what we teach at Christian Leadership University. Every Christian can and should know how to hear the voice of God and how to act on what you hear. We feel that this is the most effective way to teach, help Christians to grow in their faith, and train effective Christian leaders. One of the reasons spiritual formation is so effective is because is builds and strengthens Christian Character. Christian Character education begins by hearing the word of God and acting upon it. We have examples of great leaders in the Bible who did this. Jesus said, “I do only what I hear my Father speaking and what I see my Father doing.” Moses and Paul are other great leaders who heard from God and acted on it. So how does knowing this improve our Christian character? Allowing Christ to be Formed in You First, it s allowing Christ to be formed within you. We know that Paul prayed that Christ would be formed in us and that we would be found in Christ.
http://blog.cluonline.com/2013/12/spiritual-formation-christian-character-education/What is Faux Leather Fabric?
Leather is a popular fabric because it looks good, feels good and even smells good! It is a real material, made from the sacrifice of a cow. Because it s a real and somewhat limited product, it can be very expensive. If you re interested in purchasing leather fabric, you may want to consider faux leather fabric as an alternative. What is faux leather? Faux leather is a man made material designed to look like real leather. A big advantage of using faux leather fabric is the price. You will find that faux leather fabric is much less expensive that using real leather. It can also be easier to work with. When purchasing real leather, an average hide runs about 45-60 square feet. Should your project require a larger fabric piece, you would need to purchase multiple hides, and this will result in multiple pieces of your leather fabric that will need to be sown together. With faux leather fabric, you can purchase the number of yards that you need in one piece. Will I be abl
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/12/faux-leather-fabric/Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Christmas Gifts from Google and Bing
Merry Christmas! I hope you are enjoying this time of preparation for Christmas and life is allowing you to keep your mind focused on the celebration of the birth of Christ. Right now you are probably trying to finish up (or start) buying gifts for friends and family. Well, with all the gift-giving that goes on around Christmas, the search engines thought they would get in on action and give some gifts as well. This month in our SEO Update, I ll tell you all about some new features the search engines have recently released that can help you with your organization as well as have a little fun. Watch the video below to hear all about it this month s SEO update: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJrTnQ5UPKQ Merry Christmas! I’m Kurt Steinbrueck with OurChurch.Com, and this is your SEO update You can view a full transcript of this video here on the Christian SEO Guys blog. Video Summary: The search engines have released several new features to help you and for fun: Google releases
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/oXdeCq1xJOQ/Tuesday, December 17, 2013
A Donkey, Facebook & Church Social Media
Pastor Adam Weber shared a super awesome yet amazingly simple idea that created tremendous engagement on his church’s Facebook page! Chances are you’ve been to or at least heard of churches who have live nativities around Christmas or a live donkey for Palm Sunday. They are not new ideas. Adam and his church asked themselves What could make the experience really special? Was there a way to use it as an outreach opportunity? In a Leadership Network blog post he explains: The day came and as people walked up to church, we had Buddy the Donkey in front of a simple backdrop of straw bales, and a professional photographer (who’s one of the most outgoing people I know) ready with her camera. It was a clear win for everyone—kids got to pet the donkey, and parents got a cute picture. We explained that we d upload all of the pictures to our Facebook page immediately after the services and encouraged people to tag themselves. The feedback we got from kids, moms, dads and grandparents wa
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/6vH4Jg_r8fA/Monday, December 16, 2013
5 Ways to Tell If Your Website is Working
How’s your website doing things days? Good question. And one most organizations can’t answer. Most organizations evaluate their website based on a mysterious hodge-podge of subjective opinions and anecdotal evidence. Like… Aunt Wilma said she went to your website but she got an error when she tried to download your cover of What the Fox Say We’ve only gotten 1 new subscriber to our newsletter this week, something must be wrong Somebody told the senior pastor they think our site looks terrible Well, I think it looks fine We can do better than that! Here are 5 objective ways to tell if your website is working 1) Measure traffic – Integrate an analytics program like Google Analytics into your website. Then check your traffic stats regularly. Is the number of visitors growing? Are you getting a good percentage of returning visitors? 2) Track online goals – What are the main online goals for your website? Do you want to grow newsletter subscribers? Sell products or services? An
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/mnHN66c2Ypk/Friday, December 13, 2013
Get in the Christmas Spirit with This Awesome Christmas Light Display!
Happy Friday! As is our custom here on Christian Web Trends we try to lighten up and have some fun on Fridays and this week we re doing that literally. Check out this awesome Christmas light display set to the song Carol of the Bells. Have you seem some other great videos of Christmas lights? Got any pics of good Christmas light displays in your area? Post a link?
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/K1cufTwpjwE/Thursday, December 12, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
The New Bing Maps App is Like a 3D Virtual World…But Real
Bing Maps has announced that they are launching a new app that is pretty cool. The new map app creates a virtual world of the real world. The maps are a combination of real world, high definition photography and 3d computer rendering. We have assembled world builders from the video game industry, expert photogrammetrists, high definition aerial cameras and a massive data pipeline crunching petabytes of imagery to deliver a more natural way to experience our planet. Interactive: In addition to the virtually real world, the map app is also interactive. With the swipe of a finger, the tilt of your tablet, or tap of a stylus, you can move through the 3D map to view locations from just about any perspective. The standard mapping features (street names, places of interest, etc.) are also present as well as traffic information. Dual View: Another cool feature is the dual view option, which allows the user to view the map in both streetview and the standard map view at the same time.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/71HgOC3sDEs/Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Is Un-Friending Un-Christian?
Friend. The word used to refer to be reserved only for select people in our lives. The word referred to people whom we trusted and shared our lives with, had many things in common with, including our values, did things for and with. Today, this narrow definition of friends and friendship have shifted with social networks. With the advent of individual profiles of us users connecting with one another on profiles. Now, friends references anyone we connect with online, whether we call them friends, followers, circlers or anything else. We don t have to live in the same state, in the same country or even on the same continent. We don t have to know or even know about these users whom we call friends. We ve come a long way, but to what? What is the result of this paradigm shift? Today, relationships have become commodities and disposable ones at that. The Unfriend and Block buttons have made it easy to minister to our tendency to dump relationships when sin complicates them, or communicat
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/6G5e1mjCo-o/Monday, December 9, 2013
Does your website scream “Members Only!”
Member’s Only. For those who remember the 80’s this may conjure up memories of a jacket fad that probably lasted a bit longer than parachute pants. Other times, “Members Only” may mean an exclusive club or privileges. Often, something that is members only is usually a good thing. However, for most websites, “Members Only” is the exact opposite. Why? If you are a church, school, ministry or business, a website has a dual purpose. One reason is to communicate more effectively with those who are a part of your organization. The second reason it to communicate with those outside your organization. So how do you create a website that is welcoming to those outside your organization and doesn’t scream, “Members Only!” 1. Don’t use a design or images that only those who are part of your organization can identify with. Symbols, pictures, or an overall design should be easily relatable to those who have been with your organization for many years and those who
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/JUSX_c_bGvc/Friday, December 6, 2013
Pic: Jesus Chillin with His Homies
It s Friday, so time for a little fun Thanks to Jason Chesnut aka @crazypastor for sharing this in this week s #ChSocM church social media chat. Reactions?
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/65MdpTJzwY0/Thursday, December 5, 2013
13 Top Church Social Media Tips for 2013 #ChSocM
In this week s Church Social Media chat #ChSocM, moderator Regina Heater (@reckshow) asked: What’s the best #chsocm tip you learned in 2013? Here are 13 of the top tips shared by chat participants. To steal from Nike Just Do It. Social media needs creative experimentation. @ohxjulie Don t just broadcast. Whatever you do. ENGAGE! @Stevefogg Make all posts pinnable (use an image in every post, even if it s just the title of the post.) @reckshow Tag people in Facebook photos. The number of views goes waaay up. @LeistCatalano Try to find a balance between content and relationships @WillPlatnick Make sure your message and image is consistent across *all* platforms plus your website. @MeredithGould Just post worthwhile & meaningful stuff. People respond. @eric_clapp Be willing to try something that doesn t work. Ditch it, then try something else. Be fearless and creative @MeredithGould Be relevant and understand your audience. @DiopaYouth Work with just a few platforms that make sens
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/17wORMk-SD8/Wednesday, December 4, 2013
5 SEO Action Steps You Can Take Today
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can seem like a long and daunting task, mostly because it is; but not everything about SEO has to be that difficult or take that long. There are quick and simple things you can do right now that can have a big impact on how much traffic your website is getting. So, here are 5 SEO action steps you can take today: 1. Setup unique title tags. The title tag is the most important on-page SEO signal. Unfortunately most sites just use the title their web builder software generates automatically, which is usually useless. Edit your pages and add title tags that can catch people s attention and uses an important keyword. Limit the title tag to about 65 characters or less. If you are using the NE1 Web Builder, you can edit the title tag of a page under the SEO Features tab. 2. Setup compelling description tags. Description tags can help rankings a little, but their real value is in getting people to click through to your site. Add description tags
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/rYOoKqdRgaA/Tuesday, December 3, 2013
7 Reasons to Use QR Codes in Church
Unless you live in in a barn in the backwoods of nowhere USA you probably have seen those hideous square bar codes, known lovingly as QR codes. QR is short for Quick Response code and the idea is that you can snap an image of the code with your phone and by web voodoo you will be transported to a webpage, article or some other amazing thing. Some people think QR codes are trendy and some people think that they are a pain in the upper thigh, but they do have their place. It would be silly of me to say that every church MUST use QR codes in order to effectively minister to their community, but perhaps they can help you to be more effective with certain things. Most of the QR codes out there look absolutely horrible, and that is too bad because they don t have to look bad. Before we begin let us first raise our right-hand and say the following aloud: I will only use QR codes for the good of mankind! And when I do use them they will look GOOD! So here are some ways that you can use QR cod
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/wtKiJM4i7RU/Monday, December 2, 2013
Why you should have an eNewsletter on your website
Happy Thanksgiving! It is the holiday season again and people are extremely busy with all kinds of activities and events. So how does an organization or individual stay in contact with all of its members or supporters when people are going at 1000mph? One of the best ways to keep in touch and keep people up to date is through an eNewsletter on your website. An eNewsletter is simply an electronic newsletter. Many people receive Christmas letters in the mail and now more organizations are sending out electronic versions of their letters or newsletter. There are a few advantages of offering an eNewsletter on your website: Keeps your audience well informed: It is important to keep those who are involved with your organization well informed. An eNewsletter is a great way to keep people up to date on what has been going on and what will be coming up in the future. Saves time: If you are creating a newsletter, you are most likely already creating it on your computer or tablet.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/bNlYv9FBsZE/Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Wanna Know What People Are Saying About You?
One of the more difficult aspects of being a local organization is trying to keep track of what people are saying about you around the web. Whether you have a local business, church, school, or local ministry, there are so many places where someone can post a review of your organization that you would literally have to check a couple dozen sites every day just to try to keep up, and you d still probably miss some until now. Google Reviews Around the Web: Google has released a new feature in Google Places that will tell local organizations about all the reviews that Google finds around the web (except for Yelp*). If you log into Google Places and click the Reviews tab on the left, you can view all the reviews Google has found. This gives you a good overview of how much people are talking about your organization and what they are saying. Respond to Reviews: You can do more than just see what s out there, you can click to view the entire review (the dashboard may just show a snippi
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/XWeKVUz3zto/Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
A great looking new website does not have to break the bank!
Last year when OurChurch.Com made the switch from using Joomla to WordPress for custom websites, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Caledonia, MI took the opportunity to go with a completely new look and new content. So how did they do this and still stay within budget? Used an existing WordPress theme. When building a new website, many churches like to have a design that is completely unique and custom created from scratch. However, this increases the cost of the website. For those who have a tight budget, going with a pre-existing, professionally designed WordPress theme is a great solution. There are so many good designs that are already made; sometimes it is not necessary to start from scratch. In fact, OurChurch.Com took some basic guidelines provided by St. Paul, searched for designs that met the criteria, and presented them with several design options. All St. Paul needed to do is pick their favorite. Get the only the functionality you need now. St. Paul knew exactly w
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/-p3wDRLjBRI/Thursday, November 21, 2013
9 New Transformational Internet Technologies I’m Thankful For
We’re coming up on Thanksgiving here in the U.S., and I’ve been reflecting on the many things I’m thankful for. While I’m most thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus, my wife & kids, extended family and friends, it never ceases to amaze me at how blessed I am to live in this day and age. Technology has been transforming the way we live for decades, but 2013 has been particularly transforming for me. While some of the items described below are more “new to me” than new, they have all produced significantly positive change in my work and my life. 9 New Transformational Internet Technologies I’m Thankful For 1) Virtual Assistants – This year we added some virtual assistants to the OurChurch.Com team for the first time. They help us with administrative and other tasks. This has freed up me and others on our team so we can focus more of our time and energy on serving clients, development, communication and leadership. It’s been a huge step forward! 2) Jing – Jing is a gr
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/_oIMu40pNXY/Our Fabric Quality Is Guaranteed to be Perfect
When you are working on that perfect fabric project, you want to be sure the fabric you purchase is flawless. We, at My Fabric Connection, want that for you too. We Guarantee It Because we know that if there is a flaw in your fabric, you will see it every time you look at your project. Even if it looks perfect to others, you ll still see the flaw. We re perfectionists about fabric too, and that is why we only sell First Quality, guaranteed fabric. When it arrives at your door, and you look over, if you see even one tiny flaw, send it back to us! We ll do the work with the manufacturer to get your fabric replaced as fast as possible. We want you to very happy with the fabric you’ve purchased. Don t worry; it s very rare that our fabric isn t flawless. It doesn t happen often, because My Fabric Connection only sells first quality fabric. First quality fabric is fabric that is the highest quality from the manufacturer and it should be flawless. It s not the fabric you wil
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/11/our-fabric-quality-is-guaranteed-to-be-perfect/Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving from Google and Bing
Sometimes it seems that Google and Bing s sole purpose is to mess with website owners, constantly changing how they do search and keeping us all on our toes. Well, keeping with the holiday spirit, Google and Bing have delivered something this month for which we can all be thankful. No major updates. Sure, there were still updates, we ll never get off completely scott free, but there wasn t anything that rocked the search world and scattered everyone s rankings. There are some nice updates this month that are actually quite helpful for webmasters. I ll tell you all about it in this month s SEO update. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiLLblWMWTA Happy Thanksgiving! It’s Kurt Steinbrueck with OurChurch.com, and I’m here with this month’s SEO update Click here for a full transcript. Video Summary: Bing updated their Webmaster Tools to give more control over their Bing Smart Search previews. Bing launched a new music video search. Google modified the Google+ Local pages. Share
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/tBgaFkQT_UI/Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Fabric Testing: What is the Fabric Rub Test?
Selecting the perfect furniture upholstery fabric can be a tough decision. At My Fabric Connection we have thousands of different colors and styles to choose from. We recommend as you re searching through our many options, you first focus on the color and style that you like best. After all, you want to like the way the fabric is going to look in your house. After you have decided on a color and style, then you can focus on the fabric s durability. What you are using the fabric for will determine how durable a fabric you need. Double Rub Fabric Testing When searching your options at My Fabric Connection, one of the most important things to look for when considering the fabric durability is its Double Rub score. The Double Rub is a fabric rub test that scores the fabric durability. Companies have machines that do fabric testing to simulate a person sitting down and then standing back up. These two actions constitute the “double rub”. After the double rub fabric testin
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/11/fabric-testing-what-is-the-fabric-rub-test/Monday, November 18, 2013
If you have a website, read this!
So, you’ve got a good website with good content, but few people seem to be responding. Maybe you’re missing this one, small but important thing that can make all the difference: A clear, compelling call-to-action. We all see hundreds of articles, web pages and ads every day. We process them very quickly. And what do we do with the vast majority of them? Nothing. We move on to the next thing. That’s because with every piece of information we read, we ask ourselves… 2 questions… Is this for me? If so, what’s my next step? If we can’t answer both questions immediately, we simply move on. Think about your own experience. Think about the last few ads or articles you’ve seen. Maybe you didn’t consciously ask yourself these two questions, but sub-consciously isn’t that what you were looking for before you either moved on or decided to take action? Now, that you see it from the perspective of a reader or consumer, let’s turn that around and look at it from the perspectiv
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/f1gif5dHyu4/Thursday, November 14, 2013
WebMD Fails to Disclose $4.8M Obamacare Contract per FTC Blogger Guidelines
The latest Obamacare controversy involves $4.8M in contracts paid to popular medical advice website WebMD, contracts that were not disclosed by either WebMD or The Health and Human Services Department. The investigative report published by the Washington Times states the contract includes: As much as $126,826 for a single 5,000-word review article on scientific advances in a clinical topic. Up to $68,916 for a four-minute video from an opinion specialist. More than $140,000 for an eight-question online quiz. The first thing that popped into my mind when I read the article was What about Federal Trade Commission s Disclosure rules? If you re not familiar with the FTC s .com Disclosure rules they mandate that bloggers and social media users disclose when they are receiving any kind of compensation for a blog post, Tweet, product review or affiliate link. Failure to do so can result in a big fine. I m not sure whether WebMD violated the FTC rules or not. If they did, it seems unlikely th
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/UxoMco95fPU/When Should My Fabric Arrive?
You search through the many options online at My Fabric Connection for the perfect fabric for your project. You ve narrowed your choice down from the hundreds of thousands of options we have available. So first of all, we want you to know that you made a great fabric choice! Now, you re ready to get started on your project and you want your fabric to arrive quickly. At My Fabric Connection we understand that, and we will work to get your fabric to you as fast as possible. How it works: When we receive the order at My Fabric Connection, we will begin processing your fabric order and getting the order setup with the manufacturer. This typically takes us 1-2 business days. Once your order is processed, it is then shipped to your front door using UPS or Fed Ex ground. The length of time needed for your fabric to arrive at your door depends on where you live. Most of our fabric ships from the East Coast, with the majority shipping out of South Carolina. Estimated shipping times b
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/11/when-should-my-fabric-arrive/Tuesday, November 12, 2013
How @BrandonACox is Using Social Media to Plant a Church
When Brandon Cox began planting Grace Hills Church in Bentonville, AR, he didn’t want to drop a ton of money on massive but impersonal means of announcing our arrival. So they used Facebook. In a recent blog post, Brandon wrote: We started with two couples (including the Cox’s). We spent $0 on traditional advertising but had 35 at our first gathering in July of 2011. We grew to approximately 80 within six months by word-of-mouth and while spending $0 on traditional advertising. We launched with 176 on our first Sunday, mostly gathered through Facebook, word-of-mouth, and search engines. Sounds like a pretty good start. So how did they do it? Brandon included some great tips! 1) Start with a website “It’s a content hub, of sorts. Sometimes your goal is to move people from social platforms to your site. Sometimes it’s the opposite. And sometimes they simply co-exist for different purposes, but having a hub on the web is essential.” 2) Use Facebook Pages Well A few key tips:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/VFsBfmn0M2E/What is the difference between Marine Upholstery Fabric and Outdoor Fabric?
Imagine for a moment that you re on a boat. Wait, you don t get sea sick do you? Good, now back to the boat! The wind is whipping through your hair and the sun is beating down on you. It s a perfect day to be on the water. However, all the elements that make boating so much fun can ruin the fabric on your boat. That is why you need to know the difference between marine upholstery fabric and outdoor fabric. At My Fabric Connection, we offer both types of fabric to meet your needs, whatever they may be. Marine Upholstery – Scratchy and Stiff One of the ways marine upholstery fabric is different from outdoor fabric is that marine fabric is not designed to be used on furniture that you are going to sit on regularly, except possibly for some boat seats. Marine upholstery fabric is scratchier and stiffer, so generally less comfortable than outdoor fabric. However, what you lose in comfort, you make up in durability. Marine fabric is designed to handle direct sun light and re
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/11/what-is-the-difference-between-marine-upholstery-fabric-and-outdoor-fabric/Sunday, November 10, 2013
3 New Websites! How Lutheran High of St. Louis did it!
How did a high school association and two high schools make their websites better for students, parents, and future students? For the past five years, Lutheran High School South in St. Louis, MO has partnered with OurChurch.Com for their school website. As part of their Custom Pro Website, they were entitled to a free redesign of their website. However, when they started thinking about their redesign, their parent organization, Lutheran High Association, thought about the future of their website and the website of Lutheran High School North. 3 Benefits of the New Websites Now, all three organizations have new websites. Below are some of the awesome benefits that Lutheran High School Association, Lutheran High South, and Lutheran High North are experiencing: 1) Beautiful custom design, kept similar for branding: To establish a consistent brand among the three websites, a similar style and layout was used, while keeping the colors of each organization. This means that when vis
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/QUq7t8sOqoQ/Friday, November 8, 2013
How can I use the web to find partners and raise funds for my ministry?
There are thousands if not millions of small churches and ministries around the world that are in needs of ministry partners and donors. The Internet has made it easier than ever to make those connections and partnerships, but there are some big barriers to overcome. People with a heart to give are wary of scams, and the shear number of nonprofits online asking for money can be overwhelming, leaving people with donor fatigue. In this segment from our first Open Q&A with OurChurch.com, I provide some advice on how to overcome those barriers and use your website and other online tools to connect and partner with supporters. What part of the video resonates most with you? Do you have any other advice you would give to someone looking to connect with new supporters for their ministry online? If you missed yesterday’s Q&A, you can watch the whole thing on YouTube. And don’t forget to mark your calendar for next week’s Open Q&A with OurChurch.Com. Hope to see you then!
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/OXo721SqOXM/Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Feel Called by God To Blog For Ministry?
This is a guest blog post by Lisa DeSherlia. Currently I maintain two blogs. One is for general audiences and while it s not overtly and explicitly Christian, I do mention my Christian faith there. My blog is called My Prayer Page and I use it for ministry. Since I maintain two blogs, I spend much time examining other blogs to get ideas for optimizing my own blogs as well as to read others stories. The overwhelming majority of blogs that I have visited and read do not use blogging for ministry, including the personal or advocacy blogs. Yes, I realize that that a simple reason for much of this is that many of such bloggers very likely don t subscribe to a Christian worldview. I have seen exceptions. A Christ-centered child sponsorship nonprofit runs a blog of their own and I get its updates in my inbox almost every other day. I also use blogging for ministry for them, as they have a blogging ministry for the purpose of getting sponsors for the unsponsored children that they seek to he
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/COGOz7q2pHY/Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Win a Complete Set of Personalized VeggieTales Books!
If what your kids read is important to you…then read on! This is a sponsored post by VeggieBookClub. Keep reading to learn how you can win a complete set of all 6 books (a $100+ value)! Our line of personalized VeggieTales books are an ideal way to share Christian values with your child, your grandchildren…or any little person in your life that’s important to you! Each book is personalized with the child’s name in the story, and each book teaches a character value…. With 6 books in the series…the best thing about these books is that each adventure flows into the next with your child courageously leading the way. Also, each high quality paperback book is printed in full color with beautiful illustrations to go along with the captivating stories. We can keep going on…but the best way for you to learn more is to go to www.VeggiebookClub.com and see for yourself. And while you are there, enter coupon code OUR15 to save 15% on any of our book packages (offer ends December 15,
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/3xk-Uv0K1MQ/Monday, November 4, 2013
How often should your website be redeisgned?
We see it all the time. We go to our bank, church, or children’s school website and they have a new look. Some of the time, we don’t mind the new look, while other times it makes it more difficult to find the information we want. So what about your organization’s website? How often should it be redesigned? There are many factors to consider when making a decision about redesigning your organization’s website: How long has it had the current design? Design trends change every few years, as well as website technology. So to keep from having a website that looks outdated, it is typically good to redesign your website every 2-3 years. What is the feedback from you hear from those visiting your website? Do your visitors like your website? Is it easy to navigate? If those who are visiting your website like the experience and find it easy to use, then it is not urgent to make a change soon. However, if much of the feedback you receive is negative or mixed, you pro
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/Jb40nzJkBEU/Friday, November 1, 2013
What is Google Hummingbird? And What Do I need to Know About It?
Yesterday, I hosted our first Open Q&A with OurChurch.Com event, answering live questions about websites, SEO, social media and communications using the Google+ Hangouts on Air video platform. One of the questions asked by Ken Manesse was about the recent Hummingbird update to the Google search algorithm. Fortunately, I had invited Kurt Steinbrueck, our Director of Search Marketing to join me for the Q&A. Take a look at the video clip below in which Kurt explains Hummingbird and how it affects you. What do you think about the Hummingbird update? Does it affect your search marketing or the way you manage your website? If you missed yesterday s Q&A, you can watch the whole thing on YouTube. And don t forget to mark your calendar for next week s Open Q&A with OurChurch.Com. Hope to see you then! P.S. Photo credit (c) my daughter, Ainsley.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/FC0XQUa2M1I/Thursday, October 31, 2013
10 Ways Neglecting Communications Will Kill Your Church
Why is good communications important for a church? That’s not a rhetorical question. Take 60 seconds to write down an answer. Seriously, I’ll wait… … I saw that question in a blog post, and to be honest, I had a hard time with it. I was thinking, “Good communications… helps people connect… keeps people informed… promotes upcoming events…” Not very clear or compelling, is it? By clear and compelling, I mean this… Image yourself as a part of a church where you’re frustrated with the communications. You ask the senior pastor for a few minutes of his time. You want to convince him that communications should be given a higher priority – more time, attention and resources. You want to say something that causes him to respond, “Yeah, that’s a great point! We need to make communications a priority!” Click to share this image on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest or Instagram That’s when it hit me… Sometimes the most compelling argument to DO something is
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/FS2sN3AH0Po/What is the Best Upholstery Fabric for Furniture?
My Fabric Connection has hundreds of the best upholstery fabric options to choose from. We are committed to bringing you plenty of options so you can find the perfect furniture upholstery fabric for your needs. But we realize so many options can make it hard on you to choose! Here are some tips for how to find the best upholstery fabric. Like the Look It may sound obvious, but the first thing to consider when making your choice is if you like the color, pattern and style of the fabric. Are you looking for neutrals or a splash of color? Would you like a solid color or a pattern? Are you looking for something with a country feel or something more modern? Knowing the look and style you want can save you time when searching through our many options of the best upholstery fabric. Know the Material The fabric content is what the fabric is made of and that can be important information to know. Polyesters and acrylic fabrics are synthetic materials, which means they are manmade.
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/10/what-is-the-best-upholstery-fabric-for-furniture/Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Check First, Then Cut!
We ve all heard the woodworking expression “measure twice, cut once”. When it comes to working with fabric, the important thing to remember is “check first, then cut”! Why is that important? Because My Fabric Connection and the manufacturers we’ve partnered with can only guarantee fabric that has NOT been cut. What if I forget? Our manufacturers are great. Most of them will include a reminder sheet along with your shipment. When the fabric you ordered from My Fabric Connection arrives at your door, and you open the box, you will see a notice that reminds you to carefully look over your fabric. Go ahead and check it out right away! You will want to check your fabric for… Flaws – Carefully look over the fabric and look for any pulls, tears, or other flaws. Dimensions You also want to check to make sure it is the right length. Lay it out on a smooth, flat surface (make sure there’s nothing that could catch or rip the fabric) and measure. Then congratulate yourself o
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/10/check-first-then-cut/Join us 1 PM ET Thursday for the First “Open Q&A with OurChurch.Com” Hangout
Got questions about web design, search marketing, social media, communications or strategy? Stop in any time between 1 PM & 2 Pm ET Thursday, October 31 for the first ever Open Q&A with OurChurch.Com OurChurch.Com co-founder, Paul Steinbrueck, (that s me) will host a live Google+ Hangout on Air. You ll be able to ask questions in a live video chat. Or if you re a little camera shy, you ll also be able post text questions on the Google+ event page or via Twitter (hashtag #occQnA). Search Marketing (SEO) Expert Joining Us One of the biggest happenings in the online work in the last month or so has been a change to Google s search algorithm, so I ve asked our Director of Search Marketing, Kurt Steinbrueck, to join us for our inaugural Q&A so he can answer any questions you may have about search. You are the Agenda The purpose of these weekly, 1 hour Q&As is to help you achieve your mission online by giving you the insight you need to succeed. They will not be topic-oriented (though I ma
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/XfNlAjxFRvg/Monday, October 28, 2013
Why did a thriving custom pool builder change their website?
So why would a successful custom pool builder who had more work than they know what to do with, change their website? Quite simply… to achieve their goals of their website. In the spring of this year, I had a conversation with the owner of Grand Vista Pools, Kevin Shipp, about their website. They liked their existing website but it had one major flaw: They could not update the website themselves. As a result, each time they wanted to add pictures of a completed pool or a video customer testimonial, they needed to pay someone to make the changes for them. In addition, their email through their hosting company was unreliable. And because many potential and current customers communicated to their company through email, it was crucial that email was always up and running. Kevin didn t want to change the look of the website or how it functioned, so we came up with a solution that would streamline the site building process: Build a new website on the easy-to-use WordPress platfo
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/tjjgmpI5lBc/Friday, October 25, 2013
Join the new Achieve Your Mission Online Facebook Group!
We ve created a new Facebook group called Achieve Your Mission Online! The group is to be a place where anyone can ask questions, share insight, and help one another to achieve their mission online. Topics may include things having to do with web design, search marketing/SEO, hosting, social media, blogging, communications and strategy. The group is being led and moderated by our team at OurChurch.Com, but everyone is welcome to participate whether they use our services or not. And while we are a Christian organization and many of the topics will probably be related to applying online technology to faith-based organizations, that s by no means a requirement. This group is open to people of all faiths and here to help your organization achieve its mission online whether its not faith-based or not. Go take a look at the new group and introduce yourself to the other folks there!
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/C-_4sn1mUV4/Thursday, October 24, 2013
Google Changes Core Algorithm and Apple’s Siri Dumps Them
Google has been busy lately. They changed their core algorithm, released a new Penguin update (dealing with spammy links), and they started sharing people s personal comments in advertising. Perhaps, with all this time spent at work making major changes, Google neglected poor Siri. So, Apple dumped Google and went over to Bing. Bing has made several important changes as well and even Yahoo jumped into the mix, changing up their maps features. I ll discuss the Google changes and all the rest and let y0u know how it will affect you in the video below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwVw7dSnv8k Google has been doing a lot. Google updated their core algorithm. We’ve talked about View the full the transcript here. Video Summary: Yahoo changed their Yahoo Local search and adds features Bing changed their search results layout Bing adds Page Zero Bing teams up with Klout for possible authorship impact Siri Drops Google and switchs to Bing Google Updates Core Algorithm with Hummingbi
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/cS-5wiAAR8A/Monday, October 21, 2013
12 Ways to Integrate Social Media into Your Website
Social media continues to grow as an effective communications channel. To make the most of opportunities to connect with others and encourage them to share your content, it s important that social media be integrated well into your website. While some forms of social media integration can be done in your website s content after the site has been launched, other aspects need to be embedded into the design. For those that need to be embedded into the design, it s best to figure that out while your website is being developed, not as an after thought. Otherwise you ll be going back to your developer (or going back to web development yourself) for some changes to the design, which is always more costly and time-consuming. So, let s look at 12 Ways to Integrate Social Media into Your Website 1) Add social media icons that link to all your social media profile. This seems pretty straight forward. If your organization has a Facebook page, you should have a Facebook icon that links to that
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/1zEn8kVlPyQ/Friday, October 18, 2013
Disney Develops Tactile Screen with Virtual 3D Texture
Disney has developed a new touch screen that gives users the sensation of touching a 3 dimensional object. Take a look at this video. Pretty cool, huh? Ministry Applications? While 3D tactile screens are no doubt years away from production, could they be useful for your organization some day? How about A mobile app that helps the visually impaired by generating braille letters in real time. Educational applications where kids could touch plants, animals and other object. What other uses could 3D tactile screens have?
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/0TMIFj0a7bw/Thursday, October 17, 2013
The Big Insight from The Readers Survey and the $50 Winner
Thanks to everyone who took a few minutes to give us some feedback and suggestions through the 2013 Christian Web Trends Reader Survey. While there’s a lot to be gleaned from the responses to each individual question, there is one big theme that I picked up on when reviewing the data. The Big Insight Some of you like to read about tech & communications for fun, want to be up on the latest news and be Internet experts. However, most of you just want to know what you need to know now to be effective online. Those in the latter group want: Less theory and more practical application. Less ”here’s what’s new” and more “here’s what’s working.” Not “100 things you can do better,” but “The 3 things that will make the biggest difference” Not more, but more effective. We want to honor that and help you be more effective. We will still occasionally write about what’s new and where we see ministry and Internet technology trending, but more than anything we want to focu
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/-gmD6XFaq3Y/5 Things to Look for When Buying Upholstery Fabric
At My Fabric Connection we love fabric as much as you do. We know it can be hard to find the perfect upholstery fabric for your new project. To help you, we have created a list of the top 5 things to look for when choosing upholstery fabric. 1. Fabric Durability – When you are buying upholstery fabric, you want to make sure it will hold up well in the particular conditions you will be putting it in. If you are upholstering outdoor furniture, you’ll want to make sure you use outdoor fabric. If you are working on a couch that the kids will be using a lot, you’ll want to make sure you choose a fabric with a high double rub score. If you are working on dining room chairs that will only be used once a day or so, then you can go with a fabric with a medium double rub score. Drapery can have a low score, like silk. All the fabric we sell on My Fabric Connection is high quality fabric, but they do have different uses and different durability. 2. Fabric Content – At My Fa
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/10/5-things-to-look-for-when-buying-upholstery-fabric/Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Finish That Pinterest Project and Save Money with Low Fabric Prices
With the popularity of do-it-yourself crafting blogs sites like Pinterest, many people enjoy saving a little money and making updates to their home with a little know how and, of course, beautiful fabrics! Whether you want to update an older couch with a fresh new slip cover, or just add a pop of color with some new pillows, you will want to be sure you have access to a wide choice of high quality fabric. My Fabric Connection can get you the fabric you need, at the low fabric prices you want! First Quality Fabrics My Fabric Connection teams up with the manufacturer (such as Stout Fabric or Norbar Fabric) to supply you with first quality fabric. First quality fabric means that the material should be flawless. This isn’t the lower quality stuff you find at some stores that’s been handled by a bunch of people and may have a variety of flaws. Teaming Up With Manufacturers to Get You Low Fabric Prices: While we do have a small amount of fabric in stock, the majority of fabric is kept i
http://blog.myfabricconnection.com/2013/10/finish-that-pinterest-project-and-save-money-with-low-fabric-prices/Why your church should NOT be on Twitter
This is a guest post by Kevin J. Duncan. You would be hard pressed to throw a rock out a window and not hit someone who would wax poetic on the virtues of Twitter. Granted, they would later Tweet something along the lines of Some jerk just hit me with a rock and then asked me if I liked Twitter , but that s neither here nor there. Mark 16:15 tells us to Go into all the world and preach the gospel. Many churches today are using Twitter to help them do just that and many more are hoping to start. I myself have written an article or two helping churches do this very thing and, as I m writing these words, Paul Steinbrueck right here on OurChurch has posted an article based on a quote from Twitter s founder, Ev Williams. So, great. Twitter is good. Case closed, right? Well, not necessarily. Just as every rose has its thorn, Twitter and its social media brethren have their drawbacks. 5 reasons your church should maybe not be on Twitter 1. Hecklers There is a reason professional athletes and
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/5XyQXsPcnuw/Monday, October 14, 2013
Word of Grace Community Church Launches New Website!
The goal of Word of Grace Community Church of Fort Mill, SC is to encourage, equip and challenge families and individuals to be all that God created them to be. To help them achieve this goal, WOG recently launched their new website, http://wordofgracecommunity.org. Below are ways that WOG is using their website to reach this goal: Attractive Custom Design: WOG wanted a design that was unique and reflective of their community of believers. This was accomplished through a design that was built per their specifications. And because it was build custom from scratch, there is no other website that has a look like theirs. Audio Sermons: For those who are unable to attend because they are sick or out of town or for those who want to review a previous sermon, WOG has made it possible to listen to sermons by simply going to their website. With a click of a button, visitors can listen to the sermon as if they were sitting in the church building on Sunday. Teaching articles: WOG h
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/rXjUHkaO7kU/Friday, October 11, 2013
Friday Funday: 101 Cuss Words Christians Can Say
Hey peeps, hope you all have had a good week. As we get ready to roll into the weekend, here s something on the lighter side from comedian Tim Hawkins. Hope it gives you a laugh. Got any favorites from Tim s list? Or others he left off his list? If you ve got another funny video to share, go ahead and post a link in the comments.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/uG44pvPq-00/Tuesday, October 8, 2013
5 Sites that Provide Free Stock Images
Images rule the Internet. Two of the fastest-growing social networks are image sites Pintrest and Instagram Photo posts on Facebook receive 39% more interaction than average. Blog posts that include images are more memorable and engaging. So, where s a person to get good images? The best solution is to take them yourself. That way you know you re sharing an original image that s not copyrighted by someone else and there s no cost to you (besides your time). But that s not always possible or practical. There are a number of inexpensive stockphoto sites, but if you want to include images in a blog that s not generating any revenue, even a buck an image may be too high. So here are 5 Places to get Free Stock Images freerangestock.com stockvault.net Also includes premium images from Shutterstock freedigitalphotos.net Small versions of the images are free. Larger versions can be obtained for a fee. flickr Includes images with all types of licenses. Some are free to use, some require attrib
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/Ulr9QVzJpog/5 Sites that Provde Free Stock Images
Images rule the Internet. Two of the fastest-growing social networks are image sites Pintrest and Instagram Photo posts on Facebook receive 39% more interaction than average. Blog posts that include images are more memorable and engaging. So, where s a person to get good images? The best solution is to take them yourself. That way you know you re sharing an original image that s not copyrighted by someone else and there s no cost to you (besides your time). But that s not always possible or practical. There are a number of inexpensive stockphoto sites, but if you want to include images in a blog that s not generating any revenue, even a buck an image may be too high. So here are 5 Places to get Free Stock Images freerangestock.com stockvault.net Also includes premium images from Shutterstock freedigitalphotos.net Small versions of the images are free. Larger versions can be obtained for a fee. flickr Includes images with all types of licenses. Some are free to use, some require attrib
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/Ulr9QVzJpog/Monday, October 7, 2013
Are you turning away website visitors by doing this?
Have you ever been to a website where there is so much information, to have certain information standout there are 10 different fonts, 7 colors of text, and 5 sentences that are in bold? If you are like me, you have left the website immediately. Today, I want to talk about The 100% rule The 100% rule says that a website visitor only has 100% of their attention to give to a webpage (maybe less if they are distracted from other things). Each paragraph, graphic, link, etc on a webpage shares that 100%. Not that each item receives equal attention, but it will get some, even if it is only 1-2%. But it does mean that if you have 15 items on your webpage (5 graphics, 5 paragraphs, and 5 menu items), that even the most important information might only receive 10% of the visitor’s attention. 10%!!! Do you think that is enough attention to get your point across to the visitor? So what do you do when you have so many ideas and thoughts to convey on a webpage? Here are 5 things you ca
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/W_cTAeLbkgw/Friday, October 4, 2013
Twitter Founder Reveals Secret Formula for Online Success
Twitter founder, Ev Williams, has figured out the internet. According to a thought-provoking post on Wired, that’s what he told the gathered tech heads at the recent XOXO conference in Portland, Oregon: The bottom line, Williams said, is that the internet is “a giant machine designed to give people what they want.” It’s not a utopia. It’s not magical. It’s simply an engine of convenience. Those who can tune that engine well — who solve basic human problems with greater speed and simplicity than those who came before — will profit immensely. Those who lose sight of basic human needs — who want to give people the next great idea — will have problems. “We often think of the internet enables you to do new things,” Williams said. “But people just want to do the same things they’ve always done.” I think Ev is onto something. If you want to be successful online or anywhere solve a problem people have. Basic human needs have not changed, so what people want has n
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/tFm77WFhUmk/Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Get the New, Easy-to-Use Dashboard and a Free Hosting Upgrade!
We’ve been hard at work rolling out the new dashboard, and today we’re excited to announce that we’re ready to make it available to you. To celebrate we are giving everyone who wants to move to the dashboard a free upgrade to their hosting package for a year! The Old, Clunky MyOCC Just Won’t Do! If you’ve been with OurChurch.Com since before July 31, have you ever… Gotten frustrated trying to order or renew services through the old order form? Gotten lost on the old MyOCC dashboard? Couldn’t figure out how to update your credit card info? Gotten annoyed by having to forward invoices to the person who pays the bills at your org? Thought the old MyOCC dashboard was, um, ugly? That’s OK. You can say it. We understand and feel the same way. That’s why we’re excited this new dashboard that’s sooooo much better! It includes… A simpler login using your email address instead of a username A cleaner design Easier, more intuitive navigation Convenience of having multiple
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/xNKYLrLBquU/16 Best Practices for Church Communications Cards plus a Sample
Last night I had a blast moderating the church and social media #ChSocM twitter chat! The chat was focused on measuring and evaluating the success of church websites and social media. If you missed it… Here’s a transcript Pre-reading: Do we “Measure what We Treasure” Online and at Church? One of the recommendations I shared in the blog post and chat is to track how visitors to your church found out about your church using communication cards. Several chat participants asked if I could provide an example, so I’ve included the communications card from my church below. Having a church communications card is only a small part of what goes into using them well, so I thought I d share with you 16 Best Practices for Using Church Communications Cards Design: 1) Keep the cards short. The less info you ask for the more likely people are to complete it. 2) Ask people to indicate whether they are a first time visitor, 2-5 times or more than 5 times. 3) If they’re a first time attender
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/Ykwkw-eaKto/Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Do we “Measure what We Treasure” Online and at Church?
Click to share this image on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest or Instagram How do you know if what you re doing is working? For professional athletes, we look at their stats. In business, bonuses are often tied to revenue or stock price. In schools, children have grades and standardized tests. It’s been said, “We measure what we treasure.” In other words, when something is really important to our organization, we look for ways to evaluate it numerically so we can determine if what we’re doing is working. Can you guess the three most common measurements or metrics churches use? You probably can weekend attendance, giving and baptisms. Click to share this image on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest or Instagram On the other hand… Perhaps part of the reason those are the “big 3” church metrics is because they’re the easiest to track. My experience is that spiritual issues are notoriously difficult measure. How do you measure someone’s relationship with God? What
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/IhFYO4bNAiw/Thursday, September 26, 2013
Moving to a New Website? Don’t Forget to Move Your Visitors and Search Listings
When moving into a new house, one of the last things you do is fill out a forwarding address form with the post office. That way any mail sent to your old address is automatically forwarded to your new address. Have you ever considered what happens to the addresses of your old web pages when you move to a new website? Step 1: Update Your Domain Name Settings If you’re moving to a new web hosting account or a new website provider, the first thing you need to do is change the settings for your domain name (that’s your .com or .org address. The DNS (domain name server) setting has to be changed to point your domain name to your new account. (FYI, we at OurChurch.Com help new users with this. We provide domain name registration services, so we encourage our users to transfer their domain name to our registration service. We change the DNS settings for users to ensure its done properly. And as an added bonus, they then have the simplicity of both their domain and website/hosting with o
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/LVEKEXlZfx8/Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Abiding Savior Lutheran School Launches New Website!
Earlier this year, Abiding Savior Lutheran School in St. Louis, MO launched their much anticipated new custom created website. ALS School is a K-8th grade school that also offers an early childhood development program for 2 4 year olds. They have been teaching and serving their community for nearly 30 years. ASL School s mission is to Know Christ and to Make Him Known. In addition to accomplishing this through quality education, sports, and arts, they are also using their new website to Know Christ and to Make Him Known. Below are some ways that ASL School is using their website to achieve their mission: Custom Design created to keep an identity with their church. Because ASL School is a ministry of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, they wanted a design that was beautiful, while sharing the design with the church. This gives visitors to either the school or church website the ability to see the branding and connection between the school and church. Spacious image slider. On
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/Nhwu0_qKRMo/Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Social Media: Church Announcements Members Can’t Miss
This is a guest post by Steven Smith. Have you ever heard of a phone tree? Contrary to what the name suggests it isn’t a tree that will grow an iPhone, bummer. A phone tree is an archaic network of church members used to get information out about important events. Let’s say there is a big event planned at the church tonight, but the speaker’s flight was canceled and he won’t arrive till tomorrow. How do you get word out to your members? In the past our church would use the phone tree. I had my list of ten members, who I would call and tell. They had their list of ten members who they in turn would call and tell. It’s Basically one big game of telephone, where the last people on the list could hear, “the speakers flight crashed into the church building and everything was canceled.” Important Messages and Social Media Maybe not, but the point is phone trees don t work well in our technology based world. There is a way that you can effectively communicate pertinent informat
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/GgzteMe05VQ/Friday, September 20, 2013
Funny Video: Flaws of Biblical Proportions
Are you unsure if you’re qualified to lead? Or having a difficult time finding qualified leaders in your church? This funny video reminds us that many of the greatest leaders of all time would have failed a standard interview. If you re looking for some funny, uplifting content to share on your site or social media channels, here you go. Or if you know someone who is reluctant to lead because of their past, perhaps you could encourage them with this video. Thoughts?
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChristianWebTrends/~3/LIF_JGC-AKU/Thursday, September 19, 2013
How to Shorten the Longest Part of the Website Development Process by 90%
Pop quiz: When developing a new website, what part of the process takes the longest and is responsible for most of the delays? A) Creating the design (template/theme) B) Making revisions to the design C) Installing of the content management system and its plugins Actually, it’s a trick question. The part of the website development process that takes the longest and is responsible for the most delays is… D) Content entry We can knock out the design, revisions, installation and configuration of a new custom-designed website in 6 weeks (when the client is responsive). But after those phases are complete, we often wait months for the client to create and gather all the content they want on the site. Sometimes it delays the launch of the new site by 3 months or more. Sometimes, the delays continue for so long, the organization decides it’d be better to launch the site with some of the pages blank. Two Causes of Delays There are two primary things that cause the content entry to take
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