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/Thursday, October 31, 2013
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/