planning guide part two

8/14/2019 Planning Guide Part Two

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/planning-guide-part-two 1/23

This is part two of the four-part training for Web Ministry101. In part one, we covered the first seven steps todeveloping an effective Web ministry by considering howto access the power of the Internet. In this second part of the training, we will outline the basic material, human, andfinancial resources you will need to develop a powerfulWeb ministry and explore the basic website design andhosting options available to you. Our goals for this part of the training are to:

• Identify the material and human resourcesneeded to develop an effective Web ministry

• Explore the various Web hosting and Webdesign tools available and select the onesthat best meet your needs in terms of ministryand cost

• Outline some basic budgetary componentsfor achieving your Web ministry goals

The main question we want to answer in today’s training

is, “What resources do you need to meet your Webministry goals.” What are the personnel, hardware andsoftware, and financial resources you will need to launchan effective Web ministry? Your answer to this questionwill depend in large part upon how interactive you wantyour Web ministry to be and how much time, personnel,and money you have to contribute to your Web ministry.Let’s begin with the most basic elements and work up tomore advanced and complex Web ministry tools andresources.

The most basic Web ministry resources you will need area computer with Internet capability, an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP), and an email account. Obviously, youpossess these basic technology resources right now or you wouldn’t be able to participate in this training.

WWhahat r t r esour esour ces do yces do yououneed to meet yneed to meet your our WWeebbministr ministr y gy goals?oals?

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Part Two:Selecting the RightSelecting the RightTTools to Meetools to MeetYYour our WWeeb Ministr b Ministr y Goalsy Goals

Web Ministry 101 Planning Guide Part Two: Selecting the Right Tools to Meet Your Web Ministry Goals© 2006 United Methodist Communications

Step #8:Acquire Basic Technology

Resources



However, you may be using your personal equipment andInternet connection.

We recommend that your local church acquire these basictechnology resources if it does not already have them. If your church does not already have a computer withInternet capability, such as a modem or wireless card,there is one place we recommend you shop for thisequipment. TechShop is a resource of United MethodistCommunications, and it provides low-cost computer hardware and software to United Methodist churches at asignificant savings over retail. Plus, TechShop packagescomputers with all the software you will need for your totalchurch ministry and offers technical support along the way.See pages 46–47 of this Guide for more information andlinks to these basic technology resources from TechShop.

Now that you have a computer with Internet capabilities,you will need to subscribe to and set up Internet accessand email accounts with an Internet Service Provider

(ISP). Some of the more popular ISPs are AOL, Earthlink,MSN, BellSouth, and Comcast. You can locate theseonline or consult the business section of your telephonebook.

Prices range from $10 to $50 per month or moredepending upon the type of Internet connection youchoose, such as dialup, high speed, broadband, satellite,or wireless. We recommend that you choose at least ahigh-speed Internet connection, as this will greatlydecrease the time it takes to download documents and

webpages. Some Internet service connections are notavailable in all areas, so check with each Internet ServiceProvider to determine which plan is right for you.

Next, with your Internet Service Provider, you will be ableto establish an email account for your church. We suggest

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that the general email account for the church be a genericname so that it is not dependent upon a specific person’sname. In this way, should the person responsible for theaccount change, you do not have to change the emailaccount name, too. Something like, [email protected] would be sufficient. Remember that email account names are unique. Therefore, if someone else has already registered the name you want,you will have to come up with an alternative name. Aneasy way to accomplish this is to add numbers to thename like this, [email protected]. Try tomake the general email account name easy to remember and as short as possible.

With basic computer equipment, an Internet ServiceProvider, and at least one email account, you are ready toget started with your Web ministry. Without any further investment, you can access your Web presence throughFind-A-Church. You will recall that we talked about thebenefits of Find-A-Church in part one of this training.

Whether you plan to develop your own website or not,Find-A-Church is essential to maintaining a vital Webpresence. Here, any person looking for a local UnitedMethodist church can find basic information anddirections. And, Find-A-Church is the most frequentlyvisited page of the UMC.org website. To access andupdate your Find-A-Church page, review page 34 of thisGuide or return to the portion of part one of the on-demandtraining that explains how to access and update your Find- A-Church page.

The next step in developing a Web presence for your localchurch is to create and register a domain name. This is theInternet address for your website. When selecting adomain name, keep it short and easy to remember. Again, just as with selecting an email address, a domain name isunique. Someone may have already registered the name

Step #9:Select and Register a Domain Name

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you want, and you will need to consider how you will adaptyour choice in order to register a unique domain name. Also, be sure to select a .org versus a .com or other typeof Web address.

There are many reputable domain registration services tochoose from. Consider GoDaddy.com for only $6.95 per year. Keep in mind, however, that some of the other decisions you make about design and hosting may includean option to register your domain name with them. If youalready have a domain name, it can be transferred to anyhosting service. See page 48 of this Guide for moreinformation and links to domain name registrationservices.

You have a computer with Internet and email services, andnow you have a registered domain name. Now it’s time todecide how you will design and host your website. First of all, design services have to do with the look and feel of your website. Design covers the layout of your webpages,

including color choices, use of photographs and graphics,and text styles. Hosting services relate to where your website is housed on a server. Most local churches do nothave the financial and human resources to operate andmaintain their own servers, so it is much more economicalto contract with a website hosting service. And, mosthosting services also provide website design services.Now this can get complicated very quickly, so let’s beginwith the simplest form of design and hosting services andwork our way up to the more complicated options.

United Methodist Communications has partnered with E-zekiel to provide low-cost website design and hostingservices tailored to many of the primary needs of localUnited Methodist churches. E-zekiel specializes inproviding template-based website design to churches.Starting at just $14.95 per month, you can have an

Step #10:Choose Website Designand Hosting Services

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interactive website, attractive design options, a registereddomain name, email accounts, and hosting services withan unlimited number of pages.

With E-zekiel, there is no special software to install or programs to learn. Everything is template-based. Thatmeans that if you can use a word processor, like MicrosoftWord, and an Internet browser, like Internet Explorer, youcan use E-zekiel. It’s that simple. In just a few hours, your church website can be up and running on the World WideWeb.

E-zekiel allows you to select from more than 450templates to choose a design that meets the needs andpersonality of your church. These templates areprofessionally designed and can be changed with the clickof a mouse. They combine state-of-the-art designelements with easy navigation to make your presence onthe World Wide Web attractive and fun to explore.

In just a few easy steps, you can add content, graphics,and photographs to your webpages with E-zekiel’s simpleprocess. E-zekiel offers a 30-day free demonstrationperiod where you can actually create your website usingall the tools and features of this effective Web ministryservice.

E-zekiel also offers a complete guide to using its websitedesign and hosting services as well as customer supportby email and telephone. Visit the E-zekiel website today tolearn how this website design and hosting service can

propel your Web ministry. You can even take a 5-minutetour of the services offered as well as visit websites of United Methodist churches that are using E-zekiel for their website design and hosting services. We encourage youto take advantage of this excellent resource.

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If you choose E-zekiel as your website design and hostingoption, you will spend between $175.00 and $1400.00 per year depending upon the level of service you select. Keepin mind, though, that most churches just starting out witha Web ministry will spend closer to the $175.00 level tomeet their basic needs. And, remember that with E-zekiel,your domain name registration and email accounts areincluded.

Likewise, with E-zekiel, you do not need any specialtraining, equipment, or software to develop your website.You will be able to use volunteers and staff to add content,graphics, and photographs to your website. All of this canbe done in a matter of minutes to a few hours each weekfrom any computer with Internet access. E-zekiel is not theonly template-based website design and hosting serviceavailable. In fact, there are thousands of similar companies offering these services at competitive rates.On pages 49–50 of this Guide, we have included a recentcomparison of some of the template-based services we

have discovered that seem to offer what most churchesare looking for.

To recap so far, you already have a Web presence throughFind-A-Church, which costs nothing. Next, you acquire acomputer, which can cost $500 or more. You acquireInternet service that ranges from $10–$50 per month.Then, you register your domain name, which will beincluded in your package with E-zekiel, should you choosethem as your website design and hosting service, or willcost less than $10 per year if done separately. Choosing a

website design and hosting package from E-zekiel, willcost about $175 per year for the basic service level. So,for basic technology resources and website design andhosting services using E-zekiel, you would spend about$850–$1200 the first year and about $350–$500 each

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subsequent year to meet your Web ministry goals andgrow your church’s presence on the World Wide Web.

An alternative to the template-based services offered byE-zekiel and others would be to do-it-yourself by usingHTML software. HTML stands for hyper-text mark-uplanguage. Some people in your church or among your staff may already have the knowledge and experience touse HTML to develop and design a website for your church. There are many HTML products available, but themost popular and widely used are Dreamweaver andFrontpage. Both of these are available at a significantdiscount to United Methodist churches through theTechShop. Cost for one of these software packages isabout $300.

Now, we’re assuming that the do-it-yourself approachwould mean that an existing staff person or churchvolunteer would design the website and populate thecontent. This can take anywhere from one week to one

year to design, develop, and populate before launchingyour site. This depends in large part upon the dynamicfeatures of the design and how complex the site will be.But for a basic website, it is reasonable to assume thatone to two months is average for building an in-house site.

In addition to acquiring the HTML software and havingsomeone design and populate your site, you will need tocontract with a website hosting service if you do not haveyour own server, which is uncommon for most localchurches. There are many companies that offer this

service, including the General Board of Global Ministriesof The United Methodist Church, which offers 5 MB of server space free to any church or organization of TheUnited Methodist Church. While this is not a lot of spacefor a responsive or dynamic site, it will do fine for a simple,static website. If you are looking for more server space

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and features, like email accounts and interactive options,we recommend using Ready Hosting, which costs about$100.00 per year and includes domain name registrationand email accounts as well as many dynamic features. Onpage 51 of this Guide, we offer a list of some of the hostingservices used by local United Methodist churches.

So, for about the same amount of money as E-zekiel or other template-based website design and hostingservices, you can do-it-yourself; however, it will take a bitlonger to launch your site when you do-it-yourself sinceyou will be designing your site from scratch versus usinga template-based design. And, anyone can populate thetemplate-based site versus needing to know HTML or website development software to make additions andchanges to your do-it-yourself version. On the other hand,by doing it yourself, you can design exactly what you wantin the look and feel of your website versus fitting into oneof the template-based type of sites.

A third option for your website design and hosting needs isto contract with a consultant or website developmentcompany. Some consultants or website developers maynot provide hosting and domain name registration; andeven if they do, you may want to consider other options.They will, however, work with you to develop a tailor-made, custom website design; and some will also providea content management system and site population for afee. A content management system or CMS makes it easyfor anyone to add content and graphics to your website, just like the template-based services offered by E-zekiel

and others.

Generally, hiring a consultant or website developmentcompany will cost thousands of dollars up front andseveral hundred dollars a year to maintain, if you want theconsultant or developer to manage your site. Otherwise,

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you will need staff and/or volunteers to learn the contentmanagement system in order to keep your site up-to-dateand dynamic. The main advantage of choosing aconsultant or website development company is to employtop-level, custom design for your website fromprofessional services. The main disadvantages are thecost and skill needed to develop and maintain the site. For churches with a larger budget and the desire to outsourcethese services, this would be one possible option; but for most churches, this is not feasible or practical. However, itis good to know the range of services and optionsavailable so that, as your Web ministry grows, you canmake decisions that are best for your needs and the goalsof your Web ministry. See pages 52–54 of this Guide for alist of things to consider when hiring a website designconsultant or website development company.

All right, you have a computer, Internet Service, an emailaccount, a domain name, and website design and hostingservices. These are the basic material resources you will

need to launch an effective Web ministry. The annual costfor these material resources will range from $350 to $1400with a template-based or do-it-yourself approach andupwards of $5,000 with a consultant or websitedevelopment company, depending upon how advanced or complex you want your website to be and what computer hardware and software you need to acquire.

Next, you will need to consider what human resources youneed to acquire and access in order to operate your Webministry. In general, you will need staff, volunteers, and/or

consultants or website development services to design,populate, and maintain your website.

If you choose existing staff and/or volunteers, the cost isminimal but should be assessed in case you ever decideto hire someone to perform these functions. If you are

Step #11:Choose Human Resources

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depending upon secretarial or support staff to perform theregular updates and maintenance of the website, thisshould also be factored into the job description and somesalary adjustments made to compensate for this addedresponsibility. Even if you decide to rely upon volunteers,someone at the staff level should provide oversight.

Likewise, if you decide to contract these services to aconsultant or website development company, a staff member should provide oversight and be the primarycontact person for the church’s website.

As you make choices about the human resources you willemploy in your Web ministry, keep in mind that even themost dedicated staff and volunteers will not be able to givetheir undivided attention 100% of the time to your websiteand Web Ministry. In fact, most will have to fit it in aroundeverything else they are already doing. Similarly, hiring aconsultant or website development company will notnecessarily minimize the time needed to develop and

launch your website, let alone keep it up-to-date anddynamic. At least one staff member or volunteer, incooperation with the Web ministry team, will need to makesure your consultant or company is sticking to theschedule and getting the data and information it needsfrom you to do its job. See page 55 of this Guide for moreinformation on adjusting staff positions or hiring a newposition to manage your website.

The first four steps of this training session, steps 8 through11, lay out the basic material and human resources you

will need to develop and maintain an effective Webministry using a website as your primary tool. Step 12outlines, then, the basic budgetary components you willwant to consider in order to meet your Web ministry goalsand needs.

Step #12:Consider Budgetary

Components

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In particular, you will need to budget for these materialresources: Computer hardware and software, an InternetService Provider, Domain Registration, and WebsiteDesign and Hosting Services. We have offered anestimated range for each of these, but we encourage youto do your own investigating as some prices quoted heremay have changed. In most cases, the costs will havedropped versus increased as the technology becomesmore affordable.

In addition to the material resources you will need, theremay be some personnel costs involved in operating your Web ministry. This would most likely take the form of a partor full-time staff position and/or a paid consultant tomaintain your website once it’s launched. Even if you relyon volunteers to maintain your website, you will want toconsider which existing staff position should supervise thisvolunteer and whether or not that added responsibilityrequires additional salary compensation. We offer a basicpay scale for staff and consultant services for your

website’s content management. Keep in mind that over time these services may increase based upon customaryraises. On pages 56–57 of this Guide, you will find atemplate for building your Web ministry budget along withsome general guidelines for maintaining up-to-datetechnology resources.

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Step #8:Acquir Acquir e Basice BasicTTecechnolohnologgy Ry Resour esour cesces

4646Web Ministry 101 Planning Guide Part Two: Selecting the Right Tools to Meet Your Web Ministry Goals© 2006 United Methodist Communications

The most basic Web ministry resources you will need are a computer with Internet capability, an InternetService Provider (ISP), and an email account. We recommend that your local church acquire these basictechnology resources if it does not already have them.

Computer Hardware and SoftwareIf your church does not already have a computer with Internet capability, such as a modem or wireless card,there is one place we recommend you shop for this equipment. TechShop is a resource of United MethodistCommunications, and it provides low-cost computer hardware and software to United Methodist churches ata significant savings over retail. Plus, TechShop packages computers with all the software you will need for your total church ministry and offers technical support along the way.

To contact TechShop:

Website: techshopministry.orgemail: [email protected]: 888.346.3862

Select and Subscribe to an Internet Service Provider (ISP)Now that you have a computer with Internet capabilities, you will need to subscribe to and set up Internetaccess and email accounts with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Some of the more popular ISPs are:

• AOL, aol.com• Earthlink, earthlink.net• MSN, msn.com• BellSouth, bellsouth.net• Comcast, comcast.com

Prices range from $10 to $50 per month or more depending upon the type of Internet connection you choose,such as dialup, high speed, broadband, satellite, or wireless. We recommend that you choose at least a high-speed Internet connection, as this will greatly decrease the time it takes to download documents andwebpages. Some Internet service connections are not available in all areas, so check with each InternetService Provider to determine which plan is right for you.

Set Up an Email AccountNext, with your Internet Service Provider, you will be able to establish an email account for your church. Wesuggest that the general email account for the church be a generic name so that it is not dependent upon aspecific person’s name. In this way, should the person responsible for the account change, you do not have

http://www.techshopministry.org/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.aol.com/

http://www.earthlink.net/


http://www.msn.com/

http://www.bellsouth.net/


http://www.comcast.com/



http://www.aol.com/


http://www.msn.com/


http://www.comcast.com/



Step #8:Acquir Acquir e Basice BasicTTecechnolohnologgy Ry Resour esour cesces


to change the email account name, too. Something like, [email protected] would be sufficient.Remember that email account names are unique. Therefore, if someone else has already registered thename you want, you will have to come up with an alternative name. An easy way to accomplish this is to addnumbers to the name like this, [email protected]. Try to make the general email accountname easy to remember and as short as possible.

NOTE: Depending upon decisions you make in Step #10 regarding website design and hosting services, youmay be able to establish email accounts using your domain name that are included in the hosting servicesyou select versus relying upon your Internet Service Provider for your email accounts. In this way, you wouldbe able to set up a general email account for your church through your website address, such as [email protected].

NOTE: At the time of publication, all links were active. If links become broken, inactive, or redirect to another website, pleaseinform us by sending an email to [email protected]. Website URLs provided in this Guide are for example only, andUMCom is not responsible for the content management of these sites. Furthermore, the listing of these websites do not representan endorsement by UMCom unless otherwise stated in the Guide.






Step #9:Select and RSelect and Reegister a Domain Namegister a Domain Name


The domain name is the website address for your local church. When selecting a domain name, keep it shortand easy to remember. Again, just as with selecting an email address, a domain name is unique. Someonemay have already registered the name you want, and you will need to consider how you will adapt your choice in order to register a unique domain name.

Select a .org, if possibleWhen selecting a website address for your local church, if at all possible, choose a .org suffix versus a .comor other suffix. All .org websites are not-for-profit organizations. A .com is used primarily for commercial or business sites. If the .org is not available for the domain name you select, the next best choice would be a.net suffix. The .net is used for networks and is more closely aligned with the not-for-profit or .org type of sites. Likewise, the .biz type of website address is an alternative to the .com choice. Here is a list of someof the most widely used types of website address suffixes and their intended use.

• .biz Business, typically for-profit• .com Commercial, for-profit businesses• .edu Educational, restricted to schools, colleges, and universities• .gov Government, restricted to government-operated sites• .info Information, used by commercial and not-for-profit• .net Network, used by commercial and not-for--profit• .org Organizations, not-for-profit

• .us United States, used by commercial and not-for-profit

Choose a Reputable Registration ServiceWhen selecting and registering your domain name, be sure to use a domain name registration service thatis an ICANN accredited registrant. There are several reputable domain registration services to choose from.Here is a recent list of some of the more popular domain name registration services and a basic price for annual domain name registration.

• Dotster, dotster.com ($8.50)• Go Daddy, godaddy.com ($6.95)• Network Solutions, networksolutions.com ($34.99)• Register, register.com ($10.00)

Keep in mind, however, that some of the other decisions you make about website design and hostingservices may include an option to register your domain name with them instead of one of these domain nameregistration services. If you already have a domain name, it can be transferred to any hosting service.

http://www.dotster.com/


http://www.godaddy.com/


http://www.networksolutions.com/

http://www.register.com/








Step #10:ChooseChooseWWeebsite Design and Hosting Ser bsite Design and Hosting Ser vicesvices


Design services have to do with the look and feel of your website. Design covers the layout of your webpages, including color choices, use of photographs and graphics, and text styles. Hosting services relateto where your website is housed on a server. Most local churches do not have the financial and humanresources to operate and maintain their own servers, so it is much more economical to contract with awebsite hosting service. And, most hosting services also provide website design services.

Template-Based Website Design and Hosting ServicesMost template-based website design and hosting services provide all-inclusive packages featuring a widearray of templates, content management system, domain name registration, email accounts, traffic reports,support services, and upgrades for dynamic website features. Listed here are some of the template-basedwebsite design and hosting services used by local United Methodist churches. We have included the currentmonthly fee for each vendor that is most comparable to E-zekiel’s Bronze level of service at $17.95 per month. E-zekiel’s Bronze service package includes:

• Set up fee (one time $50.00)• 1 email account• Unlimited number of pages• 30 GB storage space• 450+ template designs• Event Manager

• Domain Name• Profile Manager • Design Manager • Site Manager • Media Manager (if streaming)• Search Engine Optimization• Content Manager • Resource Manager

Visit these vendors to learn more about their services and pricing:

• ACS Technologies Extend, acstechnologies.com or extendplatform.com ($19.95)• Advanced Ministry, advancedministry.com ($34.95)• Altrue, altrue.com ($19.00)• Church Square, churchsquare.com ($29.95)• Church Websites America, church-websites-america.com ($19.95)• eChurch Online, echurchonline.com ($19.95)

http://www.acstechnologies.com/


http://www.extendplatform.com/


http://www.advancedministry.com/


http://www.altrue.com/

http://www.churchsquare.com/

http://www.church-websites-america.com/

http://www.echurchonline.com/




http://www.altrue.com/

http://www.churchsquare.com/

http://www.church-websites-america.com/

http://www.echurchonline.com/





• E-zekiel, umc.e-zekiel.com ($17.95)• Faith Connector, faithconnector.com ($54.00)• Faith Websites, faithwebsites.com ($29.00+)• ForMinistry, forministry.com free template-based, requires American Bible Society advertising

banner on your website ($ donation)• Ministry Toolbox Online, ministrytoolboxonline.com ($40.00)• My Church Website, mychurchwebsite.net ($14.90)• Network Solutions, networksolutions.com ($12.46)• ReChurch, rechurch.com ($24.95)• vChurches, vchurches.com ($44.95)

NOTE: At the time of publication, all links were active. If links become broken, inactive, or redirect to another website, pleaseinform us by sending an email to [email protected]. Website URLs provided in this Guide are for example only, andUMCom is not responsible for the content management of these sites. Furthermore, the listing of these websites does notrepresent an endorsement by UMCom unless otherwise stated in the Guide. Likewise, all prices quoted within this Guide wereaccurate at the time of publication. UMCom makes no guarantees regarding vendors’ pricing and service availability.

Custom DesignThese vendors specialize in custom website design for churches. Most will provide, for a fee, a contentmanagement system (CMS) to make it easy for a staff member or volunteer to make changes to your website’s content as well as add photographs and graphics. Some of the vendors used by local United

Methodist churches are listed here. Most will quote a price based upon your specific needs, so no prices arelisted with these vendors. Visit their websites for more information.

• Churchsites, churchsites.com• Details Communications, detailscom.com (compatible with E-zekiel template-based services)• My Church Website, mychurchwebsite.com• Our Church, ourchurch.com

Do It Yourself Website Design An alternative to the template-based services offered by E-zekiel and others would be to do-it-yourself byusing HTML software. HTML stands for hyper-text mark-up language. Some people in your church or amongyour staff may already have the knowledge and experience to use HTML to develop and design a websitefor your church. There are many HTML products available, but the most popular and widely used areDreamweaver and Frontpage. Both of these are available at a significant discount to United Methodistchurches through the TechShop. Listed below are links to some of these HTML products.

http://www.umc.e-zekiel.com/


http://www.faithconnector.com/

http://www.faithwebsites.com/


http://www.forministry.com/

http://www.ministrytoolboxonline.com/


http://www.mychurchwebsite.net/



http://www.rechurch.com/


http://www.vchurches.com/




http://www.churchsites.com/


http://www.detailscom.com/


http://www.mychurchwebsite.com/


http://www.ourchurch.com/



http://www.faithconnector.com/


http://www.forministry.com/















• Joomla, Open Source Software for Content Management, etc., joomla.org (free)• Macromedia Dreamweaver, contact TechShop for the best price ($399.00 retail)• Microsoft FrontPage, contact TechShop for the best price ($199.00 retail)

Hosting ServicesWhile we recommend Ready Hosting at just $8.25 per month ($99.00 per year), there are many other hostingservice vendors to consider. We have provided a list of some of the hosting services used by local UnitedMethodist churches and indicated their monthly fee based upon the services offered by Ready Hosting at$8.25 per month. Ready Hosting offers:

• 1 GB Web space on Windows 2003 server • 200 GB data transfer • Unlimited mailboxes• Unlimited email aliases• Unlimited autoresponders• Instant setup• ShopSite Starter (eCommerce)• Web-based email• 24/7 customer support• FTP access

• ASP support and upload component• Website statistics (traffic reports)• FrontPage 2002 extensions• 30-day money-back guarantee• Database access• CGI/Perl• Password protected directories• Server side includes (.stm, .shtm, .shtml)• Real Audio/Video• SSL security• Control Panel

Consider these vendors for your hosting services, and visit their websites for more information:

• Christian Web Host Inc., christianwebhost.com ($8.95)• eChurchGroups, echurchgroups.com ($12.94)• General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, gbgm-umc.org (5 MB free)

http://www.joomla.org/



http://www.christianwebhost.com/


http://www.echurchgroups.com/

http://gbgm-umc.org/churches/terms.cfm


http://www.joomla.org/




http://www.echurchgroups.com/






• Ministry Web, ministryweb.org ($5.00)• Ready Hosting, readyhosting.com ($8.25)

NOTE: At the time of publication, all links were active. If links become broken, inactive, or redirect to another website, pleaseinform us by sending an email to [email protected]. Website URLs provided in this Guide are for example only, andUMCom is not responsible for the content management of these sites. Furthermore, the listing of these websites does notrepresent an endorsement by UMCom unless otherwise stated in the Guide. Likewise, all prices quoted within this Guide wereaccurate at the time of publication. UMCom makes no guarantees regarding vendors’ pricing and service availability.

Contract with a Website Design Consultant

The basics of website development are not very difficult, and anyone with an aptitude for technology andenough time to focus on the project can put together a simple website. However, implementing moreadvanced functions and doing top-notch graphic design generally requires experience and expertise. If youdecide to hire a website design consultant or website development company to design, and/or populate, your website, here are a few things you can do to ensure a successful relationship.

1. The most important thing you can do before starting your search for a website design consultantor website development company is to develop some focused ideas about the audiences andpurposes of your website. We recommend that you identify your primary purpose, audience, andgoal, and up to four additional audiences/goals. The more clearly you can communicate thesegoals to a consultant or developer, the easier it will be for him/her to help you translate your

vision into reality. Review steps 4 and 5 to complete your purpose, goals, and target audienceassessments.

2. Pull together a comprehensive list of your existing resources related to your website. Thisshould include any technical information about your current website (if you have one), as wellas a list of your existing raw materials, such as existing photographs, documents, or other materials that you might want to incorporate into your website. While you might not have all of your potential website content available, the process of collecting and organizing your materialswill help you identify the gaps.

3. Figure out what you can afford to spend on your site. While your budget may evolve as you workwith your consultant or developer, it's very helpful to have a rough estimate in mind as you beginthe conversation. Review step twelve to develop a preliminary Web ministry budget.

When looking for a website design consultant or website development company, consider these qualities inorder to hire the right person for the job:

http://www.ministryweb.org/


http://www.readyhosting.com/











1. Experience working with churches or other nonprofit organizations. This is by far the mostimportant qualification for a successful website design consulting experience. An effectivewebsite designer must be familiar with the culture, values, and needs of nonprofit organizations,which are substantially different from those of typical corporate clients.

2. Excellent communication skills. All the technical skills in the world won't help a website designconsultant who lacks the ability to communicate effectively with non-technical folks in your church. It's vitally important that your consultant demonstrate the ability to listen carefully to youand to understand your needs, goals, and concerns. An effective consultant will be able toexplain the website development process in terms that will help you achieve your site's purposeand goals.

3. An interest in building your church's internal website development capacity. One of your goalsfor working with a website design consultant or website development company should be toincrease your church's internal capacity and self-sufficiency. In particular, a good website designconsultant will focus on building your capability to manage and update the site after it's finished.

4. The ability to commit to costs and timelines. Effective website design consultants can accuratelyestimate how long it will take to develop a particular site with a given set of features. You mayalso want to consider pricing for ala carte items to add later, such as an online donation module,

a multimedia component, or some other advanced functionality.

5. A portfolio of sites that is effective and appealing to you. Does the website design consultanthave a portfolio of past work? Are the sites visually appealing and easy to use? Most sitedesigners have a style. Be sure you like the look and feel of their past work. Get references fromthe consultant or company and check them out.

There are few warning signs to keep in mind when selecting a website design consultant or websitedevelopment company. These include:

• Excessive jargon. While a certain amount of techno-babble may be unavoidable, beware the

consultant who uses complex technical jargon without stopping to explain what it all means.

• Over-promising. Good consultants know how to take things one step at a time. Beware of folkswho propose to build extremely complex sites in one fell swoop or promise magic bulletsolutions to complex problems.





• Bells and whistles. Good church websites are usually simple. Watch out if your consultant'sportfolio is too heavy on multimedia gewgaws or flashy "eye candy" that doesn't help achievethe site's goals. Also beware of consultants who are single-mindedly devoted to a particular technological tool and can't honestly assess whether a given tool is the right tool to apply to your needs.

• Limited time. Doing good website design always takes longer than you think it will. Beware of the consultant who is only available for a few months.

• Something just doesn't feel right. Trust your gut. If you don't feel comfortable with a particular consultant, then he/she is not the right one for you, regardless of his/her skills.

When hiring a consultant or website development company to design your website and provide technicalsupport as well as ongoing site management, you can expect to spend quite a bit more money up front toachieve your design goals. Most skilled, nonprofit-savvy website design consultants charge $35–$100 per hour. Pricing varies for the different types of services or features you want to provide through your website,such as online giving, password protected areas for members, and dynamic content management features.The number of hours required for a given project can vary widely, depending on the scope and scale of your project. A "small" website design project would probably take no less than 40 hours.

Most consultants and development companies will consider a flat fee for the entire project versus bidding onan hourly basis. Remember to create and sign a written contract that clearly states what the consultant or development company will deliver to you and when this delivery is expected. Always get at least two bids onany proposed website design consulting. Not only will this help prevent you from getting taken for a ride,talking to several smart people about your website needs will help you to focus and refine your ideas.

Finally, as you make your decisions regarding hiring a consultant or developer to create your website, don'tbe afraid to dream big and to ask your website design consultant for exactly what you want. It's theconsultant’s job to help you reality-check your dreams. On the other hand, don't be afraid to rein in aconsultant if he/she goes off on a flight of technological fancy that you can't follow. A good consultingrelationship involves give-and-take, where each party drives the other ahead and serves as a check-and-

balance in the process.



Step #11:Choose Human RChoose Human Resour esour cesces


In general, you will need staff, volunteers, and/or consultants or website development services to design,populate, and maintain your website. If you choose existing staff and/or volunteers, the cost is minimal butshould be assessed in case you ever decide to hire someone to perform these functions. If you aredepending upon secretarial or support staff to perform the regular updates and maintenance of the website,this should also be factored into the job description and some salary adjustments made to compensate for this added responsibility. Even if you decide to rely upon volunteers, someone at the staff level shouldprovide oversight. Likewise, if you decide to contract these services to a consultant or website developmentcompany, a staff member should provide oversight and be the primary contact person for the church’swebsite.

As you make choices about the human resources you will employ in your Web ministry, keep in mind thateven the most dedicated staff and volunteers will not be able to give their undivided attention 100% of thetime to your website and Web ministry. In fact, most will have to fit it in around everything else they arealready doing. Similarly, hiring a consultant or website development company will not necessarily minimizethe time needed to develop and launch your website, let alone keep it up-to-date and dynamic. At least onestaff member or volunteer, in cooperation with the Web ministry team, will need to make sure your consultantor company is sticking to the schedule and getting the data and information it needs from you to do its job.Here is a basic job description for a webmaster along with an estimated hourly range of pay for this position.

Webmaster (or Webservant)

A webmaster is the person responsible for managing the church’s website. This can include some or all of the following tasks:

• Creating and updating webpages• Collecting, coordinating, and preparing content, photographs, and graphics for page updates• Replying to user feedback• Monitoring traffic through the site• Maintaining domain name registration and website design and hosting service contracts• Making sure the website server hardware and software is running properly (for in-house server

hosting only)• Perform backups and ensure user accessibility to the site

On average, a webmaster for a non-profit organization makes about $17.00 per hour (based upon 2005 Non-

Profit Times survey). This hourly rate does not include the cost of any benefits package offered by thechurch. To outsource these same functions to a consultant, the average hourly rate would be about twice asmuch, or roughly $35.00 per hour. Generally, the webmaster would report to the Web ministry team and besupervised by a staff member.



Step #12:Consider BudgConsider Budgetar etar y Componentsy Components


Step 12 outlines, the basic budgetary components you will want to consider in order to meet your Webministry goals and needs. In particular, you will need to budget for these material resources: Computer hardware and software, an Internet Service Provider, Domain Registration, and Website Design and HostingServices. We have offered an estimated range for each of these, but we encourage you to do your owninvestigating as some prices quoted here may have changed. In most cases, the costs will have droppedversus increased as the technology becomes more affordable.

In addition to the material resources you will need, there may be some personnel costs involved in operatingyour Web ministry. This would most likely take the form of a part or full-time staff position and/or a paidconsultant to maintain your website once it’s launched. Even if you rely on volunteers to maintain your website, you will want to consider which existing staff position should supervise this volunteer and whether or not that added responsibility requires additional salary compensation. We offer a basic pay scale for staff and consultant services for your website’s content management. Keep in mind that over time these servicesmay increase based upon customary raises. On the next page, we have provided a basic template for developing your Web ministry budget.



Step #12:Consider BudgConsider Budgetar etar y Componentsy Components


Basic Web Ministry Budget Worksheet:

(*) Indicates a one-time cost for set-up, etc.

Item Estimated Annual Cost Actual Annual Cost

Computer with Internet capability $500.00*

Internet Service Provider $300.00

Domain Name Registration $10.00

Website Design and Hosting Service

(Template-based) $215.00

Set-up fee for template-based website designand hosting services

$50.00*

Custom Website Design (optional for template-based)

$500.00*

Website Development Software (FrontPage or Dreamweaver from TechShop)

$300.00*

Website Hosting Service (if do-it-yourself or

consultant/developer services)

$120.00

Website Design Consultant or DevelopmentCompany

$2500.00*

Part or Full-time Webmaster as staff member $17,000–35,000

Part or Full-time Webmaster as consultant $36,400–72,800

Updating existing computer software to maintainefficient operations)

$100.00

Upgrade existing computer hardware, software,

and peripherals to maintain efficient operations $250.00

Total Annual Cost $875.00–76,460+

planning guide part two

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