Pastors, communications directors, and volunteers who suspect their church website isn't pulling its weight — and want a clear, honest way to check.
No tech background needed. You'll walk through 5 specific checks, each one designed to show you exactly what a first-time visitor experiences when they land on your site.
Start here. Grab your phone. Open your church's website in a fresh browser tab — not bookmarked, not logged in, not autocompleted. You want to see it the way a brand-new visitor does.
Work through the 5 checks below in order. Each one takes 2–3 minutes. Score yourself honestly — not how you hope your site performs, but how it actually performs.
At the end, you'll have a clear picture of where your site is strong, where it's quietly costing you visitors, and what to fix first.
The 3-Second Test
If a stranger landed on your homepage right now, would they know who you are and when you meet — within 3 seconds?
- Open your homepage. Count to three. Then close it.
- Without looking again — can you name the church, the city, and the service times?
- Now open it again. Is the church name visible without scrolling?
- Are Sunday service times visible without scrolling?
- Is there a clear "Plan Your Visit" or "New Here?" button near the top?
First-time visitors decide within 3 seconds whether your site is worth their time. If they can't immediately figure out who you are and how to visit, they're not going to do the work of digging. They'll close the tab and try another church — and you'll never know they were there.
The Mobile Test
Roughly 7 out of every 10 first-time visitors are on their phone. How does your site feel in their hand?
- Open your site on your phone. (Not a tablet — a phone.)
- Does text fit the screen without pinching or scrolling sideways?
- Are buttons big enough to tap with your thumb on the first try?
- Does the menu open cleanly — or does it overlap content?
- Can you find service times in under 10 seconds on mobile?
- Does the site load in under 3 seconds on cellular data (not wifi)?
Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in search results. If yours isn't, you're literally harder to find. And even if visitors do find you, a bad mobile experience signals that your church is behind the times — fairly or not.
The Plan Your Visit Test
A first-time visitor is nervous. They want to know what to expect before they walk in. Does your site calm their nerves — or add to them?
- Find your "Plan Your Visit," "New Here?," or "First Time?" page.
- Does it answer: what time are services?
- Does it answer: where do I park?
- Does it answer: what do I wear?
- Does it answer: what happens during a service?
- Does it answer: what do I do with my kids?
- Is there a friendly photo of real people — not an empty sanctuary?
Most people visiting a new church are doing something uncomfortable. The anxiety of "what if I do the wrong thing" is real. A good Plan Your Visit page removes every small unknown — and that's often the difference between someone showing up and someone staying home.
The Real People Test
Look at the photos on your homepage. Do they show your actual church — or do they look like a stock photo library?
- Scroll your homepage slowly. Count every photo.
- How many show actual people from your congregation?
- How many are stock photos (people you don't recognize, posed-looking moments, suspiciously perfect lighting)?
- Are there any photos of your actual space — sanctuary, lobby, kids area?
- Do the people in photos reflect the real demographics of your church?
Stock photos tell visitors that your church is performing, not being. Real photos tell them what walking in will actually feel like. When someone is deciding whether to visit, they're not looking for a brochure — they're looking for a preview of belonging.
The Last Updated Test
Your website tells visitors how much you care about showing up well. When was the last time you updated it?
- Scroll to the very bottom of your homepage. What year does the copyright say?
- Click your "Events" or "Calendar" page. Are the events current?
- Check your sermon page (if you have one). When was the most recent sermon posted?
- Look at your staff page. Is everyone listed still there? Anyone missing?
- Check the contact info — is the phone number and address current?
An out-of-date website signals an out-of-touch church. Visitors won't say it out loud, but they'll feel it. A current site — even a simple one — communicates that you're present, active, and paying attention. That matters more than fancy design.