Introduction 

There are many reasons to switch church website platforms. Maybe you want a better user experience, more engaging and dynamic features, or simply an updated website capable of live streaming and supporting church growth.

Whatever the case, it’s important to follow these five steps for switching platforms.

Follow these steps and seamlessly switch your church website platform. 

Step 1: Evaluate Your Current Platform’s Limitations 

First, you need to evaluate your current platform’s limitations.  Here are a few questions to ask:

• Is your website easy to use and are users able to easily find what they’re looking for?
• Does your website integrate with your email marketing tools, social media platforms, and church management software?
• Is your website’s loading speed fast? Are there any major technical errors?
• Does your website serve the needs of your church?

Answering these questions will help you evaluate your current platform’s limitations and help you know what you need in a new website platform.

Step 2: Choose the Right New Platform

Next, you need to choose the right new platform for your church. Here are a few considerations in choosing the best website platform:

Easy to Use: Is the platform easy for both technical and non-technical staff and volunteers to edit?

Mobile Compatibility: Is the website mobile-friendly and does it look and function well on smartphones, tablets, and desktops?

Data Security: Does the platform follow best practices for data security, including SSL encryption, regular backups, and protection against cyber threats

Budget: What are the upfront and ongoing costs? Are there flexible pricing plans for you to start with something basic and add on?

Addressing these questions will allow you to compare and see what platform works best for your church.

Step 3: Plan Your Content Migration

Planning your content migration can feel daunting, but with a clear plan, it can be a smooth process.

It starts by making a plan: Backup your current website to make sure you don’t lose anything. Then, make a list of everything on your current site (images, text, etc) and decide what you want to keep and what needs to be replaced. 

Next, you need to import your content and redirect your URLs: Transfer your content to your new site (or use a tool to do this). If your page addresses are changing, don’t forget to redirect your URLs.

Follow these steps and make content migration simple.

Step 4: Design and Customize Your New Website

Designing and customizing your new website is crucial for creating a consistent brand identity. You want your congregation and visitors to feel welcome and ready to attend church.

A consistent design can help you reflect your church’s values and reinforce trust.

Don’t forget to focus on ease of use and user experience. Ultimately, you want people to be able to easily use your church website and be able to access what they need.

Step 5: Test and Launch Your New Website

Lastly, make sure you test and launch your new website. 

Before launching, invite multiple people to click around on your new site. This will help you catch any errors before you go live. Does your site work on mobile? Have people ensure it works on multiple devices before you launch.

Now, it’s time to go live and let everyone know about your new site.

Conclusion

You now have what it takes to successfully switch your church website platform. When in doubt, take your time to find the right platform that works for your unique needs.

Start planning today and approach your website switch with confidence. Remember, if you continue optimizing your website post-launch, you’ll continue to see better engagement.

Ready to explore a new church website platform? Check out Ministry Brands Amplify as your all-in-one church ops solution: Schedule a demo today