Yes, Your Website Can Make People Run Away from You
How a Crappy Website Can Hurt You
This article is for those who work with churches, spiritual communities, organizations, or spiritual entrepreneurs who need to improve their digital presence in order to connect with their ideal audience more effectively.
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Back in the early 2000s, I met the most most wonderful fellow seminarian in a shared course. We would chat a bit before every class since our desks sat next to each other. She was a Lutheran from the seminary down the street. As we talked, our shared love for coffee came up. So we set up a date at the nearby coffee shop.
It was a great evening. I discovered she had a love for all things Celtic, much like myself. I discovered that she had a rather progressive theology, much like myself. Most importantly, I discovered that I really liked her and wanted to spend more time with her. Apparently, she felt the same because that first date turned into a second, and so on, and so on.
First dates are always awkward. You never really know how they're going to turn out. It might be awesome, and it might be a disaster.
But one thing you do know is why you're there: You're trying to feel out whether this person is compatible with you. Are you on the same page? Do you share the same values? Do you share the same passions? Ultimately, do you want to move into a closer relationship with this person?
So, during your time together, you're looking for all the ways that you feel connected to this person. And just as important, you are looking for red flags. You are looking for signals that may indicate the two of you aren't a good match.
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression”
I'm sure you've heard the saying attributed to Will Rogers. Everybody gets it because it’s so true. And, it’s extremely relevant when it comes to marketing.
Unfortunately, marketing often has a bad name in popular culture. It is seen as money-grubbing and manipulative. And I understand the sentiment because I used to see it that way, too.
Then, I discovered that marketing was far more than that. Sure, “money-grubbing” and “manipulative” are good descriptors for unethical marketing. But it’s not the case with most marketing.
Here’s the primary motivator for most marketing…
It’s about building quality relationships so businesses and clients who are a good match can move closer together in a mutually fulfilling way.
Typically, people need to hear about a business or organization several times before they consider working with them. One of the main ways they find out about a business or organization is by going to their website, which makes the experience a lot like a first date.
Remember, your website is your official persona online. It represents who you are, what you do, and ultimately what you stand for.
During a visitor’s time on your website, their agenda is the same as if it were a first date: They are trying to discern whether you are a good match for them.
If you come across as egotistical, confused, or evasive, how well do you think that encounter is going to go for you? I suspect not well. There's a good chance that your visitors are going to call it quits right then and there.
This means that if you value what you do—if you value what your website represents—then it is vital that you take your website seriously. It will be the main criteria people use to either qualify or disqualify you for future relations.
A website is meant to serve a very specific purpose
Remember, the reason to have a website in the first place is for the purpose of helping your ideal audience get to know you, like you, and trust you so that they are more open to working with you.
That means the quality of the website isn't measured by…
How much money you spent on it
How much time was spent on it
How fancy it looks
There's really only one single criterion for measuring the quality of your website: The extent to which it fulfills its purpose.
If your ideal audience is able to resonate with you through your website, then it has fulfilled its purpose.
If they do not, then it isn't doing its job.
And…
If your website repels people in your ideal audience, it is actively counterproductive and hurting you.
And, yes, your website can repel potential partners.
The danger is real
Did you know 75% of visitors to a website equate quality design with credibility? That’s how important your first impression is.
Meanwhile, a lot of people think that they can get just anyone to design or write a website and it will be just fine…as if experience and know-how don't really matter.
Alternatively, they may turn to AI to create and write their websites for them. But right now, while AI is helpful, it still needs that human guidance in order to be effective, especially during a time when people are becoming more sensitive and suspicious of AI and what it produces.
So, I want to walk through several ways that a poorly designed or written website can actually repel the people you want to attract and damage your good name in the marketplace.
1. The danger of looking unprofessional
Let's get this one out there front and center. If you want to be taken seriously as a professional, you need to present yourself online in a way that makes you look professional.
Imagine that you are someone who is searching for a spiritual director. You want to know the person you're going to work with is competent. And, for better or worse, people will judge the quality of your services based on their experience with your website. After all, at this point, they have little else to go on.
So, if your website looks like it was done 15 or 20 years ago, or it looks like it was slapped together by someone who did not know what they were doing, like it or not that will reflect directly on you as a professional.
I'm going to reiterate the statistic above: 75% of people equate a quality website with credibility. (Let that really sink in.)
If you are a congregation, ultimately your hope is probably that people will join you, which means actively tying their identity to yours. If your website makes you look bad, that's definitely a mark in the "don't want to be associated with” category. I'm not saying this is a good thing. I'm just saying this is a human thing.
If you have a website that looks amateurish, you significantly increase the chances that it will drive off someone who would normally be perfect for your community and love it there.
2. The danger of difficult navigation
I don't know how many times I've heard jokes about people and their unorthodox “filing systems”. Only they know how to find what they need when they need it. For everybody else, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
You don’t want people to experience your website that way. You want your website to be easy to navigate.
Too often, amateurs want to make sure that their menu is robust. It's fun to build a website and see the drop-down expand into yet another drop-down. After all, more stuff on the menu makes it look like you offer more value, right?
But from a user experience, that can be frustrating. It’s best to have your menu navigation as simple and clear as possible.
But ease of navigation is about more than just the menu. It's about the logic of how the site is structured. Does it make sense to have certain information in one place rather than another? Should you put a link to a particular page in the menu at the top, or would it be better to have it in the footer at the bottom? There should be a certain sense of intuitiveness about navigation logic. It should simply make sense for any visitor.
Imagine what it’s like to be a visitor and all you really want is this one piece of information. But then, the navigation is all over the board. They have to work pretty hard through confusion and frustration to get what they want. Do you really think they are going to be excited about meeting you after that?
3. The danger of irrelevance
Time to talk about copywriting. I love doing design, but this is what I love most (which is probably not surprising since I’m a writer).
In fact, I’d say the one single thing that is most important on your website is the copy (which is the text). Yes, high-quality images and color patterns make people go “Ooooh” and “Ahhhh”. To be fair, design is indeed the most important factor in that first impression, so I don’t want to diminish the significance of a great design. But, when the rubber hits the road, it’s still the copywriting that matters most.
The copy on your website is the primary way you communicate your message. That means your message has to be clear, concise, and consistent. It has to be written in a way that your ideal audience can resonate with.
And that leads to a major mistake I see on a lot of spiritual websites…
The writer assumes that people are coming to the website in order to find out about the spiritual community or business. So, they focus on telling people about the spiritual community or business through their copy.
I know, it sounds like it should be the right thing to do, but it isn’t.
Here's where that falls apart…
Visitors to your website don't really care about you. What they care about what you can do for them.
That means you have to intentionally craft the message for the purpose of connection through every single sentence. It has to resonate with their problems, hopes, and values.
If you don't do that, when your ideal audience members (those who are a perfect match for you) land on your site they will look at what you have to say and determine that you are irrelevant to them. Then, they bounce never to return.
And that is the danger of low-quality copywriting. It can literally push away the people who would otherwise be the perfect match for you.
Honestly, copywriting is a lot of work. But it's work you have to do if you want your website to fulfill its purpose.
4. The danger of overwhelm
When I say “wall of text”, what do I mean?
You don't even have to think about it. A long time ago, you learned that dense text with a lot of information causes people to stop reading.
Yet, I can't tell you how many websites I've been to and right there on the front page I see that dreaded wall of text.
I have a sneaking suspicion that every single person who has written text-wall copy knows exactly what a text wall is and why it is bad. And, still, they put a text wall on their website. It really makes no sense.
Or does it?
Here's what I think happens…
People go to college and write papers. Writing research papers requires a certain format. After they get several papers under their belts, they start to build a habit.
Then when they write copy for a website, they default back to paper writing. Deep down they unconsciously know that text walls are bad. Still, they can't see the problem while they’re writing because that's the way they were taught to write.
Copywriting is radically different than research paper writing. It's different than blog article writing.
Once you realize that, it opens the door to understanding why you do not want to write the copy for your website the same way you do for a research paper or a blog article.
When people read a website they want to get information quickly. That means very short paragraphs written for impact. It means short sections. It means a lot of white space. In other words, it means everything that a text wall is not.
Ultimately, what text walls do is overwhelm the reader. They actively shut down the desire to read and cause visitors to skip past the words and slide down the page in hopes of a quick summary.
In contrast, copywriting is an invitation. Everything leads into and teases the next bit. Well-written copy causes people to start reading at the top of the page and continue all the way down because they just can't resist finding out what is coming next.
5. The danger of evasion
Here's a challenge for you. Randomly select five church websites. Go to those websites. See if you can figure out what makes the church unique. See if you can figure out what stands they take in society.
More than likely, you will come back without a clue. You see, most church websites you encounter are going to be generic church websites. I suspect the same for spiritual entrepreneurs.
Why does this happen?
Because they don't want to offend anyone. They don't want to take a stand on LGBTQAI+ issues because they are afraid to turn away those who oppose their full inclusion and empowerment.
Same thing with other issues.
How they view the Bible
How they view doctrine
How they view Jesus
How they view God
By saying nothing about the issues people care about, they say nothing of significance about themselves.
When people land on a website they want to know who this church or spiritual entrepreneur is. They want to know where this church or entrepreneur stands on things that are important to them. Remember, they're trying to figure out whether they're looking at a good fit.
Whenever visitors come across a website that says nothing of substance around issues, that is a huge red flag. Remember, the purpose of a website is to help your ideal audience get to know you, like you, and trust you so that they are interested in entering into a deeper relationship. If they have questions about who you are and they come to your website to get answers, being evasive is counterproductive. It can make people wonder what you have to hide.
If you’re going to evade their questions, they’re going to avoid you.
First impression, last impression
For your website to succeed at its primary job, it has to be written and designed in a way that doesn't give people a bad impression right out of the gate.
If you would like me to look over your website for you and give you feedback on how you can improve it, I’d be glad to do that. All you need to do is sign up for a Website Design & Copy Audit.
It’s pay what you want, so if you don’t have the finances to pay me, you can get it for free (welcome to the grace economy). If you want to know what I recommend as payment, it would be nice to get at least $50 for my time, and ideally $150. (After all, these typically start at no less than $300.)
If you want to talk with me about other ways we might work together, feel free to set up a discerment call to determine whether we’re a good fit.
I hope you have found this information helpful.
Until next time!
Peace, Bo
www.evolvingchristianfaith.net
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Credits
Thanks to NightCafe for the cover art