When Luthernet builds websites, the goal is to make it easy for the church to update, but how easy can it really be? Let's take a look at what it takes for many of our builds to be the best church website without the work.
We recommend using Google for documents and a calendar. We'll embed the folders and calendar right into the website, and all the church has to do is add documents to the folder or update the calendar. The documents, often the monthly newsletter, shows up on the site. The calendar also just shows up in the right place. Basically, the Google elements of the site don't require you to log in to the site at all. Just use a shared folder and a shared calendar.
An option on the websites we build is to also embed Facebook. If you are more comfortable with Facebook than writing articles on the site, then that will also just show up automatically. No need to change how you do things too much, though we do recommend writing teasers on Facebook that lead to the website, since Facebook is based on advertising. However, if you don't want to change, then just keep updating Facebook.
Static Pages
These pages on a website do not change often, but you should still be able to adjust the content on these pages. This is simple, too. You hit an Edit button, write or edit content, and click Save.
Articles
Every website should have updated sections. News, Updates, Sermons, or a Blog. Some new content some of the time. We set it up so that the articles are in a list. At the bottom of the list is a button that says New. Click the New button, write something, and click Save. The new article appears first on the list as the newest article.
Modules
Some content is on all pages, like your contact information. We put these in as modules. You just have to click on the Edit button, make some changes, and click Save.
While we know how to make websites more complicated, there really isn't a reason to do so. Complicated websites scare people, and then there's never any new content. If you want an easy website that looks just as difficult as the websites at churches that pay someone to add content, then go with us. Focus on getting content written, not on worrying about the complicated elements you don't need or want.