Ministry websites are a funny thing.
As a ministry leader, you want people to know what you offer. So you make a list of everything you provide and start adding it online. But pretty soon, your website looks more like a Craigslist page then a focused description of how you serve your community.
Believe me, I get it. I’ve been there myself, both from the leader’s perspective and website creator side.
The funny thing is… your website visitors aren’t looking at the majority of your content.
How do I know? Visitor Analytics
The analytics show, the majority of church website visits are from new people who are interested in ministry information.
And, they come looking for the same pieces of information over and over again:
- Service Times and Style
- Location
- Children’s Ministry
- Youth Group
- Sermon Archives
So what is the takeaway for your ministry? Start tracking your website visitors
That way you can put your limited time and resources toward the most effective areas of your website.
Here are 3 ways to track your ministries website visitors:
Google Analytics
The “gold standard” of tracking, Google offers this service to help better understand your website visitor. Check the number of website visits, pages viewed, types of content accessed and more. You can even set up goals and reports to automatically run reports and send you details on your set schedule. This service is free of charge from Google.
Inspectlet 2.0
Gain information about what portions of your web pages are being viewed and why. Inspectlet tracks eye movement on the page, mouse movements, click details and more. The recording feature is especially helpful in viewing what a site visitor actually looks at during a visit. A free plan is available with limited sessions and pageviews, or a Micro Plan for $39 a month.
CrazyEgg
Similar to Inspectlet, CrazyEgg gives you in-depth info about the visitor experience. What they have viewed, clicked, interacted with, what websites have referred them and more. You can also view recorded website visits to gain information about the visitor experience. A free trial is available with a Basic Plan for $9 a month.
How is your ministry tracking website visits? Any other tools you would add to the list?
Let me know in the comments below.