7 Tips To Help Your Church Go Online and Crush It

Are you a church leader looking to start an online church giving program? If so, you’re not alone. More than ever, churches and other nonprofits are turning to online giving technology as a way to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with donors.

Here are seven tips that can help your church go online and crush it.

Know Your Donors

Our first tip is one used by marketers, no matter what kind of business or nonprofit you are in. Unless you know your target audience or target donors, you won’t be able to define your clear strategy.

The online church tools you use and the resources you equip yourself with depend on the kind of donors you are reaching. So the first thing is to find out who your donors are, study their personality, and learn about the places they prefer to interact.

Here is a good blog post on finding more about your donors’ personalities.

Focus on Your Website Content

Make sure your church website is updated regularly. If you find that your church leaders and management simply cannot handle this side of the administration, you can always hire a web development team or partner with a church management software platform, such as DonorWerx.

A regularly updated, refreshed site shows your online givers that you are managing the digital aspects of your ministry well. Blogging a few times a month also makes them feel more deeply connected to you as spiritual leaders.

Choose Your Church Management Software Wisely

One of the most powerful tools in your digital arsenal is the church management software you choose. That’s why it’s important to find one that has all the features you need.

Assuming your church management teams are made of both beginners and veterans in the digital space, your software doesn’t have to be fancy. It should, however, be able to do all the following from a single dashboard:

• Connect your church team management with the donors and volunteers
• Track your outreach events and engagement rates.
• Accept digital contributions
• Create financial reports
• Manage email marketing campaigns
• Send out messages to donors via text or emails

Check out this post for a list of the best church management software in 2021.

Make Your Service Speeches Available Online

Some of your potential donors may not be able to attend in-person services. Don’t make them feel left out or distanced from the church. Having the content you produce available for them online is one way to stay connected.

This could be something as simple as your weekly Sunday services, recorded, and uploaded to a private video channel. You can also include other relevant content that may help your congregation spiritually. Follow-up courses for your Bible studies, for example.

Update Your Church Social Media Presence

An easy way to update your online church’s digital presence is to create a LinkedIn page for your church or non-profit. We recommend this platform over Facebook because LinkedIn is created especially for business and professional relationships to thrive.

In this professional atmosphere, you can easily target the donors who are looking for a nonprofit or ministry to support. Here’s a case in point: Search the LinkedIn platform for the term “outreach,” and it yields over 48,000 results. Many pastors are using the social media platform to grow their online presence and increase their targeted reach.

If you are still wondering about this avenue for your ministry, check out our blog on using LinkedIn for church marketing.

Have an Attitude of Gratitude

All churches have to start somewhere with their online ministries. If you are not yet at the level you would like to be, don’t get discouraged. Look back at how far you have come since the start of your church, and how many lives you have already helped. Starting from a point of gratitude when embarking on any journey will help you reach your goals with the right mindset.

You can also spread the message of gratitude by making a point to thank every donor who has supported you in the past. Let them know how you are now upgrading your outreach ministry online and invite them to connect with you there.

Automate Donations

The National Congregations Study showed us how a third of congregations had little to no savings in 2019. So, when the pandemic hit the nation, many were unprepared for the monetary losses that the church experienced.

Only those who already had online donation portals set up were able to continue accepting help for their foundations, churches, and non-profits. By automating donations, you make it easier for those who want to support your work to do so. When a crisis hits, you can still maximize your outreach efforts.

How DonorWerx Can Help

The DonorWerx online courses teach church leaders how to attract new donors and retain existing donors. If you need help developing your donors and getting started on the best strategy, we have the software that successful churches trust.

Call us today to find out where you are at on your donor journey, and what your next steps forward should be. We’ll help your online church crush it, year after year!