Blogs...in Simple English

I am still often asked "what is a blog?" or "what's the big deal about blogs?" Recently I came across a web site called CommonCraft who produce short videos explaining things in simple terms. They say "Our product is explanation. We use a simple format and real-world stories to make sense of complex ideas."

Anyone who communicates could learn from CommonCraft. Simple is good. Simple is powerful. Take a watch as they explain blogs...

Simply the Web

What makes a really great church web site?

I had this discussion over lunch with someone on our staff today. And you know, this is really a very interesting question, because your answer, in part, is going to be determined on who you think the site is for. Do you want to focus it on the person you have yet to reach (marketing and outreach) or do you want it designed for your membership (communication and resources)? Or, can you accomplish both?

I don't have the answer, but I'm looking forward to the discussion in the days ahead as McGregor looks at totally redoing our web site. I do think that "simple" has to be a high value today in any effective site. We can learn a little something from Apple and their incredible success at doing things "simple." I also think you can target both of the above groups by simplifying your home page and allowing easy access for members and guests to get the information and resources they need.

I also think there is a need to provide for "community" within a church's site. Again, not sure exactly how this would play out, but it is definitely one of the hottest trends on the web today. (Think MySpace and Facebook.) I think there are tons of possibilities here.

What would you like to be able to do with your church's web site? Let me know. I would love to hear your ideas.