Hartford Reviews of Congregational Web Sites (Web Resource)
Hartford, CT: Hartford Institute for Religion Research

Have you ever noticed a good congregational Web site and wondered, "what makes it so good?" Have you ever wondered what would make your congregation's Web site better? This set of congregational Web site reviews from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research may provide the insight and ideas you need.

This Web resource first provides links to congregational sites and invites you to tour the sites for awhile. It then invites you to return and read Hartford's analysis of what "worked" in each site, plus suggestions for how the site could be made better.

The Hartford Institute also informs you of the criteria used to review congregational Web sites. These criteria address (1) site necessities—including name, address, mission statement, contact information, and feedback functions; (2) purpose/audience—including a balance of content for the member and the visitor; (3) style—including consistent uses of font, colors, and layout; (4) content—including up-to-date text that uniquely describes the congregation; (5) design—including loading speed and ease of printing; (6) navigation—including search features and site maps; (7) graphics—including alt tags and appropriately sized images; (8) ads—including logo or icon obtrusiveness; and (9) ministry and mission—including features for distinctive groups in the congregation, information for ministries, and hyperlinks to external sites.

The clarity of Hartford's criteria for Web site evaluation, the sharpness of its site evaluations, and its creative ideas for improving and enlivening any site will be helpful to congregational Web designers.
 

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