So How Do I Do this Anyway?

In this era of expanding globalization and technological innovation, building a website should not be too difficult, right? Well, not so fast. Parishes and youth ministries from all over the country are realizing the benefits of creating websites. But they are also realizing that there are some challenges which must be mitigated if the website is to be effective.

I recently sat down with Mr. James Miller, Jr., IT Manager for a federal credit union in Jersey City, New Jersey. I asked Jim a variety of questions about the challenges associated with creating and maintaining websites. Here is a summary of the interview.

Q: What is the most difficult challenge associated with creating a website?

A: The act of creating a website is very easy. There are so many template programs that it is almost impossible to not find one that your organization can use. The hard part is coming up with creative ways to attract people to the website once it i’s created. Registering a domain name is easy. Getting people to visit the website takes some work. The key is to set something up that is both useful and attractive.

Q: How about maintaining the website once it is created? What are some challenges you face?

A: Hands down the most difficult challenge with maintaining the website is getting people to give you content and information in a timely manner. I think all organizations face this challenge. Websites are useless unless they are current. I do not know everything about every subject so I count on people to provide me with content for certain parts of the websites I maintain. If I do not receive any information, I cannot update the website. It can be very frustrating.

Q: Is it easy or difficult to find reliable servers?

A: That’s very easy. It is not hard to find a service provider at all. There are literally thousands of companies willing to host your website, for a fee of course. Most providers are competitive in terms of price. You find a provider within your budget if you look around. Most of these providers know that the business is extremely competitive and they have to provide outstanding service because it is very easy for someone to switch providers. If you find yourself at the receiving end of poor service, there is always another provider who would love to have your business.

Q: Any final thoughts, Jim?

A: It is important for webmasters to continually upgrade and update their websites. If you want new visitors to your site, make it attractive and they will come. If you want repeat visitors, you need to change the content and update the site often. People will then look forward to visiting your website just to see what is new.

I want to thank Mr. Miller for taking the time to discuss the importance of creating and maintaining websites. I hope that youth ministers find this information useful when building their websites for their respective youth groups. The key seems to be to keep the information current! Let people know what is going on in a timely fashion. You will attract more people to your website and, hopefully, to your youth group activities.