Make Your Parish Website a “Go-To”

Your parish website is often the first place people go when they’re looking for information about your parish.

Whether they’re new to the area or longtime parishioners looking for Mass times, event details, or how to get involved, a well-organized, user-friendly website can make all the difference. It’s the digital front door to your parish, and just like any good front door, it should be welcoming, easy to use, and… well… a doorway to what the audience needs.

Especially when fallen or questioning Catholics visit your site have been inspired to come back to church, a useless website can exasperate them.

So, what makes a parish website effective? What are the habits that keep people coming back for more? Here are 7 habits of a highly effective parish website that will keep your community engaged, informed, and ready to take action.

1. An Effective Parish Website Prioritizes Mass and Confession Times

If someone visits your parish website, the #1 thing they need to find quickly are Mass times. People don’t want to hunt for this information—it should be easy to spot right when they land on your homepage.

The same goes for confession times—if someone’s looking to go, don’t make them scroll through a million pages to find out when it’s available.

2. Put Interesting Events Front and Center

Your parish is constantly buzzing with activities: ministries, youth events, retreats, prayer groups, and more. Make sure your website is the first place people check for upcoming events. People should be able to quickly see what’s happening at the parish and how they can get involved. 

Level this up by organizing events designed and marketed for a specific demographic—for teens, single adults, parents, the lukewarm, empty nesters, the doubting, the bold, etc.

3. User-Friendly (No One Wants to Get Lost)

Let’s be real: no one wants to spend time clicking through endless pages trying to find the info they need. Your website’s navigation should be simple and intuitive. Key sections should be clearly marked in the menu, and each page should be easy to understand.

Use clear labels and organized submenus, organize info by question or demographic, etc.  

In addition, Navigation Bars should be optimized to organize your website further, especially if you have a lot of pages. Try having four or five main pages, with all your subpages below it. Organization helps provide a clean, accessible experience for everyone. 

Keep it easy for your audience. The Catholics who have fallen away may be inspired to come back, and your website can be the reason they don’t go further. If you don’t have easy information, options for Mass times, resources for someone to talk to, or ministries for their demographic, they may give up quickly. 

Make it really simple for the audience by including a search feature, so they can just type in exactly what they need.

4. An Effective Parish Website Evangelizes (Because People Always Have Questions)

Whether someone is a longtime parishioner or a first-time visitor, they’re going to have questions. Let’s move away from boring and tucked away “Contact Us” pages that hardly anyone uses.

Give audiences a way to engage Church teaching on the social and moral questions of the day (weddings I can attend, gay friends, divorce, fasting, and more) and make the way to contact the Parish pastor and staff easy and encouraged.

This call to action (CTA) could be a simple contact form linked in a FAQs, or on blog posts, or letters to parishioners. Give the audience a chance to email or even call, and ask if that information can be used for email updates. Include clear office hours for people who prefer to call or visit. And REMEMBER, email or call them back!

People will appreciate the quick and easy way to get in touch, especially when they have a question about Mass times, events, ministries, and the ever-important “what does the Church teach”.

Leveling up your contact us CTA in these ways will build trust by making the parish accessible and approachable.

5. Mobile-Friendly Design (Because We’re All on Our Phones)

Let’s be honest. People are browsing websites on their phones more than ever before.

A mobile-friendly design is no longer optional—it’s necessary. A website that’s not mobile-friendly is like a store without an entrance. Make sure your parish website looks great and works seamlessly on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.

6. A Welcoming “About Us” Page (Because People Want to Know Who You Really Are)

Your “About Us” page is one of the most visited sections on your website. People want to know who you are, what your parish stands for (evangelize!), and what are the hallmarks of your community.

This page should highlight your parish’s mission, commitments, and leadership, so people feel more connected to the body of Christ.

Introduce your staff and clergy—people love seeing faces, names, and biographies to make the introduction more personal.

A clear “What the Church Teaches” section can reinforce the teachings of the Church and help people understand the foundation of your community.

7. An Effective Parish Website Makes Online Giving Simple

Parishes are characterized by the love for one another.

Catholics, especially young Catholics, are increasingly donating online, so… make it easy.

A donation page should be intuitive and secure, allowing parishioners to easily set up one-time or recurring gifts. This can be especially important during ministry fundraising, capital campaigns, or when someone is unable to attend Mass in person but still wants to contribute to the parish or specific ministries. Online giving is booming!

Level this up by adding a QR code in your bulletin for the people who don’t have cash but still want to give. 

Conclusion: Your Parish Website Is Your Digital Front Door

At the end of the day, your parish website doesn’t need to be flashy or complicated—it just needs to be valuable to different personas of Catholics, from ministry leaders to the doubters hungry for more. Make it straightforward for people to deepen involvement or come back to Mass!

For the daily communicants, or those nervously exploring the site because they’re thinking about coming back after years away, your website can be the thing that either welcomes them in or quickly turns them away.

Even small updates can make a big difference. Start with the basics, stay consistent, and always keep the user experience in mind. Your parishioners (and maybe even some future ones) will thank you.

Have thoughts on an effective parish website? Join the conversation! Shoot us an email at info@yellowlinedigital.com and follow us on LinkedIn.