Creating a Church Website

In the last few years one of my greatest joys has been working with our webmaster to develop this website. It has truly opened doors for us that we never dreamed of. Through our website we reach folks all over the world. What an incredible tool it is! So, we'd like you to have the joy of doing the same with your small business, church or ministry. Here are the basic tools you'll need to get started. Enjoy!

--Ann Shorb

Web Hosting

Desktop Computer A web hosting company stores your website on its servers, which is then displayed when visitors arrive at your website. Web hosting comes in a variety of prices and with a variety of features. For our website, we use NewWebsite.com's hosting service. They offer great prices, plenty of features and helpful customer service. Our webmaster also uses and recommends Host Gator's services. Both NewWebsite and Host Gator offer several different packages so that you can choose one that best meets your needs.

Read more about choosing the right web hosting company.

Domain Name Registration

A domain name is another name for your website address, in our case www.ccesonline.com. You'll need to reserve/purchase your domain name with an official registrar. There are a number of places you do this, including GoDaddy.com and Network Solutions. The domain name will need to be renewed once a year (unless you purchase more than 1 year at a time) or it will become available for someone else to purchase.

Discounted Web Design Services

As a special offer to readers and visitors of our website, our webmaster is offering a 10% discount off of web design services (you can see prices at VandelayDesign.com). Be sure to mention that you were referred by CCES to get the discount.

Content for Your Website

Our weekly devotional series, A Light for My Path, is available to use on your church or ministry's website. By placing a small piece of code, that will be provided for you, on your website, the devotional will automatically be updated each week as a new issue is published. If you are looking to keep constantly changing content on your site that will keep your visitors coming back, this may be the answer. For more information see our devotional syndication page.

Random Verse Generator for Your Website

CCES is happy to provide a free random verse generator. This tool will display 1 of 300 different Bible verses each time someone visits your website. We provide the code, all you have to do is paste the code into your page wherever you want the verse to appear. It can even be customized to match the colors of your website. (Refresh this page to see the verse below change.)

Random Bible Verse
Provided by Christian Counseling & Educational Services

Other Resources to Include on Your Website

In addition to the weekly devotionals we have created a number of other resources that you are free to display on your website for your visitors. All of the resources listed below are in PDF format to make it easy for you to add to your website and to make it easy for your visitors to view.

Tracts
Devotionals on Love (a collection of devotionals by Dr. Shorb)
Devotionals on God's Protection and Provision (a collection of devotionals by Dr. Shorb)
Critique of the Da Vinci Code
Informational articles

Affordable Advertising for Your Website

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is one of the most affordable and flexible forms of advertising online. With PPC ads you control how much you are willing to spend, what pages you want the visitors to arrive at, and what types of visitors you want to target. You can even choose to only advertise to people in your local area. Yahoo Search Marketing is offering a $25 credit (free advertsing dollars) to open a new account.

Professional Copywriting Services

If you are unsure of how you can maximize the impact of the content on your website, professional copywriting services from Kathy Widenhouse can help. Kathy has a great deal of experience providing services to churches and ministries. Visit her website for more information on her services. Also, see Kathy's article Top Ten Web Site Tips.

Finding the Right Colors for Your Website

If you are working on a new website design or re-designing your current website, color choice is an important decision. For a list of resources and tools that will help you with this decision, see the article Find the Perfect Colors for Your Website.