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Understanding Embeds: Seamlessly Integrate External Content

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using embeds on your blog imageWhat is an embed?

Embeds contain content from an external platform. Most often, this is in the form of a script, provided by the external platform, allowing you to display that platform’s content on your site.

Does that sound like tech jargon? Think of embeds as windows on your website. They provide a view into another platform’s content. While you can still see the familiar surroundings of your site, the embed acts as a window, showcasing content from elsewhere.

What does an embed look like?

A common example of an embed is a video embed. If you upload a video to YouTube or Vimeo, you can display that video on your site. The video remains hosted on the original platform, but an embed allows viewers to watch it directly on your site.

The appearance of your embed depends on the platform from which you are sourcing. You may occasionally have limited control over its design and styling, but not always. A Google Calendar embed, for instance, will look like a Google Calendar.

WordPress-Approved Embeds

WordPress maintains a list of third-party sites from which users can embed content without needing specific codes. For popular platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud, you simply copy the public link of the desired content and paste it into the WordPress text editor. This works best when embedding one item of content from another source. Ensure any content that you embed is public and that you adhere to copyright laws, which might involve crediting the original creator.

It’s important to note that this approved list evolves as code and platforms develop. While new platforms may be added, some might also be removed. For those using the Gutenberg block editor, a list of embed blocks is available. Most of these can also be embedded via a URL in the text editor.

Worship Times Integrations

Worship Times provides integrations with a range of external tools through the “Add Media” button in the text editor. Some of these integrations offer more features than standard WordPress-approved embeds. Many of these tools were specifically requested by ministries and include:

Less Common Embeds

If you can’t find the desired platform in the lists mentioned, don’t worry. Countless technologies allow for embedding. If you wish to embed from a platform that provides you with an embed code, please submit that code in a support ticket or email us at support@worshiptimes.org.

Directly pasting embed code into your site can be problematic, especially on our multi-site network, as codes can be stripped for security reasons. If you send the code to us, we’ll create a shortcode for you. This shortcode functions like the original embed code but doesn’t get stripped out when you edit the page.

What is a shortcode?

  • Example:

In WordPress, a shortcode, always encapsulated within square brackets, serves as a way to display content from another source. This content can be internal, like forms or event lists, but shortcodes can also represent embed codes. Typically, a shortcode specifies its source (like a Gravity Form in the provided example) and may include parameters for customization. The example pulls a form with an ID of “1” and displays its title.

Need more information or assistance with a specific embed or platform? Submit a support ticket or email us at support@worshiptimes.org. We’re here to help!

Building a Website: What to Expect When Working with Worship Times

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One question I get asked often when meeting with a new ministry is, “what can we expect in this process?” In today’s blog post, we walk you through what to expect when building a new site with Worship Times. This is meant as a guide but can also be adjusted to meet your needs if they include logo design, custom features, and custom functionality to enhance your communications ministry.

What to expect when building a website insta postInitial Meeting/Discovery

As we begin to think about your new site, we want to get to know about your community of faith. We discuss and explore questions like: who you are; what you do; what is your story within God’s story?

We will use this time to discuss your site needs, navigation, desired integrations, home page content, and design in terms of color palette and logo. We will also us this time to discuss inspiration sites. These do not have to be sites that have been built by Worship Times, but any site that you like.

Navigation and Home Page Outline

The next step is creating a proposed navigation and home page outline. This is a simple spreadsheet that we create as a point of discussion for your site.

The goal in this phase is to get a good idea of what you want in your navigation, what information you want to communicate and a general flow for the home page.

This phase doesn’t lock you in or set your navigation in stone, but gives us a starting point for the design phase.

Design Phase

Home Page
We create a home page based on our discussion in the discovery meeting and information you’ve shared with us.

We send a sample home page for conversation and make edits based on your preferences and needs.

Once we have a general layout, color palette and understanding of your functionality needs, we move to the landing page design.

Landing Page
Landing pages are internal pages, other than the home page.

In this phase, we typically create 3-4 layout and designs based on your home page. We use content form your current site, if available, or use filler content to consider the layout, flow, and functionality needs of the various pages throughout the site. Not every page will fit this mold. The key is to be consistent.

We listen to your needs and desires and make edits accordingly, with the goal to get to one consistent landing page with variations that can lend to your different type of content.

Once a landing page and possible variations are confirmed, we move to the build phase.

Build Phase

The build phase can go quickly.

We consider what content needs to be created, what can be edited from your current site, if available and applicable, and what we create together.

We share files, pictures, and integrations in a manner that fits your workflow. The length of this phase is up to you and your team to get us the content needed.

We will communicate with updated check lists, needs, and section reviews during this time.

Review Phase

Once the site is built or close to completion for the purpose of launch, we ask that your team conduct a full desktop review of the site.

This phase can be done a number of ways. The most popular is your team provides clear notes on needed edits and changes, or we conduct a review together via Zoom.

This is a very import phase that helps us catch anything that may have been missed in the planning and build phase.

Next, we conduct our own internal review on desktop and mobile devices. We make corrections to give your website the best appearance on all screen sizes.

During this phase we prepare your domain to redirect to the new site. It’s important to make sure you have access to your domain registration. We are not able to go live without this step.

Edit and training phase

Once we finalize your approved edits, we schedule a time for training. This is typically a one-hour training session with your team via Zoom. We record the training for future reference.

We have a full learning library of written and video tutorials available to assist you in making edits and changes to your site.

You can access this at any time. If desired, you can begin on-your-own training prior to the Training Session. This is helpful to provide a foundation of the tools used on your site but is not necessary.

We provide a playground area on your site for you to explore the new tools and offerings provided by a Worship Times Site.

Going Live phase

Once we have your approval, we will schedule your site to go live. We will conduct a series of final checks and create backups of your design and pages for you.

We Go Live! This is the most satisfying phase as we launch your new site. Using your domain, we direct your URL to your new site.

General Support

Once your site goes live, we are here to support you and answer questions you have. Learning a new tool can take time. We offer support to help you learn your new site and the tools available to you. Remember, we are here to help!

Offerings After the Website Build

We offer continued maintenance and communications services in addition to website creation.

If you need help with your communications ministry, we can help. We offer the following services.

  • Website maintenance
  • Blog writing
  • Graphic design
  • Video editing
  • Audio editing
  • Newsletter creation
  • Email creation
  • Social media planning, creation, and execution
  • Analytics review
  • Photo services
  • Logo design for main and sub-ministries
  • Registration assistance
  • E-commerce solutions
  • Site upgrades
  • And so much more!

Our contracts are based on your specific needs and are fully customizable.

Reach out to us here to chat more about how we can help you. We look forward to our work together!

Effective Church Calendar Management: Balancing Public and Internal Calendars for Ministry Success

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Effective Church Management GraphicCalendars play a vital role in the successful operation of your ministry. With busy schedules, it’s essential to stay organized. However, a clear understanding of your calendar needs can help discern the best tools for your ministry.

Public vs Internal Calendars

One common mistake is to overlook the distinction between your internal, administrative calendar and your public events calendar. Their functions and audiences differ, so don’t automatically assume they should be identical. While it seems efficient to have all events in one place, their differing needs require careful consideration.

Public Calendar

Your public calendar is a crucial marketing tool on your ministry website. It demonstrates that you’re an active ministry with a lively community. It serves a dual purpose: keeping regular members informed about upcoming events while also helping newcomers quickly understand what’s happening. Ultimately, everyone feels welcomed and informed.

The details required by the general public can be minimal – just the event title, date, start time, and location. While providing additional information is beneficial, successful event marketing doesn’t have to be extravagant.

Internal, Administrative Calendar

An administrative calendar is for internal use. It’s intended for staff and volunteers who need to know every little detail surrounding an event. Apart from public events, an internal calendar can also include staff vacation schedules, private events, liturgical information, communication schedules, and much more.

Calendar Management Solutions

We might wish that everything could exist everywhere at once, with all events syncing perfectly across multiple platforms. However, technology is complex. Different calendaring platforms are built with different code, making auto-syncing challenging. Additionally, the reality is that your ministry has two distinct needs and audiences.

Many online tools and software cater specifically to churches and can serve both functions effectively – if you’re using one and it’s working for you, keep using it! But if you’re not, or if you’re exploring whether or not there’s a better way, consider exploring options that utilize the tools already available to you in conjunction with free-to-use options.

Website Calendar → Public

Every Worship Times website includes a built-in calendar system. While feature-rich, you don’t need to use all of its functionality to create an effective public calendar. Prioritize adding events to your website’s calendar. Remember, simplicity is key.

There are many benefits to using your website’s built-in events system:

  • SEO (search engine optimization)
  • Easy-to-find (the information exists where people are looking for it)
  • Branding (the calendar shares the colors, fonts, look, and feel with the rest of your website).  Check out our post on Church Branding 101.

And the best part is that anyone can subscribe to your website calendar via Google Calendar, Outlook, or iCalendar, making it a separate calendar on their chosen platform. This includes staff and volunteers who need access to that information!

Google Calendar, Outlook, etc → Internal

Both Google and Microsoft offer free or low-cost collaborative “business” programs for nonprofits – Google Workspace for Nonprofits and Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits. These programs offer much more than calendaring, including Google Calendar and Outlook’s calendar, which can be easily shared among staff and external collaborators like volunteers. It’s wise to use these tools alongside your website’s calendar, using the website as the foundation for your public events, then coordinating everything from within an administrative calendaring system.

If you have any questions about the available tools or how to use them, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here. We’re here to help!

Why Your Church Needs A Blog

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Why Your Church Needs a Blog ImageIn the era of digital transformation, churches, like any other institutions, need to leverage the Internet to connect with their congregation and beyond. Today, we will delve into one specific aspect of online presence: church blogs.

Why Your Church Needs a Blog

Reaching Beyond Boundaries: A blog enables your church to extend its reach far beyond the physical location.

Digital Engagement: With society’s increasingly digital lifestyle, a blog provides an avenue for members and interested individuals to engage with your church even when they can’t be there physically. It’s a powerful tool for fostering a sense of belonging and community.

Search Engine Visibility: A blog is also a valuable asset for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Regularly posting unique, relevant content helps improve your church’s visibility on search engines, leading more people to discover your church online.

What to Write or Include

Sermon Reflections: Weekly reflections on sermons allow readers to engage more deeply with the message, encourage discussions, and provide a platform for those who couldn’t attend in person.

Testimonies: Personal stories of faith and transformation can be immensely powerful. Encourage members of your congregation to share their faith stories. These authentic narratives can be inspiring and draw others towards your community.

Church News and Updates: Keep your congregation updated with upcoming events, community projects, or important announcements.

Spiritual Insights and Devotionals: These can provide daily or weekly encouragement, keeping your congregation spiritually nourished and connected.

Mission Stories: Share updates from mission endeavors, highlighting the impact of your church’s outreach efforts.

Pictures: Pictures enhance blog posts by capturing readers’ attention, breaking up long chunks of text, and aiding comprehension. They give you a chance to show who you are as a church and what you have been up to. Pictures can also reinforce messages. Additionally, they significantly improve SEO, encouraging higher engagement rates. Visually appealing posts foster shares and comments, thus expanding reach.

How Often To Post

Consistency is key in blogging. Posting at regular intervals – say once or twice a week – ensures your blog stays fresh and relevant. It’s also important for SEO, as search engines favor websites that update their content regularly. However, the frequency should not compromise the quality of your content. It’s better to post less often but maintain high-quality, impactful content. If once a week seems overwhelming, start with once or twice a month.

Don’t Have Time to Update Your Blog?

Maybe your church wants a blog, but there is no one who can regularly update it. We get it!  At Worship Times we offer support contracts for this very thing. A person on our staff can work with you to keep your church’s blog updated regularly. We can even create content for you. Send us an e-mail, and let’s talk about what you need and how we can help.

Conclusion

A church blog serves as a powerful digital ministry tool, capable of reaching and engaging with people far beyond the physical confines of your church. It allows you to share your message of faith, inspire through personal stories, provide spiritual nourishment, and create a sense of community online.

Additionally, it’s a crucial component for your church’s online visibility, ensuring your church appears in search engine results and draws a wider audience.

Questions? Reach out to us at https://worshiptimes.org/contact/ —we can offer suggestions and insight to help you get started on creating a blog that doesn’t just inform your members, but also helps you reach new people.

The Difference between WordPress Themes and Editors: Explained

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The Difference Between WordPress Themes and Editors Explained Main ImageOver time, the boundaries between WordPress themes and editors have become somewhat blurred, but there’s a good reason behind it! Let’s dive into the details.

Understanding WordPress Themes

When people talk about themes, they often refer to the external appearance or design elements of a website. Essentially, themes determine how your site looks on the front-end when visitors come to explore it.

Themes can vary from minimalistic “skeleton” designs that you can customize according to your requirements, to fully pre-designed themes with specific looks for every element on your site. Besides styling, in addition to the core WordPress features and plugins, themes can also provide theme-specific functionality that enhances your website. This functionality often includes predetermined layouts for displaying specific content, forming the structural foundation of your site.

In recent times, newer themes have introduced layouts with preset internal structure, design elements, and content – all you have to do is swap out the content for your own. This makes it simpler than ever to achieve the desired appearance for your site!

Understanding WordPress Editors

Editors are the tools you, as the website administrator, utilize to add content through the back-end of your site. They are the “how” of your website.

Editors come in various forms across a spectrum. At one end, you have the classic WordPress editor, which resembles a basic text editor. Moving along, there are simple block editors that employ a drag-and-drop system of content blocks. Gutenberg, also by WordPress, falls into the category of visual block editors. Finally, at the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find full-blown visual editors that apply your site’s styling to the back-end, providing a real-time preview of your page without ever leaving the editor.

The Confusion: Themes and Editors Blurred

With the introduction of block editors and visual editors, the distinction between themes and editors has become somewhat hazy. In many cases, themes and editors are now intertwined, each defining the other. Themes are no longer solely chosen based on their appearance; they are defined by the editors they utilize.

Gone are the days when you selected a theme solely for its visual appeal. Themes are now highly customizable, with endless possibilities due to the editor they employ. This increased flexibility enables long-term adaptability, eliminating the need to change themes whenever you desire a new look for your site.
Seeking a Fresh Look?

First begin by choosing an editor that suits your needs and skill level. Do you require a simple and traditional editor that is easy to use and adheres to a more concrete structure? Or do you prefer a robust and cutting-edge editor with greater flexibility? There’s no right or wrong answer!

Then gather inspiration from websites you admire, or collaborate with a graphic designer to create a custom design. At Worship Times, our builders can incorporate all the elements you love to craft a unique website tailored to you and your ministry. Get in touch with us at https://worshiptimes.org/contact/, and we’ll be happy to guide you through the process!

Church SEO: How To Get Your Ministry Website On Google

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Church SEO Blog Graphic In the digital age, having a strong online presence isn’t just nice to have—it’s a necessity. For churches, this is no exception. Church SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about leveraging digital tools to ‘get your ministry on Google’ and ultimately help people find your church. Today, we will dive into how you can utilize SEO to increase your church’s visibility.

Understanding SEO and Google

SEO is the practice of enhancing a website’s visibility to search engines, such as Google. When your website is optimized for search, it becomes easier for your target audience to find you online.

Google created a great video that shows how SEO works and what it is looking for.

SEO is all about content. Search engines like Google use algorithms to find, index, and rank content on the internet. The more relevant and valuable your content, the higher your chances of ranking well in local search results. Therefore, it’s crucial that your church’s website contains the content you want Google and other search engines to find.

Making a Plan: Who Are You Trying to Reach?

Identifying your target audience is a fundamental step in your SEO strategy. Who are you trying to reach with your ministry’s online presence? What keywords might this person type into Google?

Start by creating user stories for your website as a whole and each page. Before you start writing content, envision the person you’re trying to reach. What are they looking for? It could be anything from “church services near me” to “youth ministries in [city]” or “faith-based community events.”

This exercise helps you compile a list of ideal keywords for your content. From this list, you can start creating pages, events, and blog posts that directly address these search queries.

Check out our video below where Worship Times founder Michael Gyura demonstrates a real-world example with our partner, Fairmount Presbyterian Church.

Harnessing the Power of Google My Business

Your Google Business listing can be a powerful tool in your church’s SEO strategy. Ensuring this listing is up-to-date is crucial. Include information like your location, contact details, service times, and any other pertinent information.

Moreover, encourage your congregation to leave Google reviews. Reviews not only boost your visibility on Google but also provide social proof, which can help attract new members. Also, make regular posts to your profile page; this is just another way to show Google that you’re the church to visit.

You can check out our webmaster class on how to Claim Your Church on Google here.

The Importance of Regular Content Updates

To maintain the best online presence and continually improve your church SEO, you must update your content often. Aim for at least two blog posts a month. These could cover various topics, from sermon summaries to community outreach stories or upcoming events.  Here’s a post about tricks to turning your sermon into a blog post.

Speaking of events, make sure your event listings are detailed and up-to-date. Regular page updates are also essential. This ongoing activity signals to Google that your website is active and relevant.

Guide Your Users (and Bots) on a Journey

A well-structured website guides its users on a journey, providing relevant information and links along the way. Internal linking is a powerful SEO strategy, guiding both users and search engine bots to relevant pages.

For example, a blog post about an upcoming youth retreat could link to your page about youth ministry. This not only keeps people engaged with your website longer but also helps Google understand the relationship between your pages.

Bonus Round: Team Up with Local Non-Profits and Organizations

A lesser-known SEO strategy is the power of backlinks—when other websites link to your site. Teaming up with local non-profits and organizations in your area to create backlinks can help establish your website’s authority, improving your ranking on Google.

To Wrap It Up

Embarking on an SEO journey for your church isn’t just about getting your ministry on Google. It’s about creating a digital space that reflects the warmth and inclusivity of your physical community, helping more people find your church and join your congregation.

Ready to take the next step in your church’s SEO journey? We’re here to help. Whether you’re looking for personalized advice or just have a few questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re excited to see how your ministry grows through the power of SEO.

Remember, the journey of SEO is ongoing, so keep experimenting, learning, and helping more people find your church online. And, of course, we’d love to hear about your experiences. So, feel free to leave a comment below sharing your SEO successes or the challenges you’ve faced. Let’s continue the conversation! https://worshiptimes.org/contact/

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