A first-time guest is not browsing your site. They are standing in the kitchen, kids in the next room, trying to decide if they can make it in the morning.
They type your church name into their phone. Before they put it down, they need three things: when you meet, where you are, and whether their kids will be okay.
If finding those takes more than a thumb or two, they may go somewhere else. Or they may stay home and tell themselves they will try next week.
What they actually tap
They do not open your about page.
They do not watch last year's Christmas video.
They do not join the Facebook group to ask what time Sunday School starts.
They tap the first result and look for a time and an address. Speed matters here too. Google's own research found that 53% of mobile visits are likely to be abandoned when a page takes longer than three seconds to load (Google, "The need for mobile speed"). A heavy homepage slider or a PDF bulletin from March works against you before anyone reads a word.
The page that has to work
Put this on one screen. Plain language. No slider. Here is an example; swap in your own times.
Sunday
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:30 a.m. Morning Worship
Wednesday
6:30 p.m. Prayer Meeting and Bible study
Address
[street, city, state]
A map link that opens on the phone they are already holding.
Kids
Nursery through 5th grade, checked in at the welcome desk. They can stay with you in the service if you prefer.
What to wear / what to expect
Come as you are. Service is about an hour. Someone will meet you at the door. You will not be asked to stand up and introduce yourself.
That is the whole page. If it does not show up on a phone without scrolling past a hero video, it is not done.
What to cut
The rotating banner.
The pastor's letter that belongs in the bulletin.
The stock photo of a handshake.
The "click here for more information" link that leads to another menu.
If a first-time guest has to guess which service is the main one, the door is hidden.
Keep the hallway. Fix the door.
Facebook is a good hallway. It reminds the people who already love you that Sunday is at 10:30. The guest who isn't in that room yet may never see it.
Your website is the door, and your service times are the handle. If the handle sticks, nobody notices the paint.
Want a second set of eyes on your service-times page? Write to us at [email protected].