So, what can you do to ensure your Web site avoids the common pitfall of static content?  Here are four useful tips to ensure that your Web site investment continues to be a valuable one.

1. Budget time and finances to allow for routine updates.
Schedules, for the most part, are already filled with many different tasks. However, by allotting yourself a certain time within a specified day to make updates and changes to your Web site, you ensure that the smallest details won’t be over looked. To the best of your ability, ensure that the time you set apart is dedicated to solely updating information for the Web site. 

If you do not have the time or talent to make changes to the Web site, take the initiative to turn to professionals. Most Web site companies offer Webmaster services that provide a basic level of ongoing maintenance. These services are designed to assist in keeping your Web site fresh and up-to-date. Although there will be a cost involved, pricing tends to be reasonable for these services. By allotting the adequate money required per year to update your Web site by a professional, you eliminate the pressure from you, a staff person, or a volunteer to make monthly updates. Choosing this option also ensures your Web site will continue to be a viable ministry tool and operate at its peak performance. 

2. Change imagery at least every quarter.
Repeat visitors will instantly know if the images they see across the site are fresh or static. It is important to update images at least every quarter. This will help to inform repeat visitors that you do have a real interest in their experience with your Web site. Every three months is a good rule of thumb to update a few images throughout your Web site to keep it looking fresh and current.

3. Update events, sermons, and blogs.
As a ministry leader, one of your major goals is to help others connect with the vision God has given. Communicating this vision can easily be done by the addition of a calendar of events, online media, and staff blogs. These options not only aid in giving visitors a personal look into the mind of ministry leaders, but they also provide a higher level of connectivity. 

To ensure that visitors are getting the adequate interaction they desire from your Web site, keep these common areas of interest up-to-date. Ensure your calendar is up-to-date and outdated events have been removed. Add new events as they are scheduled so your visitors can plan accordingly. Help visitors by identifying certain days new sermon downloads will be released. Finally, schedule a time that visitors can expect to read the next blog you or another staff member may post.
 
4. Think about adding a new feature to your Web site on a yearly basis.
As a ministry team, yearly evaluations have proven to be important to help assess where you have been and what direction you are going. Evaluating your Web site is imperative to ensure the goals for the new ministry year are accomplished. Every day, a new advancement is achieved for adding interactivity to Web sites. In order to help keep your ministry Web site current, think about adding a new feature or two that embraces some of the latest advancements. Possibly, on the onset of your initial Web site development, a monthly newsletter feature that highlighted events or an interesting thought wasn’t a necessity. However, as repeat traffic has been added to your Web site, maybe this has become of interest to you. Maybe streaming your ministry services live over the Internet was not a viable option last year; however, other investments have allowed for this to become a reality. 

Challenge yourself to include the Web site in your yearly evaluations and set a timeline that will continue to add to the value of your Web site.

Realizing that your Web site requires continual maintenance is vital to your ability to remain connected with visitors. By making these routine updates, your Web site becomes the communication tool it was designed to be. 

Finally, understand that there is more to an effective Web site than a large budget. In the long run, it’s not about paying a lot of money for a Web site that never gets updated. In fact, you can be a better steward of what God has blessed you with by reducing your initial Web site development budget and adding the regular maintenance in order to keep it relevant.