Mon, Feb 9th - 6:33PM

Add Your Website to a Top Site Directory!

Adding your Christian website to a 'Top Site' list is a great way to gain traffic!

ChristiansUnite has their own list you should consider joining!

I also invite you to join (for free) 'Share God's Love Christian Topsite List'! 

Please stop by and sign up today for this new service!

 You can post your banner, website information, and place a code

(a small voting image or line of text) onto your website so your visitors may vote! 

Increase traffic to your website for free! 

  Thanks for your support!  Take care and God bless!

Tue, Jan 27th - 4:27AM

Need Content? Here are a few ideas...

Okay, so you've got your Christian website up and running.  The pages flow nicely, everything looks to be in place... but for some reason, it looks a little empty.  Even when ideas for content are planned out and well executed, the truth is, a webmaster never really knows how the layout will truly look until completetion.

So, what to do?  How can you fill up that extra space?  The first idea I would suggest to any webmaster would be to consider adding related widgets.  These little pockets of information can come in many 'shapes and sizes' with various content and uses.  Now, in saying that, you seriously want to consider adding a widget that updates itself daily, weekly, or even monthly.  It's a great way to keep your page 'fresh' and your visitors will enjoy having something new every time your website is visited.  There are tons of these out there, and many are free. (I added a few links to free widget galleries on a previous blog with other free material.)

Maybe you've already considered widgets?  So what's next?  What about articles?  Of course, in searching for these articles you will need to carefully check all reprint/reposting information before you just copy and paste any literature onto your website.  Most online material, if not all, is protected by copyright laws... and the last thing we want to do is end up in court over an article that was not meant to be reprinted or reposted!  Many websites will allow fellow webmasters to repost articles, but never forget to give credit where credit is due!  Placing links where you found your information and/or crediting the author is a must!  C'mon now, you wouldn't want someone stealing your work! 

Other ideas?  You may want to add a quiz,  game, or even just a favorite image or picture.  There are lots of content ideas out there.   Always keep in mind what you like seeing on other websites... you may even want to browse around on a few websites to get some ideas of your own.  Don't forget, ChristiansUnite.com has several ideas for webmasters!  Just use your imagination, relax and have fun with it!  

Mon, Jan 5th - 8:52PM

Adding Scripture to Your Website

Of course, as you are creating or updating your Christian website, you may choose to include Scripture here and there, or everywhere!  As Christians, we know that including God's Word is a great way to help verify any statements, beliefs, or messages you may include on your website, or answer any questions with.   

Now, this is just a suggestion, but I would recommend transferring any Scripture that you plan on posting onto your website to lamens terms or in the simpliest terms possible.  It is important to make sure that everyone who comes across your site is able to read and understand God's Word.  It would not only be a convenience to the Christians of the world, but the truth is, you never know who may stumble across your website.  If an unbeliever visits your site, but finds themselves scratching their head to what is presented, then their confusion will only cause them frustration... this may cause many to steer away from your website.  

So why not just attempt to make God's Word easy to read and understand?  If one can understand the many important Scriptures that you may have posted, being able to completely and clearly understand God's message, then you may actually help lead someone to Christ!  You just never know.

Just a thought!  Take care and God bless!

Thu, Jan 1st - 6:09PM

Planning A Website

Like an artist with a blank sheet of canvas, sometimes the first steps in creating a website can be the hardest. 

Before you actually begin designing your website, there are a few things to think about. A little bit of strategic planning before creating your pages will make your site easier to use and easier to expand in the future.  You may find that without some sort of design and content plan, your website could become confusing to visitors or look jumbled and chaotic.

Statistics show that site visitors spend less than 10 seconds looking for specific information before they go somewhere else, so making pages easy to navigate and clearly labeled must be priority.  Think about your experiences when visiting a website, and take note of what is pleasing to you as a visitor and what aspects of the sites design you would like to change. 

You may want to make a list of information or content that you would like to present.  Try to be specific.  Listing broad categories in addition to specific information helps you determine how to organize your site. Such organization also helps you name your pages and think about how visitors find those pages. For example, if you would like to have a 'Bible Stories' page on your site, but you would like to include both adult and children stories, then you may want to seperate the information into two specific pages.

Think about the message of your site.  Do you have specific colors or a favorite uploaded picture you would like to use in your design?  Just remember, that less is more.  Too many colors, too many font changes, or too much content will confuse visitors to your website.  Nothing stands out if there are too many design elements competing for attention.  Try to stick with one design idea throughout all of your web pages. For example, you may not want to have your 'Scripture' page a completely different color and layout from other pages.

Once your website ideas are planned out, you will want to start the design process... If you make mistakes or decide to change the information on your website, it is possible!  Just remember, if you do make changes to a specific page, be sure to also update the page title on the nagivation bar. You don't want visitors clicking on 'Scripture' in your navigation bar and accidently lead them to 'Bible Stories'.  

Oh yes, don't forget to relax and have fun!  God bless your Christian website! 

Wed, Dec 31st - 6:17PM

Free Website Design Tools

"Freely you received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

As a Christian website designer, you may find yourself searching for free Christian related material for hours on end.  Trust me, I know.  Sometimes you will feel like your search for simple graphics or web content will never end.  This searching can become very frustrating. 

You will also find, if you are not already aware, that not everything listed in a search engine labeled 'free' is actually free. 

I would like to share some websites that I have found useful in creating a Christian website.  

Also, a quick note when searching ANY website... be sure to browse every page...

Some free material is not quite so obvious!

http://www.christfree.com/ - Clip Art

http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/religion/christian/ - Clip Art

http://sacredmint.com/webmaster/christian-random-bible-verse.htm - Daily Bible Verse

http://www.christianfreebies.com/index.html - Various Content

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lookup.htm#sitecontent - Various Content

http://www.whytehouse.com/index11.asp - Various Content

http://www.ccesonline.com/churchresources.htm - Weekly Devotional

http://www.christnotes.org/ - Weekly Wisdom / Other

http://www.widgetbox.com/ - Widgets

http://widgia.com/ - Widgets

If you are searching for other free Christian material for your church, ministry, or personal use I invite you to visit www.share-gods-love.com and click on the 'Free Material' tab on the left side of the page.  I have listed links to subscribe to free magazines, books, downloads, and more!