Iphone, blackberry, android...You see them everyday. Young or old use smartphones. Whether they're walking, talking, driving, cooking, cleaning, traveling, meeting, or playing...it has become an essential part of their daily living.

In this technology-savvy and virtually-socialized generation, having a website for the sake of having one just doesn't cut it anymore. Your website does not only have to be cutting-edge to get and keep your visitors attention but you also have to make the information precise and easy to access, especially on a mobile device.

According to studies, Smartphone usage reportedly grew 193% from last year and mobile internet device traffic increased by 403%! The report also said that 234 million Americans subscribed to mobile phone plans in January 2010. Of these, 42.7 million owned Internet-accessible smartphones, which represented an 18 percent increase over the three months ended in October and about 28.6% used web browsers on their phones.

These statistics tell us that as the number of mobile devices continues to outpace the number of desktop computers, the creation of mobile-accessible sites is becoming more and more important.

Is your church website mobile-ready? Avoid losing potential visitors! Ask us today about getting your website mobile-ready!

You have a growing ministry, but you don't have a website yet. You could do it yourself and endure hours of reading Creating Web Pages for Dummies, wasting money buying templates that likely 10 million other people on the internet have and ultimately come up frustrated because you tried to create this vision in your head and it came up looking like something your mom hung on her refrigerator that you brought home from first-grade art class.

But how do you go about finding the right web designer for your church ? Here are several tips you need to know when hiring a web designer for your website:

1) Surf your web designer's website. If you have been referred to a web designer and said web designer does not even have a web site, stop right there, back away from the computer for a moment and consider this fact. The very first thing a he or she should have is a web site, and preferably one that they created themselves. So find someone who has a website and take a good look at it. A web designer may have a completely different website than you want, but that's ok because their website is designed for a web designer and chances are, you're not a web designer and may need something different...they know that. The point is to look for three universal things that make up a good web design:

a) Usability: is it easy to navigate? Were you able to find the links you needed right away? Or did you go on a scavenger hunt and left without a prize?

b) "The Clutter-Factor": How organized is the website? Is it visually appealing? Or do you have to look away feeling the affects of sensory overload as if you just walked onto the set of a Beatles music video circa 1967? (this is asking if the site feels chaotic).

c) Aesthetic: Much of the aesthetic of a website is psychologically based. So how do you feel upon seeing the color scheme, the graphics, the effects? Are you left wanting to see something a little more creative?

A web designer's website should exemplify their services and give you a good indication of their knowledge of web design. If you're looking at a web designer's site that doesn't meet the above criteria you may want to look somewhere else. I'm not saying a web designer who doesn't meet those three points couldn't design a great website for you, but their site should be the first point of reference for their potential clients just as your website will be for your potential clients. See how that works?

2) Technophile and Creative: Your web designer should be both web savvy as well as creative. It's a hard balance for some to achieve but great web designers typically seem to be amazingly both left-brained and right. You want your web designer to know the ins and outs of all that technical stuff that makes your head spin but also have an artistic sensibility that allows them to create a website that suits you in both the visual aspect as well as usability.

3) Can your web designer offer suggestions? You have some ideas for your site, sure, but maybe it's not really your area of expertise. You just know you want a website that brings traffic. A good web designer should be able to give you suggestions rather than just doing exactly as you say. If it's not your area of expertise, it's likely that a web designer can provide some insight and knowledge that you don't readily have. Now, if you want a professional looking website geared towards business professionals but they come up with a pink background with green polka dots then they aren't listening to you or hey don't know what "professional" means. It's their job to create your vision but also to make it the best it can be so that you look your best as well.

4) The Functionality Aspect: Look for a web designer who can provide the functionality you need. Do you need or want flash? Do you have need of an e-mail newsletter sign-up? Are you an ecommerce website selling products and need a shopping cart? Do you want a forum or a blog? Contact forms? Photo galleries? Webcasts? If you need or want these things be sure your web designer can provide them for you before you sign anything or shell out any money.

5) You Get What You Pay For: If you hire a web designer based solely on the fact that they are the cheapest around, well, then you may as well just walk over to your fireplace, light a log and throw your money in. The old adage "you get what you pay for" is certainly true in the world of web design. On the flip-side, there are also only so many bells and whistles you can put on a website so don't go the other way and assume that the more expensive a web designer is the better website you'll get. Just find one that meets the criteria in the article that is within your budget and you should be good to go.

Follow these 5 Tips for hiring a web designer and you should come out with a fabulous website that puts your ministry on the map and starts bringing in more people .

Contrary to what majority of you think, email marketing isn't always have to be just about "selling" something and it isn't just for businesses. It is also a way of getting in touch with your audience, thus a church can significantly benefit from utilizing this tool.

Email newsletter is an excellent format that allows you to be in constant communication with your congregation as well as a way of directing traffic to your website.

Most of your congregation may not "initiate" going to your website unless you give them reasons to (i.e register for an event, download sermons, etc). So for those who do not often visit your website, email newsletter is a great way to keep them informed of any upcoming events and activities in your church. This is also a great way to send them inspirational quotes, teaching tidbits, and many more.

Phone books are a thing of the past, commercials are left to the giants that can afford to put their commercials on during Super Bowl half-time, so it's your website that is going to reach out and allow your customers or clients to find you.

Here are 7 reasons your website is your most valuable (and most basic) marketing tool.

The world judges a book by its cover. Unfortunately, churches are not an exception to that and so is your website.

Just like a business, your church website is your visitor's front door. It does tell a lot of things about you. Internet users nowadays are getting more and more intelligent and they know what a good website is when they see one.

So what does your church website speak about you? Does it give the visitors the right message about your church?

Let's look at some characteristics of a good church website.