Prepared for the Parish Council, August 2026
A new archangelsgoc.org, on one page
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Before designing anything, we studied what makes church websites succeed: visitor research, the Archdiocese's own guidance, and the best parish and church sites in the country. Every choice below traces to that work, and every word and photograph in the samples comes from the parish's current website.
What the research says
- 70 to 80 percent of prospective visitors read a church's website before ever attending. The website is the true front door of the parish.
- About half decide against visiting when they cannot find what they need. The most sought item, by a wide margin, is simply when and where services are: 47 percent of visitors.
- Half or more of church website traffic arrives on a phone. The phone experience is the experience.
- The highest-impact page a church can add is a first-visit guide. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese itself recommends a "what to expect" page for newcomers.
- An Orthodox parish must answer questions no other church faces. How Orthros flows into the Liturgy, who may receive Communion, how much Greek a visitor will hear, and what is expected of guests. Answering them online, kindly and ahead of time, turns curiosity into a visit.
What the current site does well
- Publishes the complete schedule of services, including summer hours and weekday feast days
- Live-streams services on YouTube with a Watch Live page, ahead of many parishes
- Posts weekly bulletins and maintains the parish calendar
- Preserves the parish history in depth, from the 1928 founding to the 1959 consecration by Archbishop Iakovos
- Lists every ministry with contacts, and keeps hours and phone numbers accurate
- Carries a consistent blue and gold identity
All of it carries forward. The redesign keeps the parish's content and colors, and reorganizes the front page around the people arriving at it.
What the new design adds, and why
- Service times in the hero, visible before any scrolling Why: the number one thing visitors look for.
- "Your First Visit": six newcomer questions answered warmly, drafted for Father Joseph's review Why: the highest-impact addition in the research.
- "This Week" row: bulletin, calendar, daily readings, Watch Live Why: the four things returning parishioners visit for, one tap each.
- Welcome, Fr. Joseph Collins Why: the parish has a new priest as of August 2025; the site should introduce him.
- Phone-first build: addresses tap to directions, numbers tap to call Why: where most visits happen.
- Real photos, real words: the parish's own liturgy, festival, and community photography Why: authenticity is what distinguishes a parish from a brand.