Is A Mobile App Right For Your Church?

It’s an amazing time in history. As a Religious leader, there are more technological tools at your disposal to not only streamline your communications with your existing congregational members, but also to attract and build a larger following.

All you have to do is think of major platforms such as Facebook to realize how technology improves our ability to keep in touch with others and extend our reach with those we do not yet know

One of the biggest game changers for Facebook was the implementation of a mobile app for their users. By doing so, they took steps to assure an improved user experience for everyone accessing the platform on their preferred device. In recent years, the sales of smartphones and mobile devices has surpassed the sales of traditional desktop and laptop computers. The way that people use and access the internet has changed, so it was a ‘no-brainer’ to invest in improved technology.

While you might think “Why should we get a mobile app for our church? Isn’t a website enough?” The short answer is that a website (even one that is mobile friendly) is very different from a mobile app.

A mobile app is optimized to operate on a smartphone or tablet. At the tap of an icon, anyone who has downloaded your church app can instantly connect with functionality only available on your app.

When weighing the advantages of a mobile app for your church, here are some things to consider.

Your app should be useful to your parishioners and go further than being eye-pleasing. The more value that your app provides, the better. If it doesn’t add enough perceived benefits, the likelihood of your users forgetting to use it – or worse – delete it, is high.

One of the most significant features your church members are sure to enjoy are push notifications. Push notifications are a nearly ‘can’t miss’ way to share news or updates with your congregation at the press of a button. Push notifications are a straightforward way to send information and updates about benefit dinners, dances, ministry group outings, rummage sales, car washes, Vacation Bible School, bake sales, fundraisers, retreats, special masses or services, or event changes, delays, or cancellations. With this type of connectivity, you can be sure that you’re always in touch with your parishioners on their favorite mobile device.

An optimized church mobile app may also include daily devotional and inspiration, recorded sermons, a member directory, volunteer listings, and other resources your members find helpful.

By treating your mobile app as a resource center, church members are never in the dark about what’s going on at their house of worship.

One of the advantages of being a church is that your members serve as your captive audience for downloading the app. Instead of having to build your app user base from the ground up, you have your existing parishioners who can download the app instantly. Since you already have an affinity group of users, you won’t have to compete with several other apps for your user’s attention. You can build a much stronger community with the help of technology and your mobile app. It serves as a central community center to provide information about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, school functions (if your church has a school,) member directories, community announcements, and planned outings and excursions. In a nutshell, a mobile app is one of the most efficient ways to keep in regular communications with all of your parishioners from the device they use the most – their smartphone or other preferred mobile device.

A built-in audience is a great place to start. If you want your app to get distributed to a wider audience, it has to be useful, attractive and technologically sound. You want to eliminate as many quirksome bugs as possible before putting it into full release. Things like unexpected crashes and slow load times are two of the biggest reasons that people uninstall or delete apps from their mobile devices. Because technology is constantly changing and evolving, having the ability to upgrade and adapt your mobile app in the future helps you stay competitive. Once you’ve deployed your app, don’t be afraid to ask your users for feedback on how your app can be improved. You should be willing to adapt your app to meet the needs of your users as time goes along. The best ideas often come from the people who are the biggest advocates of your app. Your most loyal users are the ones who will have the most working experience with the app.

Since they regularly use all of the different features and functionality, they can tell you ways that it can be improved, offer new ideas for future development, and give “bug” reports helping to fix issues with the app quickly. You always want to put your best foot forward with your church mobile app and provide a seamless experience.

Unfortunately, one bad user experience can result in a negative impression of the app. Should they decide to tell their friends and family members, this discourages them from downloading the app, as well. On the bright side, you can expect the same reaction to your app if it is an excellent one. Your avid users will tell the people in their circles about how impressed they are with your mobile app. This constructive feedback is sure to influence others to give the app a try, so they can get all of the benefits of becoming a mobile app user. For this reason, it’s critical to select a mobile developer who has the experience to complete the job to your specifications and is there to offer guidance and assistance when needed to enhance the app on a needed basis.

Have more questions or want to learn more about how to launch a mobile app for your church? Contact us today! We would love to help you with all of your mobile app needs!