1. Service times are not on the homepage
Buried under "Plan Your Visit," or listed on a separate page, or mentioned only in a graphic. This is the most common problem and the most costly.
The fix: Service times and address at the very top of the homepage, in text, visible without scrolling on a phone.
2. The address only exists inside an image
A beautifully designed header with the address rendered as part of the graphic. Search engines cannot read it, phones cannot tap it for directions, and screen readers skip it entirely.
The fix: Put the address in real text. Keep the graphic if you like it, but the text has to exist somewhere on the page.
3. Nothing explains what to expect
The site covers what the church believes and which ministries exist, but never answers the questions an anxious first-time visitor is actually asking: what to wear, where to park, how long it lasts, whether anyone will single them out.
The fix: One short page, plainly written, linked from the top of the homepage. It does not need to be long. It needs to exist.
4. Dead links to social accounts
Footer icons pointing to an X account last used in 2019, or a Facebook page that no longer exists. A visitor clicking through to an abandoned profile learns something about the church that you did not intend to tell them.
The fix: Click every icon in your own footer. Remove the ones that go nowhere. Fewer live links beat more dead ones.
5. Events from last year still on the calendar
An "Upcoming Events" section whose most recent entry is eight months old. Once a visitor notices that, they start doubting the service times too.
The fix: Either maintain the calendar or remove it. An empty section is better than a stale one.
6. The site is unusable on a phone
Text too small to read, menus that will not open, buttons too close together to tap accurately. Most people looking at your site are on a phone, often the night before they visit.
The fix: Open your own site on your own phone and try to complete a real task. Find the service time. Get directions. Give. Whatever frustrates you will frustrate them.
7. Giving is harder than it should be
A giving link that leads to a login page, or a form asking for far more information than a payment requires, or a process that breaks on mobile.
The fix: Try giving to your own church from your phone as though you had never done it before. Count the taps. Most churches are surprised.
A note on redesigns. Every item here can be fixed on your existing site, usually in an afternoon. Churches often assume they need a full rebuild when what they actually need is service times moved up the page and a handful of dead links removed. Fix the basics first, then decide whether a redesign is still warranted.