HOW YOUR CHURCH APP CAN HELP YOU RETAIN VISITORS
By the Church Base Team ┃Read time: 3 minutes
Your church app can be used for a lot these days, including your team chat, your main form of communication, even your website! But the big question is…how can you use your church app to retain guests that visit your church?
After helping churches around the world reach more than 2 million people, we think we might have figured it out. But first, it’s important to understand WHY to use your app to retain guests.
Why use your church app to retain visitors?
The church app is by far one of the most powerful methods of marketing and connection out there. You get to show up in a very meaningful part of a person’s life: their phone screen. Tech Crunch said that the app was the most valuable piece of real estate available.
When your app is on someone’s phone, you have the power to share your message with them in a very intimate way. They can explore your church, your culture, even your beliefs anywhere, anytime, and in a way in which they’re comfortable.
You may ask, “Why not just have a website?” While a website is useful for communicating information about your ministry, it doesn’t provide the same tools as an app. With features like chat, messaging, scheduling, prayer walls, and push notification, you can do more than pass on information…you can build community.
Okay, I’m sold. So, how do I get visitors to download my app?
Simple, you advertise it! People love downloading apps anywhere they go. Granted a lot get deleted, but the first step to leading someone to keep and use your app is for them to download it.
Here are a few of the most effective ways to get people to download the app.
- Include it in your in-service visuals (ProPresenter slides, video ads, etc.)
- Add the app graphic and download icons to your weekend programs/bulletins
- Add a dedicated app promo card to your welcome gift
- Pitch the app at every service and every event
- Run giveaways to motivate people to download the app
- Post it consistently on all your ministry’s social media pages
- Offer exclusive content that’s only on the app (fillable sermon notes, midweek devotions, etc.)
How do I turn visitors into ongoing members using my app?
An app builds habit and loyalty, but only if someone’s opening it. So, you need to find creative ways to get users to open your app. People want to feel part of something–that’s why they open Facebook on average 16 times a day! Your app should make a visitor feel like they can be part of something bigger.
Here are a few ways you can do that:
- Add a Welcome page to the home folder of your app.
- Add a Next Steps section of the app.
- Send a direct push notification to your new guest thanking them for visiting.
- Be consistent with your push notifications about events.
- Add a chat room for visitors to ask questions about the church.
- Add a reason to open the app daily: blog posts, new sermon, encouragement series, etc.
It’s important you build habit by encouraging them to open the app a minimum of every other day.