Webpage needs a makeover

It’s been about two years since the church webpage has had a makeover. I can’t decide if I just like changing things or if I don’t feel like we’ve found the right setup yet; but either way a webpage makeover is on the horizon.

While our homepage is effective at highlighting a few key aspects of our ministry, it is difficult to find information on selective ministries until you get beyond the homepage. I know I often click on any link to access the lengthy menu that runs along the left side of the secondary level pages to get to the meat of the entire site. Aesthetically, we’ve made the homepage work, but I know to a graphic-oriented person, it comes off more like a puzzle pieces that were forced to fit together.

Our webpage has come a long way over it’s history; I recently found Tom Avey’s original proposal for the website from some 10+ years ago. I’d like to think that in each makeover its evolved a little bit better and that our next makeover will take us a few steps more in the right direction.

I do hope the new makeover includes:
Drop down menus of some kind at all levels of the site to replace the lengthy menu that currently exists on all secondary pages. While the current menu has been functional, it’s a list the length of my arm and looks like a kid who ran out of paper in class and had to resort to scribbling notes on his hand and on down toward his shoulder. Drop down menus should allow us to present the same lists in a more organized and eye-appealing structure.
A new color scheme – I like purple and Pepto-Bismol pink and all, but I’m ready for a new color scheme.
Find what I need to find – the current site is organized based on my logic, but not everyone thinks the way I do. Some pages are tucked away in corners that make sense to me, but if you don’t think like I do, you may never find them or even know they’re out there to be found.
Media bells and whistles – along with the audio/video techs, we hope to introduce some sort of streaming audio and/or video before long. Whether that’s a live stream of the service or archives remains to be seen.

And in case you’re wondering, I’ve developed the layout of the website for the past four or more years, so I’m criticizing my own work.