Before we get going with this article let me define what I’m talking about. Evangelism is sharing information about God and Church designed to change a persons opinions and beliefs. Squeeze Pages are web pages which have few or no links to anywhere else designed to bring a person to a certain action, usually joining a mailing list or getting someone’s email address. It’s called a squeeze page because it tries to squeeze someone into a certain place – or make someone do something.
With squeeze pages people either buy, signup or do whatever the page is trying to get them to do – or they hit the back button on the browser and go to the next page down on the Search Engine Results. Most of the time (about 90%) its the back button. However the other 10% is a good result and brings the website owner results.
Here I’m suggesting that there should be squeeze pages for online evangelism. In fact that is exactly what I did on my websites for many years – and I had a veru similar response. Let me explain.
Back in 2002 when I was still pretty much a newbie with websites – I had no idea about squeeze pages. In fact I don’t think the term had been invented yet. However having grown up in churches, and being a pastor’s son, I knew about the traditional approach for evangelism. During a meeting where the gospel is preached people are invited to come forward to the front where they can publically accept Christ and become a Christian. This is done in a deliberate way and people who have the desire to follow God are encouraged to do this.
At this point - called an altar call – the minister explains the significance of the decision to follow God, often in a variety of ways, and then invites people forward, often several times. He explains the benefits and sometimes the tragedy of those who reject God. Using prayer, music and many compelling words, often people are convinced to accept God, and they do go forward. This has been the traditional evangelistic pattern in churches for a long time. Some people call it the “Billy Graham Method.”
Today, churches are trying different things, including evangelism in homes, in programs, outside of meetings and other strategies. I wish all the best to those who have a heart to bring people to God.
Not knowing much about online marketing, and never having heard the term “squeeze page” I built my first squeeze page based upon the traditional evangelistic method I knew from church. It was a page with information that was compelling leading to a prayer at the end. Then there was a form to be completed by those who had prayed the prayer. In return they were promised further information about God, and that I would also personally pray for them.
In one year I had 40,000 hits on my website, and over 2,000 email addresses on my list. Most of the hits were from Adwords, Overture and Ask advertising platforms and some were organic and direct. This meant that the visitors were targetted visitors, and the response (between 5 and 10%) was a typical squeeze page response.
Amazingly – in the emails that followed the responses were many stories of changed lives. I didn’t change the lives, that was a miracle, it was God. It was also a miracle that I built an effective gospel style squeeze page. I have friends today 8 years later that I made on that gospel page.
I think there is a place for gospel squeeze pages… don’t you.
— Resource Box—
This article was written by David Alley, Church Web Designer and Owner of www.Escrow-Australia.com.au. This article can be used without permission as long as a backlink to this page is included, and this resource box stays intact.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
