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CONGREGATIONAL WEB SITES SURVEY
RESULTS
also available as a PDF
Many thanks to the 253 people who completed the survey and
the Research Network for their work in tabulating and analyzing the results.
As promised, we are sharing the aggregate results with you!
- Does your congregation have a web site?
- What is the URL (address) of your site?
More than 220 congregations are represented in the survey.
- What do you hope your web site will achieve?
Please pick the three most important goals from the following list.
The following responses had more than 10 percent.
|
71 % |
Attract new members |
|
88 % |
Provide information for members about events, worship schedule, etc. |
|
12 %
|
Raise the profile of the congregation in the Jewish world |
|
20 %
|
Promote congregation in general community |
|
20 % |
Build community |
|
25 % |
Engage members more frequently with the synagogue |
|
24 %
|
Market activities/events |
- In many congregations, responsibility for the web site is shared.
The survey showed that overwhelmingly it is the webmaster that has the major responsibility for the content (80 percent) and the day-to-day maintenance (87 percent). In determining content, the rabbi is consulted in 58 percent of the congregations, the administrator in 35 percent, the educator in 47 percent, the president in 52 percent.
- How technically trained is the person who is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the site? Please choose one.
|
34 % |
Professional webmaster - knows programming language, web technologies and/or server management |
|
44 % |
Has basic knowledge of HTML & forms, but not a professional webmaster |
|
20 % |
Is comfortable with office applications (Word, Excel, database), but not a professional webmaster |
|
2 % |
Other |
- The person responsible for the day -to-day management of our site uses the following applications. Please mark all that apply.
|
12 % |
Perl/CGI |
|
4 % |
ASP |
|
1% |
ASP.NET |
|
9 % |
Java |
|
8 % |
Unix/Linux |
|
20 % |
Dreamweaver |
|
29 % |
FrontPage |
|
27 % |
Photoshop |
|
6 % |
Fireworks |
|
8 % |
Flash |
|
2 % |
Coldfusion |
|
4 % |
XML |
|
25 % |
Don't know |
- Is anyone specifically compensated for working on your web site?
- Where does/do the person/people responsible for maintaining the site do the work?
Please mark all that apply.
|
14 % |
Congregational office |
|
70 % |
Home |
|
25 % |
Work location other than the synagogue |
|
2 % |
Don't know |
- What software programs are used to maintain your web site?
Please mark all that apply.
|
17 % |
Dreamweaver |
|
27 % |
Front Page |
|
21 % |
Text editor |
|
31 % |
FTP |
|
2 % |
content management |
|
23 % |
Other |
|
26 % |
Don't know |
- How much did your congregation spend to design the web site?
|
82 % |
Nothing: designed by a volunteer |
|
11 % |
Less than $1000 |
|
3 % |
$1000 - $2500 |
|
4 % |
$2500 or more |
- How many pages are there on your site?
|
21 % |
1-10 |
|
32 % |
11-25 |
|
39 % |
25 or more |
|
8 % |
Don't know |
- What do you think are the three most visited parts of your site?
Please list these parts. (Top five)
|
49 % |
Calendar |
|
22 % |
Home Page |
|
13 % |
Upcoming events |
|
11 % |
Service/worship information |
|
10 % |
About the congregation |
- What percentage of the content on your site is time/date sensitive?
|
28 % |
10 percent or less |
|
37 % |
10-25 percent |
|
21 % |
25-50 percent |
|
11 % |
More than 50 percent |
|
3 % |
Don't know |
- How often is your site updated?
|
5 % |
Daily |
|
32 % |
Weekly |
|
48 % |
Monthly |
|
12 % |
Very infrequently |
|
3 % |
Don't know |
- What are the greatest challenges for keeping your site updated?
| |
Important (1 & 2)
|
Not Important
(4 & 5) |
| Volunteer Webmaster doesn't have time |
47 % |
33 % |
| Contributors do not meet deadlines |
39 % |
37 % |
| Lack of technical skill |
22 % |
65 % |
| Software is difficult to handle |
8 % |
82 % |
| Not enough content |
29 % |
54 % |
- Help us learn what information currently appears on congregational web sites and what information would be useful were it available.
Please check the items that are part of your site and the items you would like to have on your site. Leave blank any item in which you are not interested.
| CONTENT |
Have on site |
Would like to have |
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Rabbi's message |
59 % |
19 % |
|
President's message |
39 % |
27 % |
|
Calendar of worship |
87 % |
6 % |
|
Calendar of activities |
82 % |
10 % |
|
Religious school news |
46 % |
32 % |
|
Youth news |
39 % |
35% |
|
Ads |
6 % |
13% |
|
Information for prospective members |
60 % |
27% |
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WRJ/Brotherhood |
44 % |
10% |
|
Photos |
61 % |
22% |
|
Staff profiles |
46 % |
21 % |
|
Lay leader profiles |
13 % |
29% |
|
History of the synagogue |
66 % |
21 % |
|
Online congregational directory |
16 % |
18 % |
|
Volunteer opportunities |
26 % |
38 % |
|
Torah commentary |
16 % |
36 % |
|
Activities to do with children |
19 % |
36 % |
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Book reviews/study guides |
8 % |
46 % |
|
Holiday recipes |
8% |
37 % |
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Holiday information |
8 % |
27% |
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Social Action activities |
52 % |
23 % |
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Information about intermarriage/interfaith relationships |
9 % |
33 % |
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Israeli/Jewish news |
13 % |
27 % |
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Information about conclaves |
6 % |
19 % |
|
Retreat/study opportunities for adults |
16 % |
26 % |
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Map/directions to congregation |
12 % |
17 % |
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| FEATURES |
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E-mail aliases for staff/lay leaders |
60 % |
15 % |
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Online registration for events/classes |
11 % |
50 % |
|
RSVP for events |
12 % |
51 % |
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Staff members can easily update content |
10 % |
40 % |
|
Secure credit card donations/payments |
5 % |
44 % |
|
Sign up for e-mail communications |
22 % |
42 % |
- Are you satisfied with the content of your site?
- If the Union were able to provide the content and features listed in question 16 for your site in a way that would not require the services of a highly trained webmaster, but would require changes to your existing site, would you be interested?
- Are you satisfied with the design of your site?
- If you were to redesign your site, how important would each of the following features be in your redesign?
| |
Very Impt. |
Neutral |
Not Impt. |
| General aesthetics (color, logo, layout, etc) |
80 % |
18 % |
2 % |
| Design consistent with other congregational materials |
44 % |
39 % |
17 % |
| Navigation |
95 % |
3 % |
2 % |
| Ease of maintenance |
89 % |
10 % |
1 % |
| Interactivity |
51 % |
41 % |
8 % |
| Availability of new/fresh content |
83 % |
16 % |
1 % |
| Ability to update/change frequently |
85 % |
14 % |
1 % |
| Ability for staff to update content |
48 % |
32 % |
20 % |
| Ability for committee chairs/affiliates to have control over their areas |
22 % |
41 % |
37 % |
- What are the greatest problems you encounter with your web site?
Please mark all that apply.
| Webmaster does not have needed technical skills |
14 % |
| Contributors do not meet deadlines |
28 % |
| Too few people use it |
37 % |
| Lack of resourceful content |
27 % |
| Lack of timely news |
26 % |
| Board/staff do not understand its potential |
41 % |
Do not have enough financial/staff resources to develop properly
|
30 % |
| Do not have enough fresh information |
30 % |
| Board/staff/committee chairs cannot update their areas |
19 % |
| Site doesn't accurately reflect the congregation |
7 % |
| Doesn't provide value to members |
13 % |
| Not marketed well enough |
36 % |
- What does your congregation do to encourage web site use?
Please mark all that apply.
| URL on all stationery and business cards |
50 % |
| URL on bulletin |
82 % |
| Materials are posted on web, with excerpts distributed in print and/or e-mail |
29 % |
| E-mails direct congregants to the web |
42 % |
| Congregation URL is listed on online community directories (federation, town, etc.) |
44 % |
| Announce at services |
28 % |
| None of the above |
4 % |
- Where is your web site hosted?
| UAHC |
45 % |
| Web hosting provider (please specify) |
36 % * |
| Geocities |
Less than 1 % |
| Yahoo |
Less than 1 % |
| In-house Web server at the temple |
5 % |
| Other |
13 % |
* 14 respondents indicated a member's company
- What is your congregation now spending on Web hosting annually?
| Less than $100 |
54 % |
| $100 - $250 |
13 % |
| $250 - $500 |
11 % |
| More than $500 |
6 % |
|
Don't know |
16 % |
- Congregational demographics: # of households
| Up to 300 |
40 % |
| 301 - 599 |
23 % |
| 600 -999 |
15 % |
| 1000 + |
12 % |
| Don't know |
10 % |
- Position in the congregation
| Administrator/Director |
19 % |
| Rabbi |
8 % |
| Board member/officer other than president |
6 % |
| Bulletin Editor |
4 % |
| President |
13 % |
| Web master |
38 % |
| Other |
12 % | |
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