As church tech becomes more popular than ever, how do you boost your church app engagement? Often times, it seems like you get your shiny, new app you’re proud of. You announce it to your congregation. Everyone downloads it. It’s great! But then what happens? Is anyone using it? Do new members bother downloading it? Where is there a disconnect and how do you boost engagement?
Church app engagement starts with the onboarding process
Church app engagement starts with the onboarding process. Make it as simple as possible to get started. Don’t tell users “download our app” and have a slide with the App Store and Play Store badge. Instead, show users exactly where to go.
- Consider a smart link that redirects to the iOS App Store and Android Google Play Store automatically based on the user’s device. The goal is simple: plug one link that takes users directly to the download page.
- Add a QR code that works with your smart link. Then church members can scan a QR code and end up at the download page.
- Use social logins to fast track the sign-up process. If your app requires an account to utilize certain features, make the sign-up process easy. Offer social login options such as Facebook, Google, and Apple. When users don’t have the burden of creating another password, they are much more likely to sign up.
Streamlining your onboarding process is the first step to boosting church app engagement. With a larger pool of users, you’ll get more active users engaging on the platform.
Offer impactful features
If your church app is a clone of information available on your website, it isn’t worth downloading. Are you offering unique features that belong in an app? Here are some feature ideas:
- Interactive sermon notes – digital sermon notes aren’t a new concept, but are you maximizing their potential in your church app? Offer next level note-taking features like cloud-syncing notes between devices, offline access, search tools, and other features that keep users coming back weekly.
- Engaging prayer requests – you likely have a prayer request form available on your website, so how can you take the experience further in your app? Consider a prayer request “forum” where users can choose to submit public prayer requests and receive comments with support from other church members. What about offering push notifications as an option when new prayer requests are added?
- Push notification announcements – social media is filled with constant noise, and emails can get buried. Push notification announcements are an effective way to reach your church members.
- Devotionals – try some devotionals with rich features like media and comments for discussion. How about sending a push notification and linking directly to a weekly devotional?
Avoid the temptation to build an app that links out to page after page of your website. Church members don’t need to download a menu to your website. So think about unique features that belong in an app. Offer a rich experience that church members cannot get on a mobile website.
Church app engagement starts with you
Remember: a church app is a platform. It is not something that you can build and abandon. To achieve proper church app engagement, it requires regular attention and care.
- Send notifications regularly to keep users opening the app. Don’t send messages too often, as this may annoy users. Send useful messages that add value for members and remind them of your app.
- Create an ongoing experience that’s worth it for users. How can you stir up interaction, discussion, and discipleship with your app? Remember, your church app shouldn’t be a 50MB menu of your church website.
- Talk about the app in services and in person. Make a weekly announcement and remind everyone of the benefits of using the app. Don’t let it just be a pre-service slide that rotates around. Your church app is a platform. Announce it often.
Are you giving your church app routine fuel to keep users engaged? Treat it like a social media platform and add content on a schedule.
A discipleship-first church app platform
If you’re searching for a church app platform with powerful discipleship features, My Sermon Notes is for you. With fill-in-the-blank sermon notes as their flagship feature, they’re dedicated to creating an impactful experience that truly belongs in a church app. My Sermon Notes offers:
- Fill-in-the-blank sermon notes
- Interactive prayer requests
- Push notification announcements
- Connection card + event calendar
- Customizable Church hub
My Sermon Notes gives a 30-day free trial with no contracts or setup fees. They have support for both your and your congregation, and you don’t need to be an IT person to setup the app. Click here to get started or schedule a demo.
