Update Your Status

So you have spent some time creating new pages and editing existing ones. You're adding pictures, uploading a year’s worth of bulletins into your new website, and adding all the flourishes that make your parish website unique. You even ran an announcement in the bulletin talking about the new parish website so your parish will take notice. 

Now it is time to update the rest of world -- outside of the parish. 

Just like when you move to a new house you notify all your friends, family, and businesses about the new location, the same should be done for your new online home.  The post office makes you fill out a change of address form so your mail gets forwarded... but there is no official form for your website!

What about all the links on all other websites that might have an old or new domain name for your parish?  Access all your accounts, from the diocese to the phone book and change or alter the new website address. Here are just a few places to remember to change your status.

• Diocese information
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Your blog(s)
• Phone book
• Chamber of Commerce listings
• Local newspaper listings
• Any Directory you may be posted in. Local service organizations like the Boy Scouts, Knights of Columbus, related forums, etc.

Do an online search for your parish and check the results.  When you find a site with old info, make the contact and update your status! (Websites that link back to your site are called backlinks.)