About the Project
Client: New Heights Bentonville
Industry: Church / Religious Organization
Website: nhbentonville.com
Project Overview
Completely redesigned and rebuilt the website for New Heights Bentonville, a growing church whose outdated digital presence was actively hindering their ability to welcome new visitors and serve their community. The project transformed their website from a confusing, invisible liability into a high-performing tool for church growth and community connection.
The Challenge
New Heights Bentonville faced a critical digital problem: their website was buried on page 3 of Google search results, receiving only 100 monthly visitors despite being an active, growing congregation. Visitors who did find the site struggled with confusing navigation and couldn’t easily locate essential information like service times and location. The poor user experience and lack of visibility were creating unnecessary barriers for people trying to connect with the church.
Key Features Implemented
- Simplified Navigation Architecture: Streamlined the previously confusing mega menu into an intuitive structure that guides visitors to key information quickly
- Priority Information Design: Service times, location, and visitor information prominently placed above the fold for immediate accessibility
- Robust Event Calendar: Comprehensive calendar system to keep the congregation informed about church activities and community events
- Sermon Archive: Organized library of past sermons allowing members to revisit teachings and new visitors to explore the church’s message
- SEO Optimization: Strategic implementation of local search optimization targeting church-seekers in the Bentonville area
- High-Performance Infrastructure: Built for speed with consistently high Google PageSpeed scores (90th percentile)
- Clear Conversion Pathways: Strategically placed calls-to-action guiding visitors toward meaningful next steps (visiting, connecting, serving)
Target Audience
Primary: Northwest Arkansas residents searching for a church home in the Bentonville area
Secondary: Current congregation members seeking information about events, sermons, and ministry opportunities
Tertiary: First-time visitors looking for service details and what to expect
Measurable Results
The website transformation delivered exceptional, quantifiable results:
- Search Ranking Improvement: Jumped from page 3 to #1 position for critical local church searches
- Traffic Growth: Monthly visitors skyrocketed from 100 to 1,400—a remarkable 1,300% increase
- Performance Excellence: Page speeds consistently score in the 90th percentile, ensuring fast load times that keep visitors engaged
- Improved Engagement: Clear visitor pathways and intuitive navigation led to measurable increases in user engagement and connection
Project Outcome
The New Heights Bentonville website project demonstrates the transformative power of strategic web design for mission-focused organizations. By addressing both technical SEO issues and user experience problems, the new site removed barriers preventing people from discovering and connecting with the church. The dramatic increase in visibility (page 3 to #1) and traffic (1,300% growth) directly supports the church’s mission to reach more people in their community. The streamlined navigation and clear next steps make it easy for visitors to take meaningful action, whether attending a service for the first time or getting involved in ministry opportunities.