Visitors to IBSA.org, the online presence of the Illinois Baptist State Association, found a surprise in November. The state association launched a completely redesigned website, coinciding with the announcement of the “For the Pastor” emphasis at the IBSA Annual Meeting.
“We reduced the number of pages from over 300 to about 60,” said Communication Team Leader Ben Jones. “Our previous version of the website had helpful content, but it had grown to a place where it could be difficult to find what you were looking for. Our priority was to provide Illinois Baptists with a much more helpful experience.”
The new website features a streamlined layout, easier-to-use event calendar, and a more intuitive search system.
The new design integrates the content of the previous website into a smaller footprint. IBSA.org also contains new resources, including IBSA.org/ForthePastor. This section provides pastors with clear connection points to events and resources that directly serve and support them.
Another new feature is the IBSA.org/ResourceCenter. This is a digital library of practical informational and sample documents, videos, and articles. It can be explored through 12 different categories or users can simply search for a topic.
The Resource Center has initially been stocked with more than 80 helpful items and will be curated throughout the year to add new resources and remove old ones.
The IBSA website was last redesigned in 2018. Communications Team Coordinator Nic Cook carried out the primary website redesign working with Megaphone Designs of Jefferson City, Missouri to build the new site.
Meanwhile, a redesign of the Illinois Baptist news site (IllinoisBaptist.org) is planned for later in 2024, as are redesigns for the sites of Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camps.