New Website Proves Great Outreach Tool

With a click the Armenian Church is at your fingertips.  At work or at home, the Eastern Diocese's newly designed website, www.armenianchurch.org, brings Armenians across the globe in touch with their faith, heritage, and history.

Launched in July 2002, the website caught on quickly, as more and more people logged onto the new website each month.  By the end of 2002, www.armenianchurch.org had proven itself as a valuable resource for the Armenian community.  The website is an effective and cost-efficient way to quickly communicate with Armenians in the Diocese and outside.

"The number of visitors is steadily growing as more people hear about the resources available on our site," said Jake Goshert, communications officer for the Diocese.  "From basic facts about the Diocese and the Armenian Church, to biographies of saints and activities for children, to prayers, people are coming to the website for all sorts of reasons."

In early 2002, only about 80 people each month visited the Diocese's old website design.  By December 2002, 150 people each day were clicking to the new, vibrant site.

Year of Work Finally Realized

The Diocese planned the new website design for more than a year, with thought going into how it would look, what types of materials it would house, and how topics would be organized.

A key objective of the website is to make church teachings accessible to today's growing computer-using population.  A treasury of information and resources can be found throughout the Diocese.  The website gives these rich materials new life, taking them off the bookshelves and making them accessible worldwide.

The website was also designed to be interactive.  Visitors are able to ask questions about the Armenian Church, the Eastern Diocese, particular articles of faith, or inquiries about Armenia in general.  These questions -- ranging from genealogy, theological questions, to requests for a speaker on the Genocide -- are quickly answered by the Diocese's expert staff.

Through a secure Internet connection, the website allows the Diocese to sell items and accept credit card donations on-line.  The first thing sold on-line was the Diocese's new compact disc recording of the complete badarak.  From its initial offering on the website in November, the Diocese sold 116 CDs to 82 people around the globe.  Orders continued to come in after the New Year.

"We are definitely reaching more Armenians and even non-Armenians through the website," said George Kassis, director of communications and development for the Diocese.  "We hope to make it the pre-eminent source of information on the Armenian Church and Armenian culture.  In the coming months we will continue to improve the content, increase its usability, and rely more and more on its cost-effective outreach capabilities."