How to Create a Church Giving App?

Not all pastors understand the value of having a church donation app, let alone how to make one. Every variety of mobile apps exists solely to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. Instantaneous interaction with loved ones is now a reality, thanks to messaging apps. Mobile mapping applications let us get to our destinations quickly and easily. Apps for banking, healthcare, entertainment, and even food delivery each serve a vital and distinct function. 

Church applications are a fantastic tool for facilitating consistent and efficient communication, sharing information about upcoming events, and accepting financial contributions from members. Today, all significant churches spend money on church giving app development to meet their unique requirements. Not convinced? Look at the numbers below! 

According to estimates, there will be an additional $126.48 million in the church app development market by 2023. In addition, the same analysis projects that this market will grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of more than 3% during the next several years. Do you need another justification for spending money on church apps? Have no fear, for we have provided for your every need! 

This article discusses everything you need to know about developing a church app. In this post, we cover all you need to know about creating a donation platform for churches, from the features and benefits to the creation and marketing of the app. 

What is a Church Giving App? 

Engaging your congregation in meaningful ways, no matter where they may be, is one of the many ways a custom church donation app can make a difference for your church. The typical American is glued to their smartphone for about five hours a day. With the help of a church giving app, you can design an app to deliver all kinds of church-related information to your congregation, including sermons, devotionals, blog entries, events, podcasts, and more. 

To stay up with the times and reach a wider audience, religious groups of all stripes have developed church apps in response to the enormous demand for mobile devices. Indeed, 47% of all Americans are active churchgoers. Therefore, you may be turning away over 120 million potential buyers. Plus, that is just the U.S. 

The church could hold online sermons and accept monetary contributions by developing a smartphone app. In any case, there is a great deal of information to absorb before enlisting the aid of mobile app development specialists. 

Why should you have a Church Giving App? 

An effective way to get people involved in your church is through church applications. Sodality is the go-to church app provider for over 11,000 congregations and non-profits, and these are some of the benefits they enjoy: 

• Expanding the church’s reach; research shows that app users are five times more likely to attend services than regular churchgoers.
• A rise in monetary contributions, often between 7 and 10%, once a church implements the sodality app.
• Higher levels of participation: monthly app views for the typical sodality church app are well over 10k.

First, let us examine the positive effects that mobile church solutions can have. 

Elevating Conversation to the Next Level 

If church leaders and members alike want to stay connected and talk to one another, developing a church donation app is a smart move. Users can stay up to date on church happenings and receive event invitations via the app. 

Moreover, this tool helps the congregation become a cohesive online group. They may allow you to continue conversations on another platform, such as Facebook, and within the app. 

Broad Reach 

Those who download the Church apps get instant, always-available access to a wealth of religious content, including sermons, movies, and sacred texts like the Holy Bible. Clergy and religious leaders can spread the word of God to people worldwide using innovative OTT systems capable of high-quality video streaming. 

Safe Access 

The reality of the aftermath of the epidemic highlights the importance of churches becoming more adaptable and online. Church donation tracking applications have made it possible for pastors and priests to conduct services and gatherings without being tied down to a certain location or time of day. 

Donations 

One of the most accessible methods of giving is through a smartphone app. As a result, donation platforms for religious organizations can incorporate a contribution mechanism and provide a means for congregants to spread the donation link via social media. 

Live Streaming 

There will always be those unable to physically attend sermons or other activities, so streaming videos can be invaluable. Furthermore, data shows that 54% of Christian millennials are interested in watching videos about faith and spirituality. 

Charity and Volunteering

A church that has developed an app can notify congregation members about upcoming opportunities to give back to the community. Push notifications are a terrific way to get more people interested in and involved with your event. Including an event photo archive with commenting capabilities and charitable giving options makes sense. 

Defeating Obstacles in Cyberspace 

When one of the parishioners is having a tough time, the others will help. The availability of a mobile application aids this. Christian Web Trends revealed that 57% of users place significant importance on the ability to interact with others inside religious apps, with 75% ranking push notifications as a crucial component. 

Those are just a few of the many benefits of using a church’s donation tracking app. Church records, kid-friendly features, and so on can all be maintained, among other things. 

Steps to Creating your Church Giving App 

Developing a church donation app is not a breeze, but with the help of a reliable technology partner, such as us, you can get your church’s app up and running in record time with Sodality. 

As mentioned above Sodality is a white label app platform hence, you do not have to go through any technology stack research and other complicated steps. You simply need to follow the steps below.  

1. Sign up on the platform 

Simply visit the sodality.app website and click on the Free Sign-Up button from the top of the right pane.  

Next you need to fill in the details asked for and click on the Next button. Now the platform will create a primary user for your organization.  

2. Setting up the details 

Once you are done with the sign-up process. Login to platform and go to the settings page. Now fill in the details such as: Organization name, bank details to receive donation, and other legal details. Once you are fill in all the details, Sodality will verify them. 

3. Mobile releases 

Now, the last step is releasing your application. For this, you need to go to Mobile Releases Tab from the left pane. Here, you need to provide your app name, App store logo, App store icon, Address, description etc.  

Once you fill in the details, Sodality will create a free application for you with all the filled-in details and release it to both Android and iOS store from where users can install your app and start engaging and donation to your organization.  

So, as you can see, developing a donation platform for your organization is a cakewalk and you do not need to spend a single penny on app development.  

How to market your new giving app? 

The goal of your app is to keep users hooked every time they open it. Let us look at everything you will need to make your new church app a smashing success. 

• Reach the broadest audience possible 

When completed, your fundraising app for a religious organization will be a fantastic tool for spreading the gospel. Here are a few suggestions for expanding your app’s user base: 

• Include support for both iOS and Android

You would not believe it, but there are church app suppliers who only support Apple devices and others who only support Android. According to statistics compiled by industry professionals, however, Apple only has 59% of the mobile user base. As a result, your app’s potential user base will immediately decrease by about half if it is only compatible with one OS (Operating System). 

• Distribute your app online 

App stores are often people’s first stop when looking for a new app. You should check with your app developer to make sure your church donation app can be downloaded from both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. You should demonstrate your app’s features and describe what customers will gain by installing it. 

• Put your app in the app stores

It is worth noting that to get your software into Google Play or the Apple App Store, you must meet different criteria. Apple requires that your church have a D-U-N-S number, proof of its legal business status, a website, and a representative with the right to act on its behalf. 

• Share, share, and share some more! 

After launching your church’s mobile app, spread the word through every available means, such as: 

• Social media—Share on your church’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Get the word out and ask your church members to promote the app on their own social media accounts. 
• Website- On your website, put a call to action and a link to your app so people can download it.
• Emails and newsletters —Are you publishing a newsletter or email? Introduce your church’s app to the congregation and provide them with the app’s download page link. The next step is ensuring that all following emails have a prominent download link to encourage spread.

How to drive app adoption?

Along with promoting your app as described above, here are five methods you may encourage consumers to utilize your app daily: 

1. Always update your app’s information. Your ministry may satisfy the immediate needs of your community by keeping your video, audio, blogs, and calendars updated with the latest information.  
2. Reminders from the pulpit. Remind folks about the benefits of using your app throughout your church announcements. 
3. Remind individuals to give use of the app. You should remind them frequently that they can use the app to tithe. 
4. Ask for comments. Use polls and a feedback button in your app to gauge user sentiment. You will learn a lot about how successfully (or poorly) your church donation app lives up to users’ expectations and where it may be enhanced. 
5. Offer in-person help to download, install, and utilize the app. Having a team of volunteers to walk users through downloading and setting up the app can make a stark difference. 

Unfortunately, most church app builders leave you on your own to build and increase adoption for your church’s app. However, Sodality gives you a personal Client Success Manager to guarantee the success of your app. This includes frequent audits to analyze your app’s performance, give you expert engagement tactics, and guarantee that your app generates successful results. 

Building an awesome mobile app for your church should be straightforward. Sodality is the only church giving app builder dedicated to your success by giving the best-in-class church app capabilities in a simple-to-manage system, coupled with world-class support and resources. 

To learn more about how Sodality can assist your church in growing and engaging its congregation, please contact one of our consultants immediately. 

Wrapping Up 

The modern world is a very mobile one. Because everyone now uses their smartphone more than any other electronic device, app development has become an essential part of the modern information economy. As such, a church giving app is the perfect investment if you care deeply about your church’s visibility and accessibility among its followers.  

You cannot find the resources you need to learn more about church donation app development. Be sure to contact us immediately so we can also assist you with consultation with a knowledgeable professional.