Synagogue Shopping

Shopping for a synagogue is no different than shopping for the best restaurant in town, or shopping for that new vest.  We “shop” for a synagogue when we are new to an area and/or when we are looking for information and resources about holidays, religious school, life cycle events, etc. Synagogue shopping happens everyday. And even once they have chosen a synagogue, members continue to “shop” when they visit your synagogue’s website. Does your site affirm their decision to have joined? Is it engaging? Does it provide members a diverse array of opportunities to increase their involvement?

Here is an interesting exercise for you or your website committee: go synagogue shopping.  If you are on the West coast, go to Google and search for synagogues in Hartford, Connecticut. If you live in the great middle of our country, check out a handful of synagogues in the Boston area. And if you are on the Eastern shores, head for Phoenix or Los Angeles.

Pay close attention to the aesthetics and the content of each synagogue website you “visit.” Which elements are most and least compelling? Compiling and comparing responses among other members of your community can help you better orient your website towards the discerning shopper.  

For more information on how to market your synagogue, listen to all four podcasts of marketing professional Jonathan Schreiber’s seminar, Market Yourself to Success: The Synagogue Shopping Cycle.