When we step into a web audit for mission-driven organizations, the stakes are always higher than layout grids or page-speed diagnostics. For the Center for Congregations’ CRG platform, the mission is clear: empower clergy, lay leaders, and congregational teams with reliable, curated resources that help them flourish.
During Blacksmith’s recent audit review, we approached the experience the same way any first-time pastor, volunteer, or committee member would, without insider context, denominational familiarity, or institutional knowledge.
And that perspective revealed something crucial: CRG’s value is immense, but much of that value is hidden behind design patterns built for “recall,” not “recognition.” As We noted early in the call, “If you’re a newcomer to the website, you’re not going to understand it… because of the way the site is designed.”
Below is a breakdown of the four major opportunities, each rooted in UX, technical SEO, accessibility, and brand consistency. These insights point toward one outcome: a future CRG website that functions as a true online tool that is discoverable, intuitive, branded, and designed to serve congregations for the next decade.
1. Shift from Design Recall to Design Recognition
When we began walking through the UX audit, we emphasized a foundational principle: users should not have to “learn” how to use a website. Instead, they should recognize familiar patterns instantly.
“Right now, the site is built on design recall,” we explained. “We have to use it several times to understand its quirks. We want to convert from recall to recognition.”
The consequences of recall-based design were evident throughout the current CRG site:
- Navigation is dense, text-heavy, and mentally taxing, especially for new users who don’t yet understand what CRG is.
- Wayfinding cues are minimal, making it difficult for users to self-identify their purpose or path.
- Iconography is absent, forcing users to read instead of scan, making it an immediate disadvantage for an online research platform.
- The homepage does not communicate the platform’s purpose (“We looked at it and said: These guys are almost like a Wikipedia for congregational lay leaders,” we said) until the user is already well below the fold.
One of the clearest examples discussed was the “collections” feature, a core differentiator of CRG that mimics Pinterest-like behavior.
Users create buckets of curated resources they can share with committees or ministry teams. Yet we noted that no newcomer would ever know this because the feature is not surfaced visually or contextually.
Modern resource platforms, from Pinterest to US Global Investors, lead with:
- Highly visual mega menus.
- Clear category gateways.
- Scannable resource cards.
- Prominent CTAs.
- Dynamic, personalized “pathfinder” selection tools.
These interfaces reduce cognitive load and place users on rails toward value.
Takeaway: CRG must move toward recognition-based UX patterns that are visual, intuitive, and instantly understandable to ensure first-time users experience value without friction.
2. Strategic Wayfinding, Not Wordiness, Is the Key to Turning CRG into a True Digital Tool
One of the strongest themes in Brett’s audit was the sheer density of text across CRG’s interface. “When I look at the CRG website… it’s words,” we said. “Users don’t read online unless the intent is explicitly to read a white paper or article.”
This presents a paradox: CRG is fundamentally a library of written resources, but the interface guiding users to those resources must rely less on words and more on cues.
The solution is not to shrink the library; it’s to make the UI:
- Visually clear (thumbnails, photography, and branded illustrations)
- Cognitively light (smart menus, resource selectors, category previews)
- Emotionally inviting (people interacting with people, not walls of text).
Examples shown during the call illustrated how other complex resource platforms accomplish this.
US Global Investors
A “smart menu” that updates in real time as users hover, letting them preview categories, featured items, and navigation paths.
IPMI (Parking and Mobility Institute)
A “choose your own adventure” entry point: “I’m looking for information on… [Certification / Events / Membership].” Each click triggers a unique CTA and an immediate pathway.
SAP / Insiderx
A complete transformation of a formerly word-heavy interface into a visual, categorized, thumbnail-driven experience that still supports deep technical content.
CRG can achieve the same transformation by:
- Improving navigation clarity.
- Using iconographic anchors.
- Reducing cognitive overhead.
- Building a clear “why you are here” narrative at the top of every key page.
- Creating a visual home for collections, featured resources, and trending topics.
“Scrolling is the new click.” Users need long-form vertical narratives that reveal value as they move through the pages.
Takeaway: CRG can dramatically increase engagement by replacing text-heavy navigation with a visual, guided, and personalized wayfinding that turns the site into an online tool, not just a library.
3. SEO and Technical Foundations Must Be Rebuilt to Support Future Growth
While UX dominated the discussion, the technical audit revealed foundational issues that directly affect CRG’s reach and effectiveness.
Low Mobile Performance
CRG’s mobile page speed scored a 55, flagged as “fairly low.” Competitors such as Pro Church Tools and Life.Church were also underperforming, but the bar remains high for any content-heavy platform.
Missing Schema Markup
The most critical finding was the complete absence of a schema.
“Schema is absolutely vital… if you have great content but no schema, Google doesn’t know what the website is actually about.”
Schema is now a requirement, not an optimization. Google’s most recent update places structured data at the center of content classification.
Weak Meta Descriptions
Homepage meta descriptions are far shorter than recommended, and many resource pages have no meta descriptions at all. With hundreds of articles, videos, books, and podcasts, this severely limits organic visibility.
Domain Authority at 20
As we explained, getting CRG’s DA into the 50–60 range is achievable but requires:
- Healthy backlinks.
- Elimination of toxic backlinks.
- Consistent content signals.
- Schema.
- Brand clarity.
Open Life Church has 3.2M backlinks, illustrating the scale that is possible through strategic content syndication and digital footprint building.
Takeaway: To grow, CRG must implement modern SEO foundations, schema, meta descriptions, backlink audits, page speed improvements, and stronger technical hygiene.
4. Accessibility and Compliance Are Non-Negotiable, Especially for a Platform Serving Churches
One of the most surprising findings was CRG’s ADA compliance score of 29%.
“Anything below 95% is considered failing,” we noted. “And the site becomes vulnerable to litigation due to discrimination.”
Accessibility isn’t merely a legal responsibility for CRG. It is an extension of the organization’s mission and identity.
- Many congregations serve aging populations.
- Many users may have low vision, partial blindness, or color blindness.
- Many church staff work late hours on mobile devices.
- High contrast, readable typography, and screen reader compatibility are essential.
We demonstrated how low-vision users would see current article pages. At even modest impairment, CRG’s typography becomes unreadable, and layout patterns become difficult to navigate.
The example of Voss Water’s lawsuit reinforced the seriousness: accessibility complaints are rising sharply across industries, and organizations are increasingly targeted.
Takeaway: CRG must achieve AA accessibility at a minimum, not only to reduce risk but to honor the platform’s purpose: connecting every congregation with the resources they need.
Turning the CRG into a Trusted, Intuitive, and Recognizable Home for Congregational Learning
Throughout our conversation, one theme emerged again and again: CRG has extraordinary content, but the current digital experience hides the value instead of revealing it.
But without redesigned navigation, clear pathways, modern schema, accessibility upgrades, and a stronger visual brand language aligned with the Center for Congregations, users, especially first-timers, won’t fully understand or utilize what CRG offers.
The opportunity ahead is significant.
- A homepage that immediately communicates its purpose and pathways.
- A navigation structure built around recognition and simplicity.
- A visual identity that feels like an extension of the Center’s brand.
- An accessible interface that welcomes every user on every device.
- A search and filtering experience worthy of a national resource library.
- Technical foundations that let Google clearly understand and elevate your content.
As we said near the end of the audit, “This isn’t to put you down. It’s to show you these are the areas of improvement… and here’s how we sharpen, edify, and make you better.”
