New ChurchofJesusChrist.org Navigation Menus Make Resources Easier to Find
Contributed By Anne Lloyd, Church News contributor; and Camille West, ChurchofJesusChrist.org Church News
Watch this video to learn how the new navigation menus can improve your experience using ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“Look [on ChurchofJesusChrist.org] for resources you commonly use, then take a detour to discover something new. You might also consider sharing something that might be of value to someone else.” —Jeff Isom, director of ChurchofJesusChrist.org
The phone rings on Saturday night. It’s your child’s Sunday School teacher asking you to be a last-minute substitute for his class. “You can find the lesson on ChurchofJesusChrist.org,” he says before thanking you and hanging up. ChurchofJesusChrist.org is easy to find, but now where do you look?
ChurchofJesusChrist.org will get a new navigation menu in a release scheduled for mid-May, the latest of the Church’s continuing improvements to make its official website more personalized and easier to use.
Aware that any changes may be temporarily confusing for anyone who regularly uses the site, the Church has prepared an introductory video (see above) as well as instructional video tours to ease the transition. These eventually will be found on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org home page and linked from social media and other sources to help visitors learn about and navigate the new menu structure.
Why change at all?
Studies by the Church show that members rely on ChurchofJesusChrist.org to help them:
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Become better followers of Jesus Christ.
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Serve in their callings and assignments.
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Feel inspiration and hope.
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Find practical helps for life’s challenges.
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Stay connected with the Church.
But users’ feedback over the past few years regarding ChurchofJesusChrist.org has been clear: resources are difficult to find, and the navigation could be more intuitive.
That feedback reminds Jeff Isom, director of ChurchofJesusChrist.org, of the scripture that says, “For there are many … who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12).
“The goal of improving the website is to help visitors find and use the great resources available to them on the site,” he said.
To help members more easily find these resources, user researchers, information architects, designers, and developers combined years of user feedback with extensive research to create a more intuitive navigation menu. Testing shows the new navigation significantly improves the “findability” of content and resources (see table).
|
SUCCESS RATES FOR COMMON TASKS ON ChurchofJesusChrist.ORG | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Task |
Current Menu |
Redesigned Menu |
|
Find current Visiting Teaching Message |
49% |
87% |
|
Find the Gospel Doctrine study guide |
29% |
75% |
|
Find resources for a relative with an addiction |
24% |
75% |
|
Help an 8-year-old work on Faith in God Award |
31% |
87% |
|
Find mission preparation materials |
61% |
87% |
|
Listen to the Book of Mormon online |
92% |
92% |
|
Read the Holy Bible online |
98% |
98% |
Approximately 3,000 random visitors to ChurchofJesusChrist.org accepted the invitation to complete a few of the 96 tasks commonly performed on ChurchofJesusChrist.org using both the current and the new navigation menus. On average, the new menu increased the “findability” of resources from 57 to 75 percent.
“We have incorporated user feedback to make changes in the areas we hope will bring the greatest improvement for the most people,” said Brother Isom. “While we are confident that the new menu structure is a significant step forward, we’ll continue to listen, learn, and adjust,” he said.
Brother Isom invites Church members to take the time to explore the new menus on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. “Look for resources you commonly use,” he said, “then take a detour to discover something new. You might also consider sharing something that might be of value to someone else.”
What will be different?
Upcoming changes to ChurchofJesusChrist.org include new menu options, improved My Account and Ward options, and a few new sub-pages with additional helpful resources.
The new navigation menu you'll see on ChurchofJesusChrist.org mid-May.
The new menu options along the top blue bar are:
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Scriptures and Study
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Families and Individuals
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Share the Gospel
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Inspiration and News
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Serve and Teach
Scriptures and Study
Submenus beneath Scriptures and Study menu option.
Scriptures and Study has three submenus: Prophetic Teachings, Learn About, and Helpful Resources. Scriptures—the most frequently searched topic—are easily found in this menu along with information on Jesus Christ, living prophets, general conference, and other lesson and study resources such as music and Church magazines.
Families and Individuals
Submenus beneath Families and Individuals menu option.
Submenus include Eternal Families, Life’s Challenges, and Resources For. You can find family history information here as well as resources for young adults, youth, children, employment, and self-reliance.
Share the Gospel
Submenus beneath Share the Gospel menu option.
Submenus for Share the Gospel include Participate and Full-Time Missions. This is where you can find mission preparation information, the Missionary Portal, referrals for missionaries, and ideas on how to share the gospel.
Inspiration and News
Submenus beneath Inspiration and News menu option.
Under submenus Be Inspired and Stay Informed is where you will find links to general conference, news, and social media resources.
Serve and Teach
Submenus beneath Serve and Teach menu option.
Lead and Teach, Callings, and Service Opportunities are where you can find resources to help prepare a lesson, discover volunteer opportunities, and fulfill your calling.
My Account and Ward
Submenus beneath My Account and Ward menu option.
The My Account and Ward menu located in the upper right corner of ChurchofJesusChrist.org now offers a more personalized ChurchofJesusChrist.org experience. You can change your LDS Account settings, connect to FamilySearch, read your ward newsletter, download apps, or access tools and links that are specific to your current calling in the ward or stake.
New Pages
Some new menu options make helpful resources easier to find. For example, under Hope and Help you’ll find resources on topics like abuse, adoption, emotional and mental health, same-sex attraction, suicide, unemployment, and more.
Feedback Requested
“We’re striving to introduce change in an evolutionary manner based on users’ feedback and the changing needs of a growing global membership,” Brother Isom said. Visitors to ChurchofJesusChrist.org can help ensure changes are meeting their needs by scrolling to the bottom of any page on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and selectingFeedback.
Leave feedback by scrolling to the bottom of any page on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
