Free website audit
Kehillah Synagogue
In short
- Make a first visit easy: let guests register online, not only by phone.
- Keep the homepage current on its own, straight from your calendar.
- Load fast on phones and be readable by everyone: screen readers, search engines and AI assistants.
Google PageSpeed scores for your current site
On phones
- Speed
- 44
- Accessibility
- 93
- Best practices
- 100
- Search (SEO)
- 85
Main content appears after 24.0 s.
On computers
- Speed
- 41
- Accessibility
- 94
- Best practices
- 100
- Search (SEO)
- 85
Main content appears after 18.2 s.
Scores out of 100 from Google PageSpeed Insights. 90+ is good.
What we found
- ImportantVisitors
Guests can only register by phone
What we saw
All visitors must call the Kehillah office at (919) 942-8914 to register as a guest before attending a service or program. There is no way to register online.
Source: Kehillah homepage
Why it matters
Newcomers often look at synagogues in the evening or on weekends. A phone-only step at that moment is where many quietly give up.
In your new site
An easy online guest registration right on the homepage. Your office still reviews every guest, and the phone number stays listed for people who prefer to call.
See it in the preview → - ImportantFreshness
The news feed is quiet between March 2024 and this fall
What we saw
In the site's news feed, the newest post before this fall's holiday announcements is dated March 2024.
Source: News feed (RSS)
Why it matters
Visitors judge how active a community is by its most recent updates. A long gap suggests less is happening than really is.
In your new site
Upcoming events flow onto the homepage automatically from your Google Calendar, and dated announcements hide themselves once they've passed.
See it in the preview → - ImportantMobile
The homepage is slow, especially on phones
What we saw
Google PageSpeed Insights rated the homepage's speed 39 out of 100 on phones and 29 on computers. On a phone, the main content took about 24 seconds to appear.
Source: Google PageSpeed Insights
Why it matters
Most people look up a synagogue on their phone, and many leave if a page takes more than a few seconds to load.
In your new site
A lightweight site with optimized photos that shows this week's times and events within a couple of seconds on a phone.
See it in the preview → - Worth fixingAccessibility
Homepage slider graphics have no descriptions
What we saw
All seven homepage slider images have empty alt text (alt=""), and their wording (for example “Celebrate Simchat Torah!” and “Join us for Sukkot!”) is part of the image.
Source: Kehillah homepage
Why it matters
Screen readers skip these graphics, and text inside an image can't be enlarged, translated or found by search engines.
In your new site
Announcements are real text beside real photos, and every image has a description.
See it in the preview → - Worth fixingSearch & AI
Automated readers get a security check instead of your content
What we saw
In our tests, simple automated tools (the kind behind link previews and AI assistants) received a security-check page instead of your homepage.
Why it matters
More people now ask AI assistants things like “synagogues near Chapel Hill.” If those tools can't read your site, Kehillah may be described poorly or left out.
In your new site
A fast site that's open to readers, with structured information about services, events and location, plus a plain-text summary written for AI assistants.
- Nice to haveTrust
Staff are listed by first name only
What we saw
The professional staff page lists most staff by first name only.
Source: Our professional staff
Why it matters
Newcomers like to know who they'll meet. Full names and photos build trust before the first visit.
In your new site
During the build we'll ask which full names and photos you'd like to show. We never add them without your OK.
Your website is Kehillah’s front door
Before anyone walks into Kehillah, they visit your website first. That might be a family that just moved to the Triangle, a UNC student or young professional looking for a Jewish community, an interfaith couple looking for a Jewish home, a member deciding whether to renew, or someone deciding where their tzedakah goes this year.
Welcoming guests
Hachnasat orchim
Jews who are new to Chapel Hill, or new to synagogue life, look for a community online first. A clear, warm website makes the first visit easy.
Belonging
Kehillah
Members stay when they feel connected. A homepage that’s current every week shows a community that’s alive, and makes joining simple.
Giving
Tzedakah
Donors give where they feel confident. A one-tap Donate button on a site that looks cared for makes giving easy, especially at year-end.
A website that feels out of date works quietly against all three, and the people it turns away never tell you why. For a congregation, few investments do more for the next generation of members and donors.
Why this gets put off, and why it doesn’t have to
“There’s no room in the budget.”
It’s a one-time project, not another monthly bill, with hosting and updates included for the first year. Nothing is due until your new site is live and you love it. A member can also sponsor it as a dedication, the way members sponsor a kiddush.
“Our staff doesn’t have the time.”
About one hour of your time, in total. Your homepage is already built from what’s on your site today. We move every page, connect ShulCloud and handle the launch.
“It has to go to the board.”
We’ll give you a one-page summary to share, and Ilan can join your board meeting for ten minutes, in person or on Zoom.
“We’d need new photos, bios and all-new content.”
We use what you already have: your words, your photos, your calendar. That’s exactly what you see in the preview. New photos or bios can come later, whenever you’re ready.
“Who will keep it updated?”
Service times, candle lighting and events update themselves. For anything else, email us and it’s done within two business days, included for the first year. And you own your site outright, so you’re never locked in.
“We’d need an intake meeting first.”
No intake interview. One 20-minute call, or simply reply by email, and we take it from there.
Your full site can be live about two weeks after you say yes, in time for Chanukah and year-end giving.
What stays exactly the same
- ShulCloud member login, dues and donations work exactly as they do today.
- Your Google Calendar stays the place you add events. They now appear on the homepage automatically.
- Your domain, logo, photos and words. We use what you already have.
Talk with Ilan
Questions, or ready to see your new site live? Pick whatever’s easiest. No pressure: the preview and this audit are yours to keep either way.
Ilan is local to Chapel Hill, NC and happy to stop by Kehillah in person.