Visitor Tracking

Quick Summary: Visitor Tracking helps you capture information about first-time guests, trigger automated follow-up workflows, and monitor how visitors progress toward becoming regular members. New visitors appear in the People Directory with a "New Members" filter and can be added to follow-up pipelines for structured outreach.

Overview

When someone visits your church for the first time, their information can be captured through event check-in, a visitor card form, or manual entry by staff. These new records are automatically flagged with a recent join date, which makes them visible through the "New Members" toggle in the People Directory. From there, staff can review each visitor, add notes from initial conversations, and assign them to a follow-up pipeline.

The goal of visitor tracking is to ensure that no first-time guest is overlooked. By combining the directory's new member filtering with pipelines and the New Member Contacts task system, your team gets a clear view of who has visited, what follow-up has been done, and where each person stands in the assimilation process.

Key Features

  • Automatic New Member Flagging -- when a person is added to the database, their join date is recorded. The "New Members" toggle in the People Directory filters for recently added people, giving you an instant list of visitors and newcomers.
  • Check-In Capture -- first-time guests who check in at an event are automatically added to the people database. Their check-in record links them to the specific event they attended.
  • Visitor Notes -- staff can add notes to a visitor's profile immediately after a service. These notes capture details from initial conversations: how they heard about the church, what they are looking for, prayer requests, and similar information.
  • Pipeline Assignment -- add visitors to a follow-up pipeline (such as "New Visitor Follow-Up" or "New Member Assimilation") to track them through a structured series of outreach steps.
  • Conversion Tracking -- as visitors attend more events, join groups, and move through pipelines, their engagement metrics on the profile Overview tab reflect their growing involvement. You can monitor the progression from first visit to active member.
  • Dashboard Visibility -- the New Member Contacts widget on the dashboard surfaces follow-up tasks for recent visitors, so nothing falls through the cracks between Sundays.

Getting Started

  1. Add a visitor -- when a first-time guest arrives, add them to the database using the "+ Add Person" button in the People Directory or through the event check-in process. Enter at least their first name and any contact information they provide.
  2. Capture initial details -- open the new visitor's profile and click "+ Add Note" to record information from your conversation: how they found the church, any specific needs or interests, and whether they have children or family members who also visited.
  3. Add to a follow-up pipeline -- navigate to People → Pipelines and add the visitor to your visitor follow-up pipeline. This places them on a visual board where you can track each step of outreach.
  4. Create a contact task -- assign a follow-up task through the New Member Contacts system so a specific staff member or volunteer is responsible for making the first personal contact within your target timeframe.
  5. Monitor and follow up -- check the "New Members" filter in the directory and the dashboard contact tasks regularly to ensure every visitor receives timely outreach.

Best Practices

  • Follow up within 48 hours -- research on guest retention consistently shows that the speed of first contact matters. Aim to reach out to every first-time visitor within two days of their visit.
  • Capture information at check-in -- use the event check-in system to collect visitor details at the door. This reduces the chance of losing contact information if a paper visitor card is misplaced.
  • Assign a specific person to each follow-up -- generic "someone should call them" tasks get forgotten. Use the contact task system to assign a named individual who is responsible for making the outreach.
  • Review the new members list weekly -- make it a habit to check the "New Members" filter in the People Directory at least once a week. This catches any visitors who were added but not yet assigned to a pipeline or follow-up task.
  • Track the full journey -- use pipelines to model the complete path from first visit to membership. This gives your leadership team data on how long assimilation takes and where people tend to disengage.

Common Questions

How do I distinguish visitors from existing members in the directory?

Use the "New Members" toggle in the People Directory filter bar. This filters the directory to show only people who were recently added. You can also check the "Joined" date on any person's profile to see when they were first entered into the system.

Can visitors check themselves in?

Yes. If you have the check-in system set up for an event, first-time guests can check in at a kiosk or by scanning a QR code. The system will prompt them to enter basic information (name, email, phone) which creates their person record automatically.

What if a visitor does not provide contact information?

You can still create a record with just a first name. Add a note to the profile describing the interaction so that if they return, staff can recognize them and request contact details at that time. The profile will have limited usefulness for automated follow-up until contact information is added.

How do I track whether a visitor has returned for a second visit?

Check the Attendance tab on the visitor's profile. Each time they check in to an event, it is recorded there. The engagement metrics on the Overview tab will also update to reflect their growing attendance. You can also use pipelines to manually move someone to a "Returned" stage after their second visit.

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