If family or friends live far away and can’t travel to a funeral or memorial service, they may still want to pay their respects. An online memorial is a way for them to say goodbye wherever they are. And it’ll give them immediate access to shared tributes and photos.

But where do you start? How do you create an online memorial? And can you do it using social media?

We’ll take you through the steps you need to take to either:

Create an online memorial using a website
Memorialise a Facebook account

How to make a memorial website

Don’t let the idea of building a website put you off. It’s straightforward to create an online memorial for a loved one because lots of memorial websites with simple templates are available. You won’t have to do anything technical. Follow these steps to keep things simple.

Choose a memorial website

You’ll need an online platform to create your digital memorial. Search for “memorial websites” online and see which one you like best.

Finding it difficult to narrow down your options? Here are some memorial websites to help you get started:

vivamemory.com
memories.co.uk
muchloved.com

Keep in mind that some memorial websites will have free templates that give you just the basics. This may just include some photos and space to include their name and personal details about them. They may also offer a comments section where family and friends can share their stories and goodbyes online. But each website will have different options and their free templates can differ quite a lot.

If you want more from the online memorial then take a look at their different packages. Some may charge more to add extra elements to the memorial page. But you might find that their free package is all you need.

Pick a template

Once you’ve chosen a website you’ll need to pick a template.

You’ll be given some options. Each page template will look a little different. And might give you a different layout. Pick one that you like the most.

Add photos and videos

Add some photos and videos of your loved one to the online memorial to jog some memories.

It may encourage family members and friends to recall the occasions in the pictures and share their own stories. This’ll help you come together and remember your loved one even if some family members are miles away.

Add some personal details

Include the name of the person who’s passed away in a clear spot, high up on the memorial page.

You may want to add their date of birth and the date they passed away too. You can personalise this by choosing a font that fits. Maybe it reflects their personality in some way.

Share tributes

You can add a traditional eulogy to the online memorial that reminds people of the life your loved one led and how they affected the people around them.

You could share stories and tributes. Or you could keep things simple with a favourite quote. There are many ways to pay tribute but if you’re finding it difficult to decide ask other family members for inspiration. Perhaps they discussed a favourite book or song with the person who passed away that could be an appropriate addition to the site.

Invite family members to participate

Some family members may feel more comfortable than others when it comes to sharing comments and stories about a loved one online.

To help those that are unsure think about adding a link to a donation page that gives them the opportunity to donate to a charity instead. Some memorial websites offer the opportunity to light a digital candle too. When comments don’t feel right for everyone these options could help them participate. It’ll allow them to pay their respects virtually in a way that feels comfortable for them.

Share the online memorial

Having trouble reaching people who’ll want to say goodbye? If you can’t get hold of them on the phone then you may be able to reach them via social media.

It may take some time to reach people on social media and the last thing you want to do is shock anyone with sad news. But if they live in a different country or are unable to travel, reaching out on social media and sharing the online memorial with them could help them grieve. It’ll give them the opportunity to share their own memories of the person too.

If you plan to use social media to reach out to a lot of people, you may want to think about using Facebook to create an online memorial. Here’s how to create a Facebook memorial page when a loved one’s passed away.

How to memorialise a Facebook account

When someone dies, Facebook gives you the option to turn their Facebook account into a memorial page. To memorialise a Facebook account you’ll need to:

Contact Facebook. You’ll need to provide the person’s name, the date they passed away and proof of their death.
Once Facebook approves your request to memorialise the account, the word “Remembering” will appear in front of the person’s name.
Then you and other family members and friends can say goodbye on the memorialised account or you can share stories.
You can always go back to their profile too. Scroll through their pictures and add comments that other friends and family members may find comforting.

When you memorialise a Facebook account it also means that the account can no longer be logged into. This keeps it safe from being hacked. It also removes any chance of the person’s profile appearing in any birthday reminders or notifications for people you may know.

But keep in mind that if you’re not named as a legacy contact on the Facebook account this process can take some time. And it may also mean that you can’t change much on the person’s profile. If you’re named on the account as a legacy contact then you’ll have more control over the profile. This may help you decide whether you’d like to memorialise the Facebook account or simply delete it instead. This can be done by contacting Facebook and providing them with proof of the death too.

Creating an online memorial can be in addition to a funeral and/or memorial service. And it can help you share your grief with family and friends all over the country, maybe even the world. It can be a lasting tribute for someone you cared for and a place to celebrate them too. However you choose to remember your loved one we hope it gives you and your family some comfort.