Your website is the face of your wedding and event venue
What bride doesn’t start the wedding planning process by looking at wedding venue websites? When couples get engaged, one of the first things they do is start browsing online to get ideas for their special day. If they are starting to explore locations in Massachusetts, you should be the first website they find when they search on Google. If you’re already on their list of possibilities, your website should rise above competing venues.
Your website is the focal point of your marketing efforts. If you have a beautiful venue but aren’t getting enough leads from engaged couples or wedding planners, it’s time to create a more engaging, user-friendly website that scores high with search engines and the wedding couple.
Create a website that builds your digital presence
If prospects are searching online for a wedding venue in Massachusetts, you don’t stand a chance unless they see you on the search results page. The top three listings get more than 75% of all clicks, so getting one of those top spots is critical for driving traffic to your site.
While hiring a digital agency specializing in wedding venue websites isn’t strictly necessary, industry experience often provides greater insight into what digital marketing strategies increase digital presence, traffic, and leads. The best idea is to look through their online portfolio to see if their design work–bridal or otherwise–resonates with you.
Keep Visitors on Your Website with a User-Friendly Approach
Successful wedding venue websites have one thing in common—visual appeal. Getting that high-end look requires top-notch photography, expressive language, and simple navigation that quickly captivates users with an immersive experience. Choose an agency that understands how to design intuitive navigation so that busy brides and wedding planners can easily find what they need, including room options, packages, catering, wedding planning services, and other features.
Your site must be attractive and accurately represent your venue, but too many bells and whistles might confuse the user. Your first consideration should always be if your site will meet your marketing goals. Focus on techniques that will effectively drive more leads to your inquiry form, request a proposal page, and other high-value pages.
Use Photography to its Best Advantage
We can’t overstate the importance of high-quality photography. Many venues use photos from past events. However, this can backfire if lighting is poor, shots aren’t taken from the best angles, or special room features aren’t visible. You also run the risk of couples simply not liking how the room is decorated.
We strongly recommend that venues use professionally staged photos that help couples envision how your wedding venue will enhance their special day—not someone else’s. An experienced photographer and staging crew will know the right way to draw users in, help them determine if you can meet their requirements, and—most importantly—encourage them to contact you for a tour, a proposal, or general information. Marketing-focused photos provide an even greater value when you repurpose them for social media, advertising, and other marketing strategies.
Plan Your Photo Shoot
As you select your agency, ask if they have relationships with professional photographers and other resources that will convey your venue’s personality and show your attention to quality. You know your venue best, so let your photographer and their crew know the mood and feeling you would like to create, such as elegant, rustic, romantic, or other themes that will connect with your customer base.
A photographer with experience in event venues can help you create a list of photos that will best show your range of options, including different halls, themes, seating arrangements, décor, and seasonal setting.
Clarify Your Offerings with Enticing Copy
Design, photography, SEO, and navigation must all be complemented with inviting, easy-to-read descriptions of your space, informative copy detailing your offerings, and language that conveys why a couple should entrust you with plans for their once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Choose a copywriter with experience in how to optimize copy for search and appeal to your audience.
Create a Lasting Wedding Venue Website
Many venues ask for ready access to the back end of their site to modify content and get performance metrics. Making simple changes and updates on your own can save time and prevent the hassle of always going through the developer for relatively simple changes.
User-friendly platforms, such as WordPress, give designers almost endless flexibility to build the site of your dreams while still allowing even non-technical users to edit copy, add photos, and post blog articles to social media. Whether or not you want to delve into WordPress to adjust your site depends on your comfort level with the platform and your resources.
Even if you choose to handle some basic updates yourself, most venues outsource more complex technical work to their agency’s developers. These tasks generally include:
- Improving user experience and ensure peak performance
- Assuring website security, performing regular maintenance, and updating software
- Installing new plugins or otherwise adding new functionality
- Monitoring, analyzing and reporting on performance metrics
- Making design changes, either on specific web pages or changes that affect the entire site
Most agencies have maintenance plans and professional support options to keep your new website in tip-top shape, maximize SEO, and continue to boost user experience.
Create a Wedding Venue Website That Brings In Business
Having a beautiful venue that makes a bride’s dream come true isn’t enough to succeed in today’s competitive bridal market. Bring in more leads and business by working with an agency that makes your venue look as good online as it does on the couple’s big day.
