5 Things Your Wedding Venue Website Needs
When I was planning my wedding three years ago, I found my vendors entirely online. After scrolling through dozens of websites for wedding venues, I started noticing a pattern: all of the venues had websites, but most of them were outdated and didn’t represent the true beauty of the properties. The few that were professionally designed really stood out in my mind, though, and those happened to be the ones I reached out to for a tour.
Today’s engaged couples start their search for wedding vendors online, scrolling through website after website to narrow down a list of vendors to reach out to. Here’s the thing: it isn’t enough to just show up online with a few photos and some information on your wedding packages.
You could have the most stunning wedding venue with the perfect packages, but if your website is outdated and difficult to navigate, few couples will actually book a tour.
Your website should reflect the beauty of your wedding venue, capturing visitors’ attention with stunning photos, inviting them in to explore your wedding packages and book a tour of your venue to see it in person.
If your wedding venue website doesn’t have these five things, you’re likely missing out on inquiries.
A clear call-to-action button above the fold.
Your website should help you move the needle in your business and accomplish your goals. That’s what separates a strategic website from a DIY one! When a user first lands on your website, they should be able to see who you are, what you do, and what action you want them to take next.
If you want to book more tours, you should have a button above the fold (above the fold = what you see on a homepage of a website before you start scrolling down) that says “Schedule a Tour” and links to a page with a contact form or calendar so that couples can easily book a time with you.
An easy way to get in touch with you.
After a bride or groom lands on your contact page, you need to make it as simple as possible to get in touch with you. I can’t tell you how many wedding vendor websites I landed on that only had an email address or phone number listed.
80% of couples planning weddings right now are Millennials, and as one myself, I’ll tell you that we’d rather not get on the phone to call a vendor OR send an awkward email explaining who we are and when we’d like to get married.
A simple contact form is the answer! Not only does it make it easier for the couple to get in touch with you — but it also enables you to collect the information you need from them for the get-go, saving you time going back and forth via email to see what their preferred wedding dates are.
You can ask for their name, email, and preferred wedding dates, and even throw in a question about how they found you (we love some good marketing insights!) and you’re good to go.
Information on your pricing.
I know, I know. This one is highly controversial, but I’ll give you my opinion as both a web designer and a recent bride.
You need to list your pricing on your website.
First, if your pricing isn’t listed on your website and I have to reach out to you to get it, I’m going to assume you’re out of my price range. If I have three other wedding venue websites pulled up that list their prices, I’m probably not going to spend the time to reach out to you only to find out I can’t afford you anyway.
I’m going to click out of your website and contact the other three venues I know I can afford. This brings me to my next point: if they can’t afford you, they can’t afford you.
Yes, your property is drop-dead gorgeous. Yes, your packages include all the bells and whistles a bride could want. But if I’m on a budget, I’m not going to magically pull thousands of dollars out of thin air to book your venue. I’m going to move on because I know it’s out of my price range.
And you know what? That saves you time in the long run because you’ll only be communicating with couples who can afford to book your services!
If you don’t feel comfortable listing your exact prices on your site, you can include “Starting at $X” to at least give visitors a ballpark figure.
Real photos of real weddings.
A missed opportunity I’m noticing on a lot of wedding venue websites: not having a gallery of wedding photos or a blog.
When engaged couples are clicking through your website, you want them to start visualizing what their big day would look like at your venue. They can’t do that if there aren’t enough photos of real weddings on your site!
Aim for at least 40 to 50 photos from real weddings in all four seasons in your wedding gallery. Try to showcase different spots around your property (if you’re an outdoor wedding venue, make sure to show a few photos of your rain plan!). Bonus points if you have a blog with posts spotlighting real weddings (this is great for SEO as well - that’s a post for another day!).
Tell your story!
Across the board, people are more likely to make a purchase from people and brands that they trust. You need to build trust with engaged couples on your website — and a great way to do that is by telling your story.
Create an “About” or “Our Story” page and add a photo of yourself or your family. Write about who you are and how you came to be the owner of your wedding venue. Talk about why you love weddings and your favorite parts of your job.
If your venue has a cool history behind it, highlight that too! People love to hear about the history of the place where they might say “I do”.
Does your wedding venue website have these five things?
How you show up online matters. Almost every wedding vendor has a website these days, making standing out, scheduling tours, and booking dates more difficult. Does your venue stand out online, or does it blend in with the rest?
If you don’t have these five things on your wedding venue website, don’t worry! They’re easy to implement. This time of year (non-peak wedding season) is the perfect time to give your site a little makeover so you can start standing out online!