Ahh. . . the Internet! With the click of a button, couples can save their ideas, share their inspirations, bring their guests into the loop, shop their whims and yes, book their vendors.
Real wedding images and profiles inspire vendor choices and venue selections everyday. In fact, there are so many different vendors competing for the bride’s attention that your website must speak directly to her.
Think about everything the bride is exposed to: professional photography, magazines, blogs, websites, social-media pages and bridal shows. It’s overwhelming! Your website will be judged by how well it looks within the context of all that she has seen.
The design of your website can influence a wedding couple in three possible ways:
• Make them comfortable with considering you.
• Make them insecure about contacting you and/or totally turn them off.
• Make them confident you’re the right vendor.
If your website is consistent with what the couple expects to see based on previous research, they’ll be comfortable.
If your site is crammed with text, has poor navigation or weak imagery, and looks unprofessional, that will disappoint them and make them insecure about giving you a chance.
What if your site is top notch: Aesthetically pleasing, easy to navigate, tasteful calls to action, great information and really speaks to her? Then you’re likely to wow, surprise and intrigue! Rather than just consider you as an option, they’ll hope they can afford you, be excited to meet, and will confidently make an appointment, often with an intention to buy.
So is a great website too expensive to consider or is it something you can’t afford not to have? Think about what it means to set the bar and not compete on price - the right website can help you accomplish that. As such, every element of your site should be there for a reason.
Also remember that the industry looks at your website too. Designing it to wow the industry is an important goal as well. You can elevate your status and standing, be a trusted source for referrals (over your competitors), as well as be preferred by those on an earlier rung of the planning ladder.
So take some time and evaluate your current website. Does it properly convey who you are and what you do? Is it clean, easy to navigate and professional looking? If not then it’s time for a makeover! You may want to start by having a professional with industry affinity review your site and create a compass for change that you can follow.
A few important components your site must have:
Mobile-friendly capabilities. Your site must be designed to contour to the device it’s being viewed on. This is not only important for the customer viewing experience but also your Google ranking, which can be jeopardized if your site isn’t mobile friendly. Also a mobile user typically spends less time browsing and wants clear access to your business essentials. Your main intention, especially on a mobile device, is to sell the appointment.
Reviews and authentic testimonials. The days of taking excerpts from an e-mail or thank you note is over. Every customer knows you will only post positive statements. If you’re going to post testimonials, they must feel authentic. With permission from the customer post a photo and also include where their wedding reception was; knowledge that your store services other weddings can generate trust. Reviews are also very important in generating client interest. Actually link to your review platforms; if you are on WeddingWire take advantage of their widget that will feed the latest reviews to your web page.
Calls to action and appointment maker. Remember the main intention of your site: to encourage people to make an appointment. As such, have that opportunity tastefully promoted on all pages rather than just the “Contact Us” page. You can transform your site into an appointment generator by creating a form with a drop-down calendar or even letting the customer fill in a choice of a few dates. Once you receive the form, you can contact and qualify the customer to firm up a date and create positive anticipation.
Your website is truly your virtual front lobby. Enhancing its allure and functionality to its greatest potential will make a tremendous difference in the future of your business.