A guide to website design and development for venue startups

1. Why is a well-designed website an essential tool for any venue business?

Having a well-designed website is essential for any venue business as it allows potential customers to learn more about your venue and make an informed decision on whether they want to make a booking or further enquiry. A well-designed website should provide adequate information about the venue, displaying professional photographs, available services, and any additional services that your venue may offer. Additionally, it should be easy to navigate, with both mobile-friendly and desktop versions that allow users to easily find the information they need.

A well-designed website should also have a booking system that is user-friendly, allowing potential customers to easily book their event or enquiry without or with minimal help from your staff. This can also help ensure that information is captured accurately and promote customer satisfaction, while reducing manual paperwork. Ultimately, a website is the first point of contact that potential customers have with your venue, and it is important to make a good first impression. A well-designed website with comprehensive information about your venue will help ensure that potential customers can take away all the necessary information they need to make a good decision about your venue.

2. Key Elements to consider when creating a venue website

Navigation

Having effective navigation is key to ensuring your website visitors can easily find the information they are looking for. Consider how your visitors would want to use the website, for instance would they be looking for a particular event or detail about the space. Make sure your navigation and homepage conveys the right message and contains the key details and unique selling points of the venue.

Prioritizing content

Organizing the content on your venue website can be crucial to engaging visitors. Take the time to structure the user experience by deciding what the key messages are that you want visitors to take away. Group related content together and aim to prioritize the most important information. Presenting information in an order that makes sense can help prevent visitors from getting overwhelmed or lost.

Visual design

Consider what kind of visual design best suits your venue website. Would you prefer bold colors and visuals to attract attention or more subtle images and text? Think about the overall aesthetic that corresponds with your brand's positioning. Experiment with a variety of visuals and content to create an engaging website that stands out from your competition.

Usability

Making sure your website is easy to use is essential for ensuring a pleasant user experience. This means making sure your visitors can find the information they need quickly and easily, without having to go through multiple pages. Consider interactive elements such as a search bar or drop-down menus for quick navigation around the website. Include clear calls to action to encourage your visitors to take the desired action.

3. What pages should a venue business website include?

Homepage

This is the landing page for your website visitor and should deliver an informative, concise, and attractive snapshot of your venues, services, and value proposition. At a minimum, the page should include:

• A brief description of your venue(s) and services
• An inviting imagery and design
• Links to the other content on your website

Venues

The Venues page should provide detailed information about your venue(s), including a description, photos or videos, locations, capacities, cost, amenities, policies, and more. This page should also include relevant contact forms and/or appointment requests to allow visitors to easily get the information and help they need.

Services

The Services page should list the services you offer, such as catering, photography, planning, décor, and entertainment. Visitors should be able to review information about each of your services and contact you for additional information or to book these services.

Testimonials

The Testimonials page should feature reviews and glowing feedback from former clients, as word-of-mouth recommendations are still the most powerful form of promotion. Including reviews on your website gives you instant credibility and provides potential customers a way to instantly connect with you by seeing your work and what others have to say about it.

FAQs

The FAQs page should provide answers to the most common queries your potential customers may have. This page should be comprehensive and include as much detail as possible, making it the first stop for answers to any questions.

Contact & Booking

The Contact & Booking page should provide all the necessary contact information for visitors to easily get in touch with you. It should also include necessary booking forms and payment portals in order to quickly and easily process bookings.

4. Common Mistakes to avoid during website development for venue startups

1. Not having a mobile-friendly website

The world is becoming increasingly reliant on mobile devices, which means it's important to make sure that your webpages load correctly on all devices, including phones and tablets. Poorly designed websites or those without mobile support can easily frustrate potential customers, which could hurt your bottom line and reputation.

2. Poorly written content

Content is king, and it’s essential to have content that is accurate, well-written, and engaging. Badly written content can make a website look unprofessional and may cause potential customers to think twice about doing business with you. Make sure you hire a good content writer to craft copy that will attract customers and highlight your venue’s features.

3. Unintuitive navigation

Designers can easily get carried away with flashy design elements and forget to prioritize an intuitive user experience. Your website should be designed to provide a seamless navigation experience, so potential customers can easily find what they are looking for. Investing in usability testing can help you identify areas of improvement in your site’s navigation.

4. Not having a search function

A search function helps potential customers quickly find what they need, without having to sift through pages of content. Make sure your website has a search function and that it is prominently displayed on the page so customers can find it when they need it.

5. How to promote a venue business website

1. Invest In Digital Ads

Invest in digital advertising to spread the word about your venue business website to your target audience. Look into ads on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Focus on creating native content ads to ensure that they get the most visibility with your target demographic.

2. Leverage Your Email List

Your venue business likely already has a sizable email list of customers and former clients. Leverage this list when promoting your website by crafting an email campaign. Highlight the features of your business’s new website, as well as any new content, deals, or other benefits.

3. Publish High-Quality Content Regularly

In order to continuously promote your venue business website, you must regularly update and add new content. This content should be search engine optimized (SEO) — otherwise, it won’t be discoverable. Also consider writing blog posts or creating videos to add to the content on your website.

4. Utilize Local influencers

Utilize local influencers like event planners in your area, to help promote your website. Influencers can help extend the reach of your website, bring in more website visitors, and target people who are likely interested in what you have to offer. Make sure you are transparent about any payments or compensation you are offering.

5. Monitor Your Website Analytics

Once your venue business website is live, keep an eye on your analytics. Pay close attention to key metrics such as website page views, returning visitors, and so on. Track your progress and adjust your promotional and marketing activities accordingly.