Is Your Venue's Website Actually Effective Or Just Pretty?
With Venue Owner + Venue Coach, Kristin Binford
Is Your Venue Website LEAVING MONEY on the Table?
I've been thinking about venue websites lately, and I wanted to share something that might be a bit of an eye-opener for many venue owners...
Your website is either your BEST sales tool or your BIGGEST missed opportunity.
The Insider Secret About Venue Websites
Let me share an insider secret: If you built your website by looking at competitors, picking elements you liked, or trying to copy what seemed successful, you're likely leaving thousands of dollars of opportunity on the table every single month.
Here's what typically happens for most venue owners: You browse through lots of websites, pick out things you liked, try to emulate what you think others are doing successfully. You hire someone to build something beautiful or build it yourself. You add gorgeous photos, because good photos are a basic necessity in this industry.
But pretty does not equal effective.
What Your Website Really Is
Your website isn't just a visual brochure - it's the output of important decisions in your business. Think of it as the visual representation of critical strategic choices you need to make first.
This isn't about expensive advertising or hoping your phone rings. It's about making fundamental decisions:
Who is your ideal client?
How are you serving them?
What helps couples understand you're the best fit?
How are you positioned in the marketplace so couples understand your value?
Without this strategic foundation, paid advertising becomes expensive - like putting money into a bucket full of holes.
Stop Chasing Vanity Metrics
I don't need a thousand unqualified leads, neither do you. That's just a vanity metric. If someone is simply requesting pricing, that's not a lead - that's someone who doesn't have basic information about your business.
When I talk with my coaching clients, we don't even talk a ton about leads. We talk about qualified folks who are booking tours. That's what matters.
What Platform Should You Use?
One question that comes up a lot is "What platform should I use for my website?"
That doesn't matter very much. There are lots of decent platforms out there - Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, Showit, WordPress. Each has pros and cons.
WordPress is fantastic for professional developers but not meant to be used by small business owners. Showit is favored by wedding photographers and very design-friendly, but remember - pretty does not equal effective. Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace are built for small business owners to DIY their websites.
I teach venue owners how to build beautiful, effective websites on platforms that cost them about $20 a month. It doesn't have to be expensive to be effective and beautiful. But if it's just beautiful, it's not enough.
The Most Common Feedback I Hear
The most common feedback I hear from venue owners? "I wish I would have booked a call with Kristin's team sooner - before we built our website!"
Whether you're just starting out, in the building phase, or an established venue looking for more bookings - this strategic approach works at every stage!
If you're ready to turn your website into an effective sales tool rather than a pretty digital brochure, I encourage you to book a free strategy call with our team. We'll help you identify what opportunities you might be missing and how to position your venue for success.
Book your free strategy call here.
Wishing you a venue fully booked with couples you love!