by Eva Benoit
Having an informative and engaging website is vital to the success of your wedding business. Potential clients will use your website to learn about your services, compare rates, read reviews, view your work, and generally assess whether or not you're the right fit for their wedding. You want customers to find you when they're searching for wedding services for their local or destination weddings. Plus, you'll be able to use your website to collect email addresses and build credibility through the production of high-quality content!
Here are 5 simple steps to walk you through the process and get your wedding business website up and running.
Photo by Sammie Photo
1. Research Your Market
Before you buy a domain or start thinking about your website design, take some time to research your market. Learn everything you can about your ideal audience.
•What do they like?
•What do they dislike?
•What factors do they consider when choosing a wedding business to work with?
Take a look at your top competitors' websites and try to think of a way to set yourself apart. Whether you do wedding photography, videography, catering, makeup, or planning, this research phase will ensure your website aligns with the needs and interests of your target clients.
2. Pick a Domain Name
Once you have a better idea of how you want to brand your website, it's time to choose a domain name. Your domain name should be memorable, easy to spell, easy to say, and unique to your business. WPBeginner recommends using keywords in your domain to tell search engines what your website is about.
If you're running a wedding photography business, for example, a domain such as UtahWeddingPhotographer.com would perfectly describe who you are and what you do. While this domain may not sound all that creative, descriptive domains tend to generate more traffic than clever ones.
3. Build Your Website
Next, you'll need to build your website. Unless you want to spend a lot of money and time building a completely custom website for your business, take advantage of affordable website-building platforms. Many website builders include web hosting for an easy all-in-one solution.
Compare pricing and plans from different web building platforms and find something that will meet your current needs and grow with your business. Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly are popular options to consider.
4. Optimize Your Website for Search Engines
You've heard SEO is important, but what does that mean? Search engine optimization (SEO) is a marketing strategy that will help your website rank higher in search engine results. Good SEO ensures that people searching for your services will come across your website. Start with the title of your website homepage and make sure it includes a keyword or phrase that your customers are likely to use when searching for your services. If you're not sure which keywords to target, use Google Keyword Planner to discover keywords related to your business and see how often people use these search terms.
Photo by Julia Goldberg Photography
5. Publish Valuable Content
Finally, it's time to fill out the rest of your website with content. Publish content that will be valuable to people planning a wedding. Post photos of your work and describe how you can make your customers' lives easier. Include any information about your business that you would need if you were planning a wedding. You may even want to post blog articles featuring wedding tips, tricks, and how-to guides, specifically related to your area of expertise. This is a great way to show clients that you know your stuff!
Thanks to low-cost digital tools, getting a website up and running is fast and easy. All you have to do is register your domain name, pick a hosting provider and website builder, spend a little time on SEO, and fill your website with high-value content that will engage your audience. Dedicate a day to building your website and you might be surprised by how easy it is!
Are you running a wedding business in the Southern Utah area? Apply to be a vendor with Zion Brides! We advertise photographers, planners, venues, caterers, and more. Visit our vendor page to learn more and get in touch!
