Whether you’re a theatre, college box office, music festival or live music venue, a great website is an absolute necessity. Not just one that looks pretty, but one that is fully functional. Your website is the face of your company and is one of your biggest marketing assets. Think about the things that people are coming to your site to do: buy tickets, get directions, learn about your organization. Not to mention, it’s usually the first experience your patrons will have with your venue, so it is important to deliver.
There’s a lot that goes into having a great website, but here are three quick tips to make your first impression an amazing one:
Be Mobile First and Available for All
Anyone over the age of ten years old can tell you that mobile has essentially taken over just about every industry and the ticketing industry is no exception. Over 40% of all ticket sales happen through mobile, and 57% of mobile users won’t engage with a brand that delivers a poor mobile experience. Your design alone is one of your most important marketing vehicles, but remember that simplicity is often better than complexity. Create a great mobile site first, and then move on to your desktop version. Once you’ve got those down, you can focus on expanding your optimization for tablets, phablets and everything in between.
Eliminate Website Clutter, Use Rich, Responsive Content and Get Social
One adage that will always be true, especially with website design, is “less is more.” A busy page distracts visitors and can bury your call to action. Get rid of clutter on your page and focus on providing actionable content that brings patrons one step closer to tickets. As always, make sure to keep your content interesting, helpful and concise. Remember: a clean website is a happy website. No one wants to read a novel, so don’t get poetic – get to the point! And don’t forget to share all content across social media using the same branding and keywords consistently for all channels.
Execute, Analyze and Refine
It’s important to find out what’s working and what isn’t – and then adjust. Measure traffic to your site using tools like Google Analytics: where traffic coming from, frequency of visits, even what devices are being used. Having this data gives you insight into who you are reaching, and how effective your campaigns and website really are. But it’s important to remember: data helps you measure effectiveness, but it’s all for naught if you don’t refine your efforts moving forward.