by Event websites are very effective tools for making your event a success. They help people understand what your event is about and how to register for it.
They can educate as well as entertain your visitors. More importantly, they can make sure people get excited about your event and tell their friends about it.
But not all event websites are created equal. Your site needs to look good, be informative, and get people to sign up for your event.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be an expert to create appealing event websites. You have tools and templates at your disposal to make the process nice and easy.
But tools alone are not enough. Read this article to find out how to:
- Make a great first impression with visuals
- Engage visitors with videos
- Provide all the important information
- Optimise your event website for search engines like Google
- Include social media platforms
- Make it easy to register for the event
- What to do if you can’t make a website
It doesn’t matter whether you’re organising a corporate, tech, sports, or festive event. This guide has everything you need to know about creating great event websites.
Billetto is a ticketing platform that helps you manage, promote, and host events. Set up an event page and start selling tickets in 5 minutes.
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Step #1: Use captivating visuals to entice visitors
A picture speaks a thousand words — and so should your event website. The visuals are the first thing visitors to your website will notice, so you’ll want to make an impact.
You can include obvious images, such as the venue, any speakers or performers you’ll have there, and any food and drinks you will be serving.
What you don’t want to do is use stock footage — people can spot them from a mile away.
Your website visuals don’t need to be limited to the footage. You can also employ some clever graphic design to make your event appealing.
Include some social proof in your visuals if possible. Images of past events will show visitors how great of a time it was and why they should go.
Finally, you should optimise images to help with your website’s SEO (see Step 5).
Need an example? Check out the website for Image Festival.
Step #2: Use videos to increase engagement
Images are great for capturing the attention of visitors. Videos are great for holding it.
Here are three good reasons you should include at least one video on your event website:
- Show, don’t tell: This is your chance to show visitors what your party, class, or conference looks like in real life.
- Engage your audience: Allow them to comment on the website or upload your video to Facebook and YouTube.
- Convert visitors to attendees: Not only is a video the most engaging medium, but it’s also the highest converting type of content.
It’s not expensive or difficult to create a video. Chances are that you have everything you need in your pocket.
Grab your phone and get started. (Or simply hire a freelancer from Upwork).
Need an example? Check out the video for Morton’s Club Mayfair.
Step #3: Make it user-friendly (and responsive!)
A beautiful event website is no good unless it’s easy to use. You should always put yourself in the visitor’s shoes when you design your site.
Over half your audience will visit your website from their mobile device, so it needs to be responsive. Avoid clunky dropdown menus and aim for a one-page website if possible.
Test your event website on different devices and web browsers before you launch it. Make sure that no text is too small.
It’s also crucial to make sure your website is fast. Slow websites are bad for conversions and bad for your SEO (more on that in Step 5).
Finally, and most importantly, make sure it’s easy to register! The fewer steps, the better. Use a platform like Billetto to make it a smooth experience.
Need an example? Check out the website for Digitized.
Step #4: Be informative (and get to the point!)
Design and visuals will make a great first impression. But people visit your event website to get information about your event.
Make sure your website has all the relevant details needed to learn about the event and register for it.
Here’s what you need to include:
- What your event is about
- Why people should go
- When it’s happening
- Where it’s taking place
- How to register for it
Be as specific as possible. Include time, date, price, availability, and preferably a map.
Also, include support for multiple languages. It’ll help you reach broader audiences and improve your SEO (see Step 5).
Need an example? Check out the website for Big Grill Festival.
Step #5: Optimise it for search engines (SEO)
Chances are that you’re not the only one putting on an event. There will be others competing for the attention of your potential visitors.
That’s where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in. If you’re putting on a festival in the UK, you’ll want to be on the front page of Google when people type in “festivals uk”.
Once you know what keywords you want, it’s time to optimise your event website.
It’s useful to have a blog where you write about things related to your event. It’s likewise useful to have tools like Moz and Google Keyword Planner to make sure your site is in tip-top shape.
How high you rank in online searches isn’t just determined by having the right keywords. Here is how to climb the ranks of Google, Bing, and Yahoo:
- Optimise your images (see Step 1)
- Make your event website fast (see Step 3)
- Make it mobile-friendly (also Step 3)
- Support multiple languages (see Step 4)
SEO is important to get found online, but it’s not the end-all be-all of your marketing efforts. You need to get social, too. Read on!
Need an example? Check out the blog for Wireless Festival.
Step #6: Make it social (and include social proof)
An event is a social experience. Your website should reflect that. Encourage visitors to share your event on social media and ask their friends to come along.
You will find no better marketing than word of mouth. Incorporating social media will go a long way to making your event a success.
Embed your social media profiles into your website (or at least have some links or buttons). That will make it easy for visitors to stay up to date with your event.
Which platforms should you be on? That depends on your event and your audience.
Here are the most popular ones:
Make sure that people can share the posts on your blog (see Step 5) to their social media profiles.
Even better, allow your visitors to generate their own content on your website. Create a forum, or allow guest bloggers to contribute with first-hand accounts from previous events.
Need an example? Check out how the British Heart Foundation did it.
How to design an event website
So where do people get their incredible event websites? Here are three good places to start:
Alternatively, you can hire a freelance web designer or a design agency to get a more custom layout.
How to sell tickets without a website
If you’re strained for time or running on a tight budget, then fear not! There are alternatives available.
You can create an event page on a site like Billetto. That will do the trick just fine.
You’ll be able to customise your page with a banner image, embedded videos, and an easy registration form. You can even sell event merchandise.
Billetto also has a handy mobile app your visitors can use to access your event details.
Billetto is a ticketing platform that helps you manage, promote, and host events. Set up an event page and start selling tickets in 5 minutes.
CREATE YOUR EVENT >>
Conclusion
Congratulations! You now know how to create great event websites.
Here are the key takeaways:
- Use captivating visuals
- Use video to engage visitors
- Make your website fast, informative, and user-friendly
- Optimise it for search engines
- Incorporate social media
- If short on time, use an online ticketing system like Billetto
The more of these you can include, the more successful your event will be. Good luck!
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