One great thing about having an event website or “micro-site” dedicated JUST to your event is all of the digital real estate you have to really show your audience what your event is all about and why they should attend. That’s a seriously powerful event-marketing tool!
Those who work on large-scale events or for event planning companies are likely used to building out this kind of content, but event planners working for a university, nonprofit, or business may not know where to start. Check out our list of what you MUST include on your event website:
1. How to register or buy tickets
This one is a no-brainer! It should be immediately apparent to any website visitors where they click to officially sign up or buy their ticket. Be sure that some kind of registration call-to-action is prominent in your event website’s main navigation and even homepage.
2. The event date and location
Not only should it be front and center when people land on the homepage, but you’ll want to repeat the date and location throughout the website to keep it top of mind. This could be as easy as having it prominently displayed on the header image that’s carried throughout the website.
3. An “About” section
Tell the story of your event! With its own website, you have all the room you need to really tell your audience what it’s all about. Really spell out for attendees the “why” of your event, what attendees will experience, and (most importantly) what they’ll gain by attending.
4. Pictures and videos from previous events
Written descriptions are helpful for being straightforward and clarifying any confusion, but pictures and videos will really demonstrate the excitement and energy of your event. Focus on pictures that show your event at its best, and keep these “marketing moments” in mind while working with photographers on-site.
5. Testimonials from previous attendees
Even more powerful than your own words, pictures, or videos are the experiences of past attendees. Social proof gives validation to your event, so be sure to use it! (Tip: consider asking attendees for a quote in your follow-up survey.)
6. The agenda
This is where you REALLY demonstrate the value of attending and empower attendees to get the most out of your event. Having a website dedicated to your event gives you plenty of space to lay out exactly what activities attendees can expect, when they’ll take place, and what they’ll have access to based on their level of admission. (VIP, All Access, General, etc.)
Note: It’s ok if you don’t have everything set in stone right away. Try to release as much as you can at first, but adding more things here and there as you get closer to the event will actually give you more marketing material. Just be sure to include some kind of “subject to change” notice on the page, just in case.
7. Showcase your sponsors
Give sponsors some extra love by highlighting them on a “Sponsors” page. This is another great way to play with sponsorship value, too — real estate on your event’s website is valuable alone, but consider including more for your big spenders. (For example, a link to their website or a small description of their business.)
8. FAQ
It’s an event, so people will inevitably have questions. Create a page specifically for addressing what typically comes up, or what you anticipate might. If you’ll have attendees from out of town, this is a good place to include directions, accommodation recommendations, and even things to do in the area when they have down time.
9. Your policies
You’ll want to have, at the very least, a cancellation/refund policy stated clearly on the website to point back to when those types of requests come up. Consider also displaying information regarding transferring a ticket, and if you have to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances or weather (depending on your event). Attendees are now hyper-sensitive to that information, and it’s always best practice to be transparent.
Hopefully, this will give you a good start when you’re ready to build your event’s website — and you also see just how valuable of a tool it is for event marketing.
