8 Tips for More Bookings as a Wedding Industry Professional
Blog post brought to you by Weddings For Real podcast
How many times do you visit your own website? Do you ever take time to switch out the images, change out some content or update any of the wording? It’s important to ensure your website is optimized for reaching potential clients, so I’ve put together my top eight tips for getting more bookings as a wedding industry professional. Before I dive in, though, I want to shout out the professionals who helped add to my recommendations, Aleya Harris of Flourish Marketing and Sam Jacobson of Ideaction Consulting. Aleya is an expert in story branding and email marketing, and Sam is a pro at topics including website layout and consultation processes. In a previous conversation with Sam, he said something that really resonated with me. He said that our websites are almost like storefronts. Just like with a physical shop, you need to stop by regularly. Stop avoiding it and let’s do it together! These tips are truly relevant for all vendor categories, so keep reading!
Check your website to make sure all links work
One thing I notice often when visiting wedding creatives’ websites is that many feature an Instagram feed along the bottom of the home page. This can easily get messed up with Instagram password changes, updates, etc. And no one likes seeing a “widget not found” notification at the bottom of a website. Other things to check to ensure they’re working properly are links to your social media and your contact form submission button.
Ensure you have contact information outside of the contact form
Make sure your website has a way to contact you outside of the form. By including an email and phone number on your website, it makes it super convenient for other vendors to contact you, and it’s easy to record and track who has gotten in touch. An email address is especially helpful just in case something is wrong with your form and you don’t know it yet.
Also, it’s worth the $6 per month for your email to be branded and not @gmail.com. I can’t express how important it is for you to brand your email address. It really adds a level of professionalism to your business.
Include clear calls to action and consider transitional calls to action as well
Clear calls to action are important when updating your website. I recommend considering a transitional call to action for those that may need an extra push.
In the book Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller, Miller draws a metaphor that you have to date the customer before marrying them. The way this plays into your website could be through having a lead magnet that always lives on your website. A lead magnet could be downloadable articles or checklists, and you can create a lead generator or purchase one from a professional. Some fun ideas are: 10 ways to personalize your wedding or customizable vow writing guide. A potential customer can download it in exchange for giving you their email. From there, it’s crucial that you have an email sequence that warms the lead and nurtures the lead until they become a client.
Be intentional with your “about” page
When it comes to your “about” page, make it less about you, how much you love wine and your obsession with your cute dog. As fun as those things are, potential clients are there to determine if you’re a good fit for their event. It’s important that you shape your “about” page around how you can solve a client’s problems.
Make sure you have plenty of social proof in the form of testimonials
Not only should you include a few testimonials, but be purposeful with where these testimonials are placed on your website. Wherever there’s a call to action you should include a testimonial. On your services page, it’s important to highlight how much you helped a previous client. On your packages page, perhaps you use a review that says, “It was the best money spent for my wedding!” On your contact page, ensure you have a powerful testimonial to encourage a potential client to actually fill out and send the contact form through.
Ensure your offerings are clear and concise
When it comes to service offerings, I encourage you to stop calling your packages by cute names. A lot of times, the names (while cute) are too hard for potential clients to think about. A potential client doesn’t necessarily know what level of service or specific service package that they need. When you throw in cutesy names, now they have to think about the package name too. It’s important that you make it easy for them to understand what you’re offering. Within five seconds on your website, they should know what you do, where you do it and how you can serve them.
In A Story Brand, Miller writes, “When you confuse you lose.” He discusses how customers make conscious choices as to whether it’s worth it to continue reading or leave your site all together. In this case, a potential couple would be leaving your site and heading to the next vendor.
Include a robust FAQ section on your website
Every wedding professional needs a solid Frequently Asked Questions page on their website. However, I encourage you to not answer every random question you’ve been asked, but instead target the objections that a potential client may have. Focus on what sets you apart, and speak to your potential client through this FAQ. Ultimately, your FAQ section can attract your ideal client and repel a non-ideal client. Don’t sweat the little questions or the questions that couples typically ask after booking, as you’ll likely want an internal, booked client FAQ as part of your onboarding process.
Audit your site for inclusive language
It’s 2021, so it’s important to ensure our websites are inclusive and considerate of all couples. Complete an audit of your site to make sure you aren’t just speaking to brides. Things to check are your contact form (does it ask for brides’ and grooms’ names) and overall language throughout. If you want to learn more about inclusivity on your website, check out Weddings For Real Episode 116 to hear Taylor from Lemon Tree Editorial about how word choices and inclusive language matters in the wedding industry.
I hope these tips help you optimize and enhance your website as we head into booking season! Listen to Weddings for Real episode 117 to learn more. These changes are so important, and it’s going to take intentional effort to determine who you want to be as a business owner. If you’re looking to take your wedding planning business to the next level, be sure to check out The Planner’s Vault for support (templates, industry expert webinars, guides, and more) and a wonderful community. Cheering you on always!
