What’s the one thing that will make any corporate event idea in Minneapolis a smashing success? Is it securing the finest sushi catering company in town? Hiring a semi-famous rapper who had a hit single in 2013 as the evening’s entertainment? Or is it renting a selfie station photo booth and encouraging attendees to use the hashtag #besteventever when posting their pics?
All of these elements can certainly aid any event planner in absolutely nailing a corporate affair, but none of those components are successful without one common factor: packing the place with people.
Maximizing your event’s audience potential starts with professional promotional work, and nothing spreads the word of the can’t miss party of the year like beautiful and functional event website design.
Event marketing has continued to emerge as one of the premier ways to increase consumer curiosity, engagement, and loyalty for any company. Reports show that 75 percent of content marketers believe that events are the most important and effective content marketing strategy.
Studies also indicate that 86 percent of event marketers believe that utilizing technology has the most positive impact on the overall success of any event. And as recent events have all but ceased in-person gatherings, 93 percent of marketers and organizers planning to invest in virtual events, the need for investing in an efficient event website is more crucial than ever.
The best event website examples are able to provide a one-stop online source to answer all questions related to an event, as well as provide active opportunities to get involved and share the news about the festivities. Social media activity, email campaigns, and promotional videos are all important pieces to any event marketing plan.
However, a sufficient and sleek designed event website is what serves as the gravitational anchor to draw in attention, and turn that awareness into attendance. Let’s take a look at seven essential ideas to make a stand-out event website design that will be sure to get the party started.
1) Stunning, Original Visuals
It can be argued that first impressions are even more crucial when it comes to event websites. Tacky fonts, clashing colors, and stock imagery will immediately turn off potential attendees and clients.
The quickest way to make your event website design stand out is by incorporating striking, unique, and sophisticated visuals. Start with your images; make sure you have original, compelling, and relative photographs you can use for your site, which will establish legitimacy and credibility. If you have official footage from previous events or any visuals specifically related to the event or your company, then implementing a video header into your website is a great way to gauge interest the second anyone visits your site.
Choose fonts, color schemes, and visual designs or patterns that reflect the tone and general vibe of the event you’re promoting. If it’s an extremely formal event, then perhaps cursive lettering with elegant black and white color patterns will imply opulence and sophistication. If you’re trying to attract outgoing millennials, then eye-catching visual elements and themes as well as bright and vibrant colors can emphasize vigorous, youthful, contagious energy.
It’s important to see your events page design through your target audience’s eyes to determine what will immediately appeal and relate to them.
2) Just The Essentials
A common mistake for any website to make is bombarding its visitors with an overload of content and information. Aside from letting your visuals and graphic design do some of the talking, the best approach for laying out the content for your events website is a ‘just the essentials’ approach. Someone should be able to obtain the following information just by quickly scrolling through your event website’s homepage:
- What your event is for / about
- When and where it’s taking place
- Why they should attend it
- How they can register / get involved
While those are the primary sources of information any visitor should be aware of right off the bat, you can spend a few paragraphs fleshing out any other vital information, such as:
- Price / Admission
- Specific amenities (food, drink, music, entertainment, location, event / company background, etc.)
- Rules / Regulations
- Volunteer Information
Be sure to lay out all of your event company's information in a spacious and visually-complimenting manner, especially keeping mobile online visitors in mind.
3) Integrated Social Skills
Successful events thrive off constructive and healthy socialization, and your event website should encourage visitors to get interactive and involved before the event even starts. Be sure to embed all your social media profiles and channels into your website’s header or footer, or at least have social media buttons accessible somewhere relevant on every web page.
If you haven’t done so already, consider making sure your event has its own Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or TikTok page, which will make your event easier to share among followers, and can also directly channel any engagement or questions followers have regarding the event.
4) Search Party
While no two events are exactly the same, odds are there are a variety of similar events being produced by similar or competing companies, that could fall within similar time and location proximity to your event.
This is where incorporating event Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies into your event website’s content is important to increase your visibility and accessibility on search engines. Knowing specific target keywords and phrases that will boost your Google page ranking whenever relevant searches are made (‘Minnesota music festivals’, ‘Minneapolis art auction’, ‘St Paul opera concert’, etc.) will distinguish your event website amidst a sea of competing, like-minded events.
5) Vital Virtual Navigation
Nothing can infuriate and turn away online traffic to your event website quite like inaccessible navigation or lagging load times. This includes cluttering drop-down menus, clunky navigation bars, slow response times, and crowded content.
User-friendly event websites should generally have one all-encompassing menu bar that will take visitors anywhere they need to go, and also won’t overshadow the entire page, especially for mobile users. Test out your event website as much as possible to keep an eye out for clunky spacing or lengthy load times, which will tarnish your SEO rankings.
6) Participation Possibilities
Perhaps the easiest thing to overlook when designing your event website is remembering to compel online visitors to take action on attending and spreading the news about your event. It should be apparent where and how people can RSVP, purchase tickets or donate, sign up for newsletters, set up notification reminders, and share your event via their own social media platforms.
The fewer opportunities for people to get involved and spread the word on your website, the more attendees and clients your event could be missing out on.
7) Don’t Overlook Professionalism
Look, you wouldn’t cut corners or slack off when it comes to the overall production of your event, right? Well, the same should be said for your event website design. If designing websites isn’t your forte, then seek out professional services who have optimal event website design experience and skills, guaranteed to make your event website stand out and help pack your party to the fullest.
We put the UX in Luxury Event Web Design
A proper website design communicates your message through clear visuals, compelling copy and proper user experience. Whether you need a makeover, or something brand new, our team can supercharge your brand.
Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can improve the digital appeal of your events company.