Instagram isn’t the most important marketing tool you have.

In fact, it’s not the second or third most important tool you have. I have worked with over 200 wedding vendors and have seen behind the scenes of each one. And while Instagram is great, it’s not the most important tool you have to book clients.

You know what is the most important tool? Your website.

Read Week One: Your Ideal Client & Messaging
Read Week Two: Your KPIs & Strategy
Read Week Three: The Client Experience
Read Week Four: Branding & Visuals

Stage five is your website.

Your website should be the most important thing you are focused on in 2024. I could throw 100 stats at you explaining why, but here are just a few of the top ones:

60% of Gen Z think digital first impressions are more important than in-person ones. [Hootsuite]

Couples spend six hours per week, on average, planning. And 90% is done online. [The Knot]

85% of Gen Z use their mobile devices to browse and make purchases. [Forbes]

42% of couples in 2023 found their venue online. [Zola]

73% of luxury wedding couples and 71% of ultra-luxury wedding couples in 2023 found at least one of their wedding vendors from an Internet search. [Think Splendid]

Hands down, the most crucial marketing aspect of your business you must focus on in 2024 is your website.

Every single thing I do as a marketer is drive couples to your website. 

• Blogging? It’s focused on getting them to your website.
• Instagram? It’s focused on getting them to DM you or visit your contact page on your website.
• Pinterest? It’s focused on getting them to your website.
• Facebook? It’s focused on getting them to share a post to their feed or visit your website.
• TikTok? It’s focused on getting them to your website.
• Ads? It’s focused on getting them to your website.

So, spending money on things like blogging, IG, or Pinterest before you get your website up to speed would not be a good ROI. In fact, it would be a waste of your hard-earned money. And is something that we tell about ⅓ of our inquiries: that they shouldn’t invest in marketing yet – but focus on their website.

That is why the roof on our house is your website. Without a good roof, a house is well.. Just a tent. And we want your website to be something other than a basic tent. We want it to be a solid, leak-proof roof!

There are four components of a successful website:

UX (User Experience) Design

SEO Optimization

Clear & Compelling Messaging

Captivating Images

Prioritizing User Experience (UX):

A visually stunning website is essential, but what is more important is that your website provides a seamless user experience. Your website should be easy to navigate, with intuitive navigation menus and clear calls to action. By prioritizing usability and accessibility, you can ensure that visitors to your site can find the information they need quickly and easily. Remember, the goal is to make it as easy as possible for potential clients to learn about your services and take the next steps toward booking.

This also means prioritizing your mobile view. 98% of Gen Z individuals own a smartphone, and 85% use mobile devices to browse and make purchases. And I can guarantee that at least 60% of your audience views your website from a phone. So don’t just make the desktop easy to navigate – but your mobile view!

This also means you have to rethink your pricing guides and proposals. Most of your couples will open up your pricing guides on a phone. So, the landscape PDFs should be replaced with Vertical PDFs. Are you looking to stand out? Create custom proposals on your website! This will allow you to create a guide you know will stand out on Mobile since you can control how it will appear on a phone (vs. hoping the PDF works on their device!)

Optimizing for Search Engines:

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to ensuring that your website is visible to potential clients searching for wedding vendors online. You can improve your visibility and attract more qualified leads by strategically incorporating relevant keywords and local targeting into your website’s content. Optimizing your website’s technical elements, such as metadata and site speed, can further enhance its performance. Without SEO, your website will never get found!

Crafting a Clear Message:

Messaging and copywriting are at the heart of a successful website. In fact, your messaging is more important than your images. Why? Because your images might look similar to another vendor. For example, five film photographers may all look very similar. So, what needs to stand out is their copy and messaging.

Your website’s content should inform visitors about your services and communicate your unique value proposition and brand story. Every piece of content should be carefully crafted from the homepage to the About page to resonate with your target audience and build trust.

It’s also important to be price transparent. Price transparency builds trust. When you hide pricing, you start off the relationship with a sense of mistrust.

82% of couples said pricing was the most important thing they looked at before contacting a vendor. [The Knot]

Captivating Images

Your images are a large part of your website. However, it’s important to strike the right balance when showcasing your work. While it’s tempting to include a lot of galleries and images, doing so can overwhelm visitors and lead to decision fatigue. Instead, focus on curating a selection of your top 10 to 15 events that showcase a wide variety of your best work. Updating your galleries every six months to reflect your newest projects ensures that your portfolio remains fresh and relevant.

It’s also essential to prioritize diversity in your images to reflect the inclusive nature of today’s couples. Whether it’s showcasing diverse couples, cultural traditions, or unique wedding styles, embracing diversity in your portfolio demonstrates your commitment to serving all couples and helps you connect with a broader audience.

69% of couples said the amount of diversity in a vendor’s portfolio is very important. [think splendid]

Your Most Important Marketing Tool in 2024 As A Wedding Vendor: Your Website

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is more important than ever for wedding vendors. Your website serves as the virtual livingroom where potential clients will land to learn more about your services and make contact. By prioritizing user experience, optimizing for search engines, crafting clear messaging, and showcasing captivating images, you can create a website that attracts more leads and converts them into loyal clients. Remember, your website is often the first impression you make on couples, so make it count!

Work With Ava And The Bee on Your Website

If you are ready to take your wedding business to the next level, you need our Beespoke Blueprint. We work with wedding vendors who are ready to stand out so there is no competition . The Beespoke Blueprint isn’t just about upgrading your website; it’s about ushering in a complete transformation. We understand that your ideal client and business goals have evolved, and so should your marketing.

Backed with our 20+ years of industry experience and six-figure client results, we know that strategy paired with gorgeous design and captivating copy is the backbone for success. And we don’t just mean booking out your calendar.

Inside this package, we start with strategy, move into your copy and messaging, then create a custom brand design, and finish with a custom website that isn’t just gorgeous but is backed with SEO strategies. We work with limited clients each quarter, so reach out today!