We all know that the first impression is the most important one. When people are considering attending your festival or event, they'll want to get as much information as possible about it. Your website can be a great way to make this experience positive by showing what your event is all about and how it will benefit them. But creating a successful website isn't easy—there are many things to think about before you even start writing copy! Follow these tips to help create a site that's fun, informative, and easy on the eyes:
Make the site easy to navigate
Make sure your site is responsive, so it can be viewed on any device with ease. Sites that are not responsive are often difficult to use and can't be accessed by mobile devices like tablets or smartphones. Also, make sure you include a clear menu at the top of each page that allows users to jump from one section of your website to another easily. Your menu should also be logically laid out and not too numerous; don't overload your pages with links! A simple navigation hierarchy will help keep things organized for visitors who want an easy way through your website's content.
Your visitors want information, not hype
Since you’re going to be the one writing all the content for your website, it is important that you keep in mind that your audience isn’t interested in fancy fonts and graphics – they just want information. To make things easier on yourself and your readers, try using simple fonts that are easy to read on any screen size. You should also use a simple layout with easy-to-read text blocks and sections that can be skimmed over quickly without needing to zoom in or move around too much (which would take more time than some people care to spend). If possible, try using photos of actual people at festivals instead of stock photos – it makes everything feel more personal!
Use media that works with your story
- Use video. It’s easy to produce and a great way to tell your story.
- Use photos and graphics. A good picture is worth a thousand words, so make sure you have plenty on hand to show off your festival in all its glory!
- Include audio clips from interviews with attendees, musicians, staff members…the possibilities are endless!
- Give people a sense of what it’s like at the festival by adding animations or fun gifs that add an element of playfulness to the site (this works especially well for music festivals).
- Share behind-the-scenes photos and videos on social media platforms such as Twitter & Instagram – this is also where you can post about special promotions or give insights into what goes into making an event happen!
You could even create animated infographics that provide information about ticket prices and lineup announcements!
Show them you're for real
If the goal of your website is to get people to trust you and attend your festival, it’s important to put your best foot forward. Your website needs to be professional, trustworthy, and built on a solid foundation. That means no free domain names, no free email addresses, no template sites (those are cheap and cheesy), and definitely not a site that’s been slapped together by some random dude in his basement who learned how to make websites in 2007 when MySpace was popular.
For most people starting out, this means investing some cash into the right things: a decent domain name; hosting service; email addresses; web design services if needed; etc. The good news is that these things won't break the bank!
Use the latest web fonts
The font you use on your website is one of the most important elements in creating a visually striking and memorable site. It's also one that could potentially make or break your festival's branding. There are a lot of great fonts out there, but when it comes to choosing which ones to use, keep in mind these tips:
- The font should be easy to read. People will spend time reading the details on your website, so make sure they're not having trouble doing so because the font is too small or hard to see!
- The font should look good on all devices (mobile phones included). Your visitors might see your website from their phone or tablet first before visiting in person at your event—so make sure it looks good everywhere!
- Make sure the font works well with others (especially if you plan on using multiple fonts). If an element isn't working visually, try swapping out one of its parts for something else that might fit better—like changing a vowel into an "a" instead of an "o"–and then test again until it looks right!
Show that your festival is unique…and fun!
Create a video that describes what your festival is all about. This will set the tone for viewers and give them an idea of your mission and vision. You can also use this space to show off what makes your event unique, like its location or themes. And don’t forget to include fun clips from past festivals!
The second most important thing you can do for a website is to show that there’s something more than just good music here – something more than just good times. The best way to do this is by telling stories about how people are changed by attending festivals, both personally and culturally.
If a picture says a thousand words, what does a video say?
Videos are an excellent way to tell your story and give your audience a better idea of what your festival is about. It's true that a picture says a thousand words, but it's also true that videos say even more!
Videos can help you tell your story by showing how you are unique, why you are different from other festivals, and what makes your festival special. For example, if you want people to know how much fun they’ll have at your festival then show them in the video! You could also include some footage of past festivals with live music so people can get an idea of what they can expect when they attend.
Videos are also good for helping people understand your vision when it comes to hosting events like this in the future as well as giving them an idea of what it feels like attending one before buying tickets.
Help them find you
Getting your contact page set up early is also important so that as soon as someone lands on your site, they can easily find out who their point of contact is with the festival. This page should include things like an address and email address for organizers or other key team members who handle questions about the event.
It’s also important that you have an FAQ section on your website where people can look for answers about general information about the event or specific details such as directions, parking, security protocols – anything that could be helpful if someone were visiting or volunteering at your event!
Give them a reason to come back
If you want people to stick around, there needs to be some kind of incentive for them to do so. This can be as simple as having an email newsletter that goes out every week with updates on the festival and exclusive discounts for returning attendees. Or, if your festival is an annual event, you might consider creating a blog where you share information about how much fun it was (and what's in store for next year) for those who were unable to attend this year's festivities.
Since most festivals are made up of volunteers working together toward one common goal—putting together the best possible event they can—it's important that everyone has access to one another whenever necessary (e.g., if someone needs help finding their way around town). That means keeping contact information readily available on your homepage so that anyone who visits will have somewhere else besides Facebook where they can reach out should something come up during the festival week itself!
Make sure they can easily get your latest news
To make sure your site is the first stop for new visitors and loyal fans, it's important to have a strong news section. Make sure you include all of the following:
- Relevant news. News that is relevant to your audience will be more interesting than generic, non-specific content. For example, if you're organizing a festival centered around music then you should share press releases from up and coming bands or maybe even interviews with local musicians in the area before they play at your venue!
- Content that is easy to read & understand. Don't make people work hard just to read what's happening on your site! Keep things short and sweet so that anyone can understand the latest happenings with ease. You'll also want to avoid using jargon or industry jargon when possible (unless you're talking about an industry-specific event like SXSW).
Let them share their experience
There is nothing more powerful than a viral video, and some of the most popular videos are from festivals. If you want to promote your own festival, it's important to give people the tools to share their experiences with their friends and family. This can be done through social sharing buttons, embedding content from other platforms (like YouTube), live streaming on Facebook Live or Periscope, or even taking photos/videos that are then uploaded automatically to Instagram stories.
Advertise special offers and activities on the homepage and in their inboxes
When you have a lot of things happening at once, it’s important to advertise the special offers and activities that are occurring at your festival, on your website homepage. This will help people know what to expect from the festival itself and get excited about it.
Email marketing is also an excellent way to keep in touch with your audience as well. You can use this opportunity to inform them of new information or upcoming events they may be interested in attending.
The best thing about email marketing is that it lets you connect directly with your customers without having to worry about whether or not they have time on their hands at any given moment.
Your website is an important part of creating an exceptional festival experience for your guests
Your website is the first impression they will have of your event and it’s where they’ll go to find out about all the things going on there.
It doesn't matter if you're a small community festival or a large-scale international music event—you still want to create a positive brand identity for yourself and make sure that people who visit your website know exactly what kind of experience to expect from you.
We hope these tips have been helpful for creating your own festival website. The best part about it is that you don’t need to be a web designer or developer—these tips are for anyone who wants to create their own website! Remember that finding inspiration from other websites is key when designing yours and always take into account what information your visitors will want most from it.
