Here at Goodshuffle Pro, we’ve seen a lot of websites at all levels, from incredibly simple to so busy that you can’t focus on anything, plus everything in between. What really catches us off guard is when we see beautiful websites from event pros that are missing some basic key elements.

What Happened

Most likely, the website was built by the event pro. We are all about DIYing your website — we love Squarespace and WordPress — there are just a few key elements that are easy to overlook. The other case is, the company hired a developer who doesn’t understand the industry and what clients look for when visiting an event rental website, and simply missed these features.

The fact is, you could ace everything else about your website — but if it doesn’t have these three things, you could be missing out on some serious business. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Location

No one, I repeat, no one should have to hunt around your website to find out where you’re located. I am always shocked when I visit an event pro’s site and I cannot figure out where they are and what areas they serve— and it happens more often than you’d think. From a client’s perspective, if I can’t figure out if you’re in my area or not, I’m just not going to book with you.

So, where should you put your location? Use intuitive locations so your clients don’t have to hunt for your information. Your location and contact information should be in the footer of your website on every page and on your “Contact” page. We also recommend listing your service area in your “About” and/or “Contact” pages. A good move for SEO purposes is to include any nicknames for your service area on your About/Contact pages (such as “DFW” for Dallas-Fort Worth or “DMV” for D.C.-Maryland-Virginia or “Twin Cities” for Minneapolis-St. Paul— you get the idea), as people may specifically search for those terms.

Speaking of Contact pages, we recommend providing both a phone number and an email address, so if clients have questions they can reach you on their terms. Some people are not comfortable with phone calls, while others will only want to speak on the phone. It’s important to cater to both groups of people.

Reviews & Testimonials

We live in an age where you need to back up your claims of being “the best.” Reviews, testimonials, certifications, and awards are all social proof that you can provide the stellar events you advertise. Without this kind of proof, it’s just all talk. Whether you have a dedicated testimonials and reviews page or you pepper them throughout your site, it is important that they are visible.

Another thing people forget to include on their websites are certifications and awards. These accolades work as social proof, and act like badges that show your clients that other pros believe you know what you’re doing too. That’s great reassurance for your potential clients!

Photos and Videos

As an event rental company, your site is the prime location for you to showcase your skills! It should act as a portfolio, so your clients can see the type of work you do and any different themes you offer. It’s a great place to showcase your individual items, too. This will give your clients the opportunity to do some planning and shopping on their own, so by the time the schedule a time to meet with you, they already have an idea of the direction they’d like to go with their event. To make this process even easier, check out our Website integration. With this fantastic tool, clients can add their favorite items and packages to their Wishlist right from their computer, tablet, or smartphone and submit it directly to you.

Additionally, the Wishlist pulls its information and images directly from Goodshuffle Pro, which means you’re only entering information once. Any updates you make to photos and information within Goodshuffle Pro will be automatically reflected in your Wishlist, too. Just think about all that extra time you’ll have for other tasks.

Luckily, these are all easy fixes and will go a long way in establishing your credibility as an event pro before even speaking with clients. Like it or not, we live in a digital age and clients are most likely going to look at your website before they call you. Is your website up to snuff?