A flawless brand design + Killer Website strategy = Tons of Wedding Inquiries 

Hey friend! You’ve found yourself on the Kelly Ryann Co. blog, where I dish out website and branding design advice for wedding professionals like you! I aim to help wedding vendors design high-quality brands and websites.

If you’re new here, welcome! And if not, welcome back. Today’s blog post is extra special because it’s all about marriage – the marriage between brand design and strategy. 

Hopefully, when you go to a wedding, you can smile and say that the bride and groom were meant to be together. His sense of humor balances her intensity. Her joy softens some of his sharper edges. Whatever it is that gives you confidence in the strength of their relationship. 

That’s how you should feel about your brand and website strategy. Sure, they’re each fine on their own. But when they come together… magic happens. 

Website Strategy: What It Is & Why You Need It

Your website is the backbone of your business. I don’t care how many Instagram followers you have or how many people like your Facebook posts. All your marketing efforts should lead directly to your website. 

Your social media, podcast, Pinterest, and even blog posts (just like this!) introduce people to your brand and business. But your website is where you make the connection – and then the sale. 

When I talk about branding, most people think about aesthetic appeal. And this is super important. We want your website to look pretty! But what good is a pretty website that doesn’t convert? 

It doesn’t matter how pretty your website is if no one ever uses it to book with you. 

This is why strategy is so important. The strategy takes the aesthetics and makes them work for you! Your website strategy partners with your brand design to create a seamless customer journey. This way, clients can enjoy the view without even realizing they’re moving towards the “Contact” button. 

Okay, Kelly, slow down. What is a website strategy? I’m so glad you asked! 

A website strategy is “a plan of action that directs the content, layout, and funnel on your business website” (GoDaddy). So, basically, your website strategy is how you design your website to get your desired result. 

So, sure, you could build a ramshackle website and just hope people find it and book with you. Or, you could take the time to develop an intentional strategy that helps your dream clients realize that you are exactly what they’ve been looking for.  

There are 5 main steps in developing a website strategy. 

5 Steps to Develop A Website Strategy 

Wherever you are in your wedding business journey, you can use these four steps to develop a killer website strategy. 

Step One: Determine Your Goals 

Before you can make a strategy, you need to know what you want to get out of it. So what are your goals? Do you want to book more weddings than you did last year? Do you have a specific number of leads you want to get? 

This is your goal. Make it whatever you want – as long as it is concrete and measurable.

Step Two: Narrow Down Your Ideal Client 

If you think “everyone” is your ideal client, you’re wrong. I know it sounds harsh. I know it sounds unfair. But it’s true.  

So just imagine with me for a moment. If you could work with anyone you wanted, who would it be? High-level executives that want a luxury wedding? The young-and-in-love couples who want to hike to a hidden waterfall for their wedding ceremony? 

Narrow down the people you enjoy working with the most. I’m willing to bet there are a lot more of them out there! You just need to know how to find them. (Hint: that’s part of this whole strategy we’re talking about). 

Step Three: Find Your Unique Selling Point 

Ready for another harsh truth? Here it comes. 

You’re not the only person selling your service. You’re probably not even the only person who sells your service to your ideal client. So you have to find a way to distinguish yourself. In the biz, we call this your Unique Selling Point (USP). 

Your USP is what sets you apart. It’s the one thing you do that no one else is doing! This can be as simple as an attitude shift. For example, you specialize in black-and-white film photography that reflects vintage Hollywood vibes. 

You won’t be the only photographer who offers black-and-white film. But you can build a whole business off of your simple specialization. People will flock to you because you are an expert in this one area and they want what you have. 

So what is unique about your approach to weddings? Is it your years of experience? Is it your ability to customize your packages? Is it your eye for colordul, unique blooms that make a show-stopping bridal bouquet? Embrace what makes you different! 

Step Four: Take Inventory of Your Content 

This means to take note of what’s going on your website, and check if pieces are missing! Think about: 

• Navigation. This isn’t just the bar at the top of your website. It’s about how many pages you need and how they link to each other. It’s about how easy it is to find what you need. It’s about making sure the customer journey flows smoothly and gets your clients to the end goal.
• Photos. Are your photos up to date? Do they reflect your current brand? Make sure your photos are high quality! 
• Website Copy. Does your website copy form an emotional connection with your audience? This is your opportunity to show them that you get them. And, of course, to guide them to that “Book Now!” link. 
• Blog Posts. Are your blogs updated and relevant? Do they answer questions your clients will want to ask?
• Search Engine Optimization. Is your website content search engine optimized? Have you included keywords in your copy? Is there alt-text on your photos? Does each page have a distinct title tag and meta description? 

Step Five: Track Your Progress

Remember those goals you’ve made? It’s time to check if you’re reaching them! This is how you learn if your strategy is working and what you need to change. 

I encourage each of my clients to set up a Google Analytics Account. It’s easy and free and gives you a ton of good info. You can see where your website ranks on Google search results, how many people click it, which pages they find first, and more! 

You can also use your website service provider’s traffic tools! These tools should track how many visitors you receive and how long they stay on your website. 

These tools give you important insight into how well your website strategy works! Then, you can adjust to reach your goals. 

Ready to Increase 2024 Bookings? Let’s Perfect Your Wedding Brand & Website Strategy! 

So yeah, there’s a lot more to website design than looking pretty! But when that pretty web design gets hitched with a killer strategy… let’s just say sparks will fly! Are you ready to turn your website into a strategic base for your business? 

Click here to schedule a free call to chat about your wedding business, your website, and the beauty of strategic design.