How to Create an Event Website and Get as Many Attendees as Possible

Are you planning to throw a great party and you want as many people as possible to come? Do you need to promote your special music event, drama show or business conference? Maybe you’re considering creating Facebook event, but don’t stop there! Go big and create event website – just as your special event deserves.

Build a dedicated website for your special occasion in order to promote the event in style. In this article, we will show you why – and how.

Before we dive deep into the creation of the website itself, let’s get this question out of the way:

What is an event page website?

An event page website is a special online presentation created for a ticketed show, private party, or business conference – plus much more!

As many events moved to the online world during the last year and a half,
it’s often essential to create a dedicated website.

It doesn’t matter whether your event is big or small, international or private, online or offline. A well-built landing page helps you create the best possible first impression, engage the right people and make your event an unforgettable experience.

And that’s exactly what events are – memorable experiences.

Why bother creating an event website?

So why should you put more effort into creating a whole webpage when you could simply share a Facebook event?

1. Go big: let the whole world know and invite everyone

Firstly, Facebook is huge, but Facebook is not the whole Internet. Don’t only invite members of a particular social network. Be egalitarian; invite everyone online.

Of course, you can support your event by creating a Facebook event, but when promoting the event outside social networks, navigate future attendees to your website, which is available for everyone and serves as the ultimate source of guaranteed information.

2. Event websites are great for brand building

Another great reason for building an event website is that it helps you build your brand.

Show your potential visitors your intentions are serious. In case you don’t have a website for your upcoming music festival with all the necessary information, fans might reconsider buying the ticket. It just doesn’t look appealing.

In case you run an event that is directly related to your established brand, you can run the event website on a subdomain – both to boost the credibility of the event and to promote the brand itself. For example, if your company’s website domain is “itgals.com”, use a subdomain like “conference.itgals.com” for the conference website.

3. The event website is an affordable marketing tool

An event website that runs on its own dedicated domain is a great marketing tool.

Build up the buzz and excitement around your event by creating a stunning online presence. You don’t need an enormous budget to create a website nowadays. Moreover, the website itself can be reused, either for the afterparty or for the following year.

Now that we know why, let’s move to how.

Basic elements of an event website (and tips for useful widgets)

Without further ado let’s summarize some best practices to create the perfect event website. Try to stick with these UX tips to establish a great first contact with your future visitors.

Remember, your final product should be user-friendly and informative in the first place.

Here are the elements you should definitely include on your site:

Fascinating description in the hero section and eye-catching visuals overall

With the carefully chosen hero picture and logo, a perfectly crafted description is one of the first things the visitors should see upon landing on your page.

Be as concise as possible when writing, but don’t forget to integrate your original ideas. This way you’ll capture your visitors’ attention right from the start.

When and where information

This one is pretty straightforward.

Include a map of the venue, so they don’t need to leave in search of other websites or apps. Prevent falling down the rabbit hole of the Internet and put every important piece of appropriate information on your page.

To stand out, you can also put an add-to-calendar button on your web, so there is no chance your visitors would forget about the event. Many plugins are available online. For instance this one.

Also, to help boost expectations, you can use a countdown. As countdowns work for Christmas every year, why not try building up the excitement for your once-in-a-year event as well? Create a countdown here.

Example of countdown widget

Call to action: BUY ME

Place the Call-to-Action button (CTA) ideally in the hero section, or at the first appropriate spot. It could say simply: “Get your ticket now” or “Secure your place now”. This one is for already decided buyers.

Example of a “call to action” button

Later on the page, you should use a CTA again. This time to motivate the tempted attendees.

There can be more than one CTA element on one page

Contact information + social profiles links

Make it easy for the visitors to contact you or the team. Don’t limit yourself to an e-mail address or phone number. You can also add a form or chat section on your website.

An event website is also a place where you can connect all your social media profiles and their content. As you know, for every social site there are different types of content, some of it available only for 24 hours. Why not make it everlasting?

Also, don’t forget to include a special contact section for gastro providers, PR, media services and others.

An example of how the contacts section could look

THE Program

List of all the artists, speakers, workshops, activities – the whole agenda.

This is what makes your event unique and generates ticket sales. Proudly promote the big names you acquired and introduce the new ones, just like they used to in silver-screen movies back in the golden Hollywood era.

Registration form and/or ticket purchase

If places are limited (i.e. you organize a workshop or a conference) and you need to know in advance who is coming, add a registration form for attendees so they can secure their place.

Once registered, you can send them a payment link or bank details with additional information directly to their inbox.

If you sell tickets anonymously, place links to the re-sellers or to your own payment gate on the website.

Updates + newsletter option

As the privacy policies are getting more strict, your visitors’ inbox is the most personal space you can get into. Provide them with the option to receive all the updates directly to their inboxes.

Use the newsletter to promote the event itself, and don’t forget you can also offer merchandise or special ticket prices for early birds.

Social proof + testimonials

This is an absolute necessity. Ask the participants, celebrities, publicly known people, influencers, and of course, visitors themselves to write some words on how important and great your event is. List all the mentions from media or other blogs and websites. Make the undecided to buy a ticket now.

Sponsors’ logos

List the logos of partners who proudly supported your event. Gracefully dedicate a special place for them on your website and say your thanks there. Without them, your event couldn’t be as great, so they definitely deserve a special mention.

Community section

Make your visitors engaged and talk before, during and after the event by offering a forum or setting up a Facebook group. Offer them a place to connect and meet even before the event.

This is also a great place for attendees to share their memories and opinions after the event.

All the policies

Now, finally – the boring, but important stuff: reclamation policy, privacy policy, GDPR, covid-related restrictions, terms & conditions, visiting order, list of prohibited items… you name it.

Publish everything to cover your back.

Ideally, put all these links into the footer under the “Useful information” section. Information about the pandemic situation, however, should be clearly visible directly on the landing page. As we learned in these past years, health comes above all. For example, if you are going to the effort of hiring security guards, implementing CCTV etc., show your commitment to prioritizing health and safety through descripting the robust physical security measures that will be at place at the venue.

FAQ

List the more frequent questions and answer them in one place instead of replying to the same query over and over again. This is not only a time-saver for yourself, but also for your visitors. Display high-quality information and your visitors won’t need to write the query at all.

Special offerings

Another favourite section of the web that helps sell even more tickets. Sell a special bundle for a special price, or offer gifts, free downloads, and premium content. Go wild (within budget).

Event website afterlife

Once the show is over, the show must go on. There is absolutely no need to close the website.

Share memories in the form of additional content, pictures, or videos on the website once the event has passed. Let the visitors publish their recollections, pictures, comments, or follow-up questions.

Keep the place running all year long as a preparation for the upcoming event. In case you used a year in the events domain, for example, summerfest2021.com, just change the domain to summerfest2022.com – simple.

How to create an event website in minutes

With Webnode, you’re able to build professional websites for all types of events, from class reunions, weddings, music shows, and movie festivals to international business conferences. No coding is required. Just follow these 4 steps:

1. Create an account on Webnode.
2. Choose the most appealing even website template.
3. Import your content (texts, pictures, videos) following these guidelines.
4. Publish your website.

While designing the website itself, think of the visitor’s journey. Try to paint your event in the language of quality pictures and photos, including all the necessary details and key information. Your visitors should have a vivid idea about what they’re going to experience.

Remember, it is your biggest promotional tool. Make it awesome, easy to use and quick to navigate.

Don’t be afraid to experiment a little. Make adjustments when appropriate to engage your future visitors even more.

Moreover, the event website provides your visitors with nice memories and bonus material after the event is over and pictures are shared. Don’t think of it as a one-time project. You can reuse it many times.

Also, enjoy the party.

Wondering how to create a website? Check the step-by-step guide