Your theater website has the show schedules, gallery, and site and staff information, but it’s not enough that you’ve got the basics covered. You want people to come and see your shows and the easiest way to put your theater on the map is to get more people to visit and explore your website. Below are some functionality must-haves that would help your website become a hit.
Easy connection is just one click away
In order to attract more people to know about your theater’s activities and watch your shows, you need your site to be more visible and accessible. What better way to do this than “creating noise” through social media? Place links to various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumbler, and WordPress on every page and post in your website. Make sure to include “Follow us”, “Like”, and “Share” buttons to encourage people to spread the word about your theater and your activities.
To blog or not to blog, that is the question
The answer is definitely “to blog”. Put the performers, directors, volunteers and important members of your theater in the limelight. Write stories that feature their achievements and repertoire, along with their current projects and future endeavors. If that person has existing following, then maybe you can bring their attention to your site as well. Adding a blogging functionality would not only allow you help promote these personalities but you could also bring more traffic to your website.
Market your activities for free
People are now interested in your theater and of course, you want them to hear more from you in the future. You can update them with future activities, newsletters, and promos through email by strategically placing those “Subscribe” buttons in your website. To avoid spamming and minimize subscription cancellations, you can include options where people can choose the type of updates they want to receive from you. Do this and voila – you’d have an effective but cost-free marketing!
Make getting in touch with you easy
If people have inquiries about certain shows or if they want to be part of your theater, they would want to get in touch with you. Don’t make it difficult for them. Place a “Contact Us” link in your website where all your contact information can be viewed. It should include your theater’s street address, mailing address, phone numbers, email address, and fax number. Make sure to indicate the business hours so they would know the best time to contact you. It would also be helpful to have a registration form that the site visitors can easily fill out. This would make it easy for you to contact them back and send them relevant updates and news through email.
X marks the spot – Use interactive maps.
There’s no need to play hide and seek with your target market. Yes, you’ve provided them with your street address, but if they have to go out of their way and Google your location just to find you, there’s a chance that you’ll lose their interest. Include an “Interactive Map” link in your website to help them locate you. This would show them the different streets and landmarks in the area. Suggest different routes on how to get to your theater, especially for people who are not familiar with your area. You can also throw in additional information about nearby establishments where they can hang out before and after shows.
Make your digital footprint known by making sure that your theater website has the functionality and features mentioned above. Remember that you have to make everything easy for your site visitors. You don’t want them to leave your website out of frustration so make sure that accessing your website, navigating it, accessing content, and information are only a few clicks away.
