How Big Should My Event Web Site Be?
One question that always comes up when building or redesigning an event web site is, “How many pages should I make my event web site?” I’ve seen event planners and organizers agonize over the previous question far too many times. Honestly, it's rarely an easy answer.
Think User Attention Span
When laying out your event web site, always keep in mind user attention span . . . People want to get information about your event and get out. Hence, I strongly recommend building an event web page of only 5-10 pages, 15 pages max. Five to ten pages might seem small, but it isn’t - consider the web stats below.
A quick look at your web stats should give you a good perspective on what people are doing on your web site. If you don’t have your own web statistics to reference, look below. The statistic below are averages collected from my own event projects over the last few years. The statistics were compiled from three different event web sites. The events had anywhere from a few thousand attendees all the way up to 1.35 million attendees over four days.
Here are the most pertinent statistics:
- 90% of web visitors are coming to your event web site three times or LESS!
- People look at an average of ONLY 3.41 pages on each event web site.
- 3:52 is the average time spent on a web site within 30 days of the event taking place.
After the event the average time on site drops like a rock.
You'll Never Be Able to Answer 100% of Attendee's Questions
Here is something important to realize - no event web site can answer 100.0% of any attendee’s potential questions. Here is an important question to ask . . . Is it better to have a 10 page web site that answers 95% of your attendee’s questions, or a 50 page web site that answers 99% of attendee’s questions? I'd argue it's better to focus on a smaller more useful website as opposed to gigantic bear of a web site.
Leverage and Improve Your FAQ Page
One great way to reduce the size of your web site is by having a robust Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Use your FAQ page to address the lump sum of questions people ask regarding your event. When putting together an FAQ page, think of it as a constantly evolving document. Work on updating your FAQ page right through your event.
Event Website Outline
Below is a standard outline that I’ve used for every event web site over the last ten years. Yes, it’s overly simplistic, but it works like a charm. The web site outline was based around people's most common event questions. Feel free to use it the outline below for your event web site. You can add a page or two where necessary.
- Home Page
- Schedule
- Tickets
- Directions/Parking
- FAQ
- Sponsors
- Contact Us
There is no need for a monstrous event web site with hundreds of page. Keep things small and simple. If you use the page outline from above and create a comprehensive FAQ page, you should be well on your way to a really great event web site.
Want to get more great info? Check out the articles below:
- Event Planning - The Customer Avatar and Your Event
- When to Start Selling Tickets to Your Event
- A Negative Question to Create a Better Event
- Automatically Generate Leads for Your Event Year Round
- How to Get Them To Your Event
- Why Well Planned Events Fail
- Getting Them to Buy Tickets Early
- The Event Promotion System
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Eugene:
The stats and info are great. I know you've tested this so anyone running an event should just follow your step by step instructions and they'll be successful.
Posted by: Craig Houck | 03/07/2010 at 17:34