TEMBO IMPACT, our specialist marketing agency for events, shares 7 details to always include on your home page:

1) What it is and who it’s for

Sounds obvious, doesn’t it?! But you’d be surprised how many event websites we see that don’t actually explain that it’s an event or the type of the event, who the visitors are and who the exhibitors and/or speakers are. Take a look at your home page and think: "If I landed on this page for the first time, would I be able to work out what it’s about and if it’s for me?".

2) Dates of the Event (including a calendar file)

These should be visible at the top of your homepage, in your event website footer and in on your ‘About’ page. Ideally, you should include the event dates in your logo as well (if it’s easy to read). A downloadable calendar file is a great bonus as it will remind people about your show in case they forgot to sign up to receive event reminders.

3) Why attend, how does it benefit me?

With so many moving elements on your page, it might be tempting to skip this, but if you want your event to sound compelling, you need to spell it out for your target attendees. They want to know what they’re in for. List at least 5 points on your event website, including innovative show features, key conference topics, speakers, top exhibitors and what they’re showcasing, networking opportunities and CPD points.

4) Social icons easy to find

You need to grow your community and sometimes people aren’t ready to register or buy their ticket immediately and may choose to keep tabs on your brand and make a decision later. To help them do this ensure your social icons are not buried at the bottom of your website – instead get them right at the top or on the sidebar.

5) Newsletter/ Keep-me-updated sign up option

This is a free way to generate leads. Include a pop-up with a short newsletter sign-up form. You can also add a page with an embedded form as a menu item in your nav bar.

Tip: include a field “First name”. You might want to grab your visitors quickly before they leave your site, but if they only put email addresses, you won’t be able to personalise your emails.

6) Who your top speakers are

Your potential visitors want to know which thought leaders will be there – their alignment with your event give you kudos. Keep your lineup up-to-date including their photos, linking to other pages for bios and a synopsis of what they will be talking about.

Bonus point from our marketing agency for events: ask your speakers to submit a short video along with their talk proposal for extra engagement.

7) Testimonials

Sharing feedback and reviews will help you establish credibility. Testimonials work because they aren't strong sales pitches but come across in an unbiased voice and establish trust. You're using real people to show why your event is worth attending. Include testimonials from previous attendees, exhibitors, speakers and industry peers.

These tips were written by  TEMBO IMPACT– our  an award-winning marketing agency for events.