Let's say your company or group decides to put up a particular event six or twelve months down the road. Eventually somebody on the planning committee will suggest the group produce a special website for the big event: “We can make an online registration form, include information regarding the special speakers and entertainment, post a schedule, and provide links to accommodation, travel agents, etc., etc.submit event“
Sounds like a good idea.
But how can you maximize the potency of this kind of site? Does it be something that individuals actually refer to and use? Or will creating it really be considered a waste of time and effort? Are you experiencing somebody in the group who are able to get this sort of site up and running quickly? Or do you want to have to defer to your already overworked company webmaster or the exact same creative volunteers that are always exploited for such projects?
And will anybody aside from a few select insiders (your committee members) actually be able to find the site once it is established?
Some important issues to think about
Here are a few of the more important issues to think about before you go ahead and create another website that nobody looks at.
- Will its content be “deep” enough to make it more than simply an online announcement?
Many websites start off of the same quality ideas, but quickly fizzle when their creators realize they don't really have much to say. In the case of event websites, the “depth” of a proposed site will depend on the big event itself.
For instance, say your Agricultural Society is running a Fall Fair.Wouldn't an event site be ideal for providing factual statements about competition categories, judging criteria, daily schedules of events, in addition to online registration forms, entertainment highlights, and general program notes? Quite simply, a long event of the sort provides a lot of fodder in making a niche site “deep” enough to be always a valuable resource for visitors and participants alike.
On the other hand if your committee is responsible for organizing a one night Fireworks Display (July 4 in the US, May “two-four” in Canada) then chances are this program is going to be pretty light. There's little requirement for a whole website. You'd be better off just developing a website or an announcement and asking the webmasters of relevant sites to offer some exposure.
Needless to say there are plenty of events right in the middle between those two examples. Family Reunions, for instance. What might be better when compared to a “Jones-05.org” site? You may include contact information, program descriptions, historical photos, comments from family members across the country...on and onto it goes.
- Should your “site” participate another already existing one, or in case you register a brand new domain especially for your event?
Say you're organizing the 50th Anniversary Acme Widgets Company Picnic. The Company already has an active website — “http://www.acmewidgets.com" ;.And the company website already has a talented webmaster. Would it be simpler to ask your company webmaster to place your event in a directory on “http://www.acmewidgets.com" — like, “http://www.acmewidgets.com/50th", or “http://www.50th.acmewidgets.com"? Or would you be better off to produce a brand new “domain” simply for the big event — something similar to “http://www.acme50.com"?
To begin with, don't bother about the price to produce your personal site. Yes, it does cost something to join up a brand new domain and locate a host. But these costs are insignificant in the bigger scheme of things. You are able to register a “.com” domain for as low as $12.95 (per year), and an .info or .biz domain for as low as $7.95 or less. And hosting is very cheap as well. The conventional today is approximately $5.95 each month for a reliable host.
Far more important is whether your group has the know-how to truly create a web site from scratch and then maintain it for a year or more. When you have a skilled web designer or webmaster in your committee he or she will most likely have the ability to set the group up for next to nothing. If you don't, I suggest you find one before tackling the job. This is not enough time for flying by the seat of one's pants.
If you are able to get someone with the necessary skills, then it's a no-brainer. Go ahead. Register your personal domain and build your personal site. You won't have to beg your overly protective company webmaster for favors. And just as important, you will have the ability to join up a memorable domain name that will help you in your promotional efforts. Which do you consider would be easier to remember and find: “http://www.acmewidgets.com/50th" or “http://www.acme50.com"?
- Is it feasible to have some Search Engine recognition in the relatively short time your internet site is going to be in operation?
In the event you haven't noticed, this is actually the same question that each webmaster or web marketing persons asks: ”Just how do I get traffic to my site?”
In the short term the only method you can attract traffic to your internet site is by “advertising” ;.And the most frequent, most effective kind of advertising today is named “Pay Per Click” (PPC) — you realize, “Google ads” — those little text ads you see down the side of the Google search pages.
You'd probably be surprised how easy PPC ads (especially Google) are to setup, how broad is the range of events or products they can be utilized to market, and just how much control you've over your limited advertising budget.
For instance, say I do want to promote the (imaginary) Hendershot Family Reunion set to take place in in the summertime of 2005. I could produce a Google ad that will pop-up everytime someone did a Google look for “Hendershot”, “Hendershot family”, etc. My ad might have a headline as simple as “Hendershot Reunion” ;.
Now there aren't many Hendershots available, and I wouldn't expect a lot of Jones or Singhs or Crespos to click my ad. And since I only pay when someone actually clicks on my ad (remember “Pay Per Click”), this advertising would probably not cost much. I could reach quite a large the main online Hendershot “community” in about as efficient a manner as possible.
In the longer term the only reliable way you may get traffic to your internet site is by obtaining the Search Engines in your side. Wouldn't it be great if everytime someone did a search for “Hendershot” Google would immediately bring up a (free) connect to my Hendershot Reunion 05 site?
Unfortunately this kind of recognition usually takes many months or even years. So that your typical event site will not have the ability to easily get it. But there are several things you are able to do to give yourself a “leg up” ;.
First, choose a memorable domain name which contains your most important keyword. If I could get “hendershot-reunion.com”, that would be about as effective as it gets. This will help the SEs know exactly what your internet site is about.
Second, create a lot of Search Engine Optimized copy.Which means be sure you have a definite idea of what your internet site is approximately, write copy that clearly and forcefully reflects this topic, and make sure to build a lot of most of your keywords into your text — especially in the beginning and end of one's most important pages. If you do not know what I am speaing frankly about, contact me at one of the addresses below and I'll send you some links to some helpful home elevators the topic.
Third, once your internet site is up and running, submit it to Google.Just do a search for “Submit URL” and you'll get the link. Submitting sites is not necessary once they are interlinked and have now been indexed, because Google (and the other main SEs) will automatically spider them. But submitting a brand new site may kick start the process submit event.
Fourth, try to have as much relevant, quality “links” pointing to your internet site as you can, as quickly as you possibly can. The significance of quality links can not be overstated. Virtually all the major Search Engines rely on inbound links to inform it whether your internet site is essential within its section of focus. And this is the way you get ranked and rated, and how your internet site should come up high when people do relevant searches.