Nearly every new client makes one important stop in their customer journey before hiring you as their NYC event planner: your event planning website. Whether they find you through your social media marketing, stop at your booth at NYC’s top event planning conference, or connect with you through a mutual friend, they will almost certainly visit your website before scheduling a face-to-face. Conducting an audit of your event planning website will bring increased conversions and a host of other benefits.
What Does It Mean to Audit Your Event Planner Website?
A website audit analyzes your website’s performance in one or more key areas. A website audit uncovers weaknesses that are reducing your site’s traffic, hampering its user experience, and, ultimately, costing you revenue. Most website audits focus on a specific area of performance.
- Competitive: Compare your event planning website against your competitors to uncover your strengths and weaknesses and to identify gaps in the market.
- Google Ranking: Analyze the factors that influence your website rankings on Google, including inbound links, SEO optimization, content quality, and various technical elements.
- Lead Conversation: Examine the components that influence lead conversion. Analyze your visitors’ relevance. Find out where they come from and where they spend time on your site. Ensure your site’s user experience is optimized for conversions.
Reasons You Should Audit Your Event Planner Website
A website audit will provide insights and help you develop a more effective online marketing strategy. It will help you decide where to spend your marketing dollars. Cranking out content may not bring new visitors to your website if key technical elements aren’t working as they should. Or your email marketing strategy may fall flat if visitors bail because they can’t find key information on your website. In short, a website audit will help you achieve the following.
1. Increase Your Rankings in Google Search
According to SerpWatch, the top five websites in search results receive 67.6% of clicks. And getting to the coveted first result ranking will net you nearly 4 times more backlinks. Clearly, getting to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPS) is the key to increasing your website’s traffic and, in turn, your event planning revenue.
It’s tempting to throw SEO tactics at the wall and see what sticks. However, the power of conducting a website audit lies in uncovering the SEO strategies that will work for your particular website. A website audit for your event planning website will help you uncover weaknesses and identify areas of improvement for ranking higher in Google’s search results.
2. Identify Gaps in the Market
Identifying event gaps in the market is key to gaining a competitive edge. A competitive website audit can help you systematically stack your event planner website against competitors. You can take what you learn to differentiate yourself from the competition.
For example, perhaps you’re a wedding planner. After conducting a competitive website audit, you find that none of your competitors are offering a service near and dear to your heart: sustainable weddings in NYC. And since sustainability is a growing concern among consumers, you decide to use your passion for eco-friendly weddings to differentiate yourself.
3. Improve Your Visitors’ Experience
Creating magical experiences is the name of the game when it comes to event planning. However, an underwhelming website experience will leave visitors doubting if you can deliver the goods for their special event.
Your site’s user experience includes everything that makes your visitors happy, inspired, and satisfied. It includes the elements that make for an aesthetically pleasing website, such as images, white space, and graphics. Other important elements that make your event planner website a smooth sailing ride include clear navigation, zippy headlines,
4. Increase Conversions
A website audit will track the customer journey as it relates to your website. It will analyze how your website influences the ultimate goal of the customer journey, which is, of course, conversion. You’ll learn how you can improve your website’s design and content to create a better customer experience and convert leads.
You’ll find out important information, such as:
- How relevant your website’s traffic is.
- How easily visitors can navigate your site.
- How much time visitors spend on your site.
- Where they are spending their time.
5. Identify Technical Issues
Event planners are known for their creativity and people skills. Technical know-how generally falls at the bottom of their areas of interest. However, the technical elements of your website play a key role in its performance. The following are just a few examples of how your website’s technical elements influence its performance.
Page Speed
Page Speed simply refers to how long it takes for your event planner website to load. According to Google, visitors are 32% more likely to click away from your site if it takes 3 seconds to load.
XML Sitemap
Google uses your site’s XML sitemap to index webpages. Likely, your hosting company automatically generates an XML sitemap. However, there are ways to optimize your sitemap to improve your website’s rankings. Things like ensuring your sitemap doesn’t contain dead links or prioritizing your most important content can make your XML sitemap more effective.
Schema Markup
You’ve probably noticed that many search results contain detailed information. In addition to your link and meta-description, search results can also display lists, videos, photos, and more. Using schema markup can enhance your site’s appeal and inspire would-be clients to click through.
Overall, there are dozens of technical elements within your website. Conducting a website audit will analyze your website’s technical performance and identify areas for improvement.
A Strong Online Presence Will Help You Win More Event Planning Clients
An event planner website audit is an important step to creating a rock-solid online reputation. Having a strong online reputation will improve your brand recognition, increase your trustworthiness, and land you more event planning clients. Conducting an audit of your website will weed out problems that are preventing your website’s visitors from taking the next step in their customer journey.
Learn more about how a strong online presence can help you achieve your business goals at The Event Planner Expo 2025. NYC’s top event planning conference features more than 50 speakers and 150 exhibitors. Be challenged and get inspired. And get your tickets today.
