Uncorking Corksy: Digital Growth Series #6

Hello, Corksy community!

This edition we’re mixing it up and concentrating our three topics around the core of your digital presence, your website.?Corksy’s built-in website tool has easy-to-use, customizable templates with a user-friendly interface, a seamless shopping experience, built-in SEO tools and mobile optimization.

Today we’ll discuss some ways to?enhance your website?and get the most out of Corksy’s website builder:

• Optimizing your homepage to sell more wine
• Using our built-in video embedding tool to tell your winery’s story
• Creating an engaging “about us” page to build a connection with your customers

Bookmark this page for easy reference as you uncork your potential with Corksy.

– Corksy Growth Team

Optimizing your homepage to sell more wine:

Your homepage is the?most important page?on your website as it is usually the most frequently visited one. It is often the first interaction that potential customers have with your brand, making it a vital point of contact. The goal of your homepage is to introduce your brand to new customers and engage with existing ones. Additionally, it should effectively communicate the reasons why customers should buy your products and promote the products you offer.?

Thankfully, Corksy’s website builder has done the hard part and all you need to do is?drag & drop! Whether you’re using a Corsky template or custom HTML/CSS, here are some suggestions to enhance your homepage design:

Design & Layout:?The design and layout of your homepage are critical in creating a positive impression and encouraging visitors to explore your site further. A visually appealing and user-friendly design can help achieve this goal. To create a stunning layout:

• Use?high-quality images?to showcase your winery, vineyards, wines, and events. These images should be clear, well-lit, and visually engaging.
• Organize your homepage logically?with clear headings and subheadings. This will make it easier for visitors to navigate and find what they’re looking for.
• Ensure your homepage has a?clear and logical navigation menu?that makes it easy for visitors to explore your site.
• Use a consistent?color scheme and typography?that aligns with your brand identity and creates a visually harmonious experience for your visitors.

Content:?The content on your homepage is vital in providing visitors with information about your winery, experiences, wine club, and wines. Here are some tips to ensure your content is engaging and informative:

• Provide information in a clean, user-friendly way that seamlessly leads users to the next page of their journey, whether it’s learning more about the wine club, continuing to checkout, or reading your blog.
• Showcase any award-winning wines, highlight best-selling wines, or promote any vintages you want to sell quickly.
• Promote your wine club with an overview of your benefits and a clear button to join the club.
• Give your visitors a preview of what to expect during their visit, information on hours and directions, and showcase any upcoming events or reservations-only experiences
• Keep your homepage fresh by updating images to reflect the seasons for a simple but impactful change.

?? Tip:?Google gives special importance to your homepage and you need to ensure you have keyword-focused headlines and copy on the page. By including relevant keywords and optimizing your page’s structure and content, you’ll improve your winery’s visibility in search engine results.?

Call-to-Actions:?Adding call-to-actions (CTAs) to your homepage is crucial to guide your visitors toward taking action on your website. Here are some tips to make your CTAs effective:

• Add at least prominently displayed CTA “above the fold” to ensure that it is visible without scrolling.
• Include CTAs such as “buy now/add to cart” buttons for your wines, a link to join the wine club, a reservation booking link, and an embedded field to join your email list
• Make your CTA visible in placement, color, and font size. Use a color that contrasts with the background and a font size that is large enough to draw attention.
• Use?engaging, action-oriented text for your CTAs. Substitute words like “submit” and “enter” with specific actions such as “Buy Now”, “Join the Club”, “Become a VIP”, “Reserve Today” and “Plan Your Visit”.
• Avoid overwhelming your visitors with too many CTAs on your homepage. Instead, prioritize the most important actions you want your visitors to take and focus on those.

In conclusion,?your homepage should serve as a powerful tool that showcases your winery’s brand identity, tells your story, and highlights the unique aspects of your products. By doing so, you can attract new customers and retain existing ones, leading to increased sales and brand loyalty.

?? Tip:?To be sure your homepage is delivering, keep an eye on how it performs in?Google Analytics . Look especially at the Bounce Rate to determine if people are leaving immediately after landing there. If the bounce rate is high, it could mean visitors can’t find what they’re looking for, but it could also mean it’s time to refresh your content and images or tweak your CTAs.

Use our built-in video embedding tool to tell your winery’s story :

Did you know that a?one-minute video is equivalent to 1.8 million words, as stated by Dr. James McQuivey? This highlights the power of video in conveying information to your website visitors.

Videos provide a more immersive and engaging experience for your visitors, allowing them to visualize and experience your winery’s atmosphere, the winemaking process, and the story behind your brand. This can create a deeper connection with your customers and build brand loyalty.

Moreover, videos can be a powerful tool for showcasing your winery’s products. By providing detailed information about specific wines, such as tasting notes, food pairings, and winemaker interviews, you can educate consumers and inform potential customers about your wines, ultimately driving sales.

?? Tip:?Use a video to showcase your tasting room and any unique experiences offered at your winery. This will give customers a preview of what to expect when they visit and can help to increase bookings for these experiences. It could be as simple as setting up your phone on a tripod to record the tasting room on a busy weekend (tip: speed up the video) to really immerse future tasting room attendees.

By incorporating videos on your website, you can provide a more engaging experience for your visitors, showcase your products and winery, and ultimately drive sales and customer loyalty.

Corksy’s website builder allows you to seamlessly add a video content block with text and button overlays, as well as the ability to embed your YouTube or Vimeo videos into your website! Learn how to embed your video here .

Creating an engaging “About Us” page to build a connection with your customers :

Creating an emotional connection with your customers is crucial for your winery’s success. Consumers want to buy wine from a brand that has a story, a purpose, and values. To achieve this, it’s important to have an “About Us” or “Our Story” page on your website. This page provides an opportunity to showcase the history of your winery, your winemaking philosophy, and your passion for creating exceptional wines through rich storytelling.

?? Tip:?Bring your story to life by using active language. When creating your “About Us” page, your wineries story should sound more personal, clearly defining who is writing the story. This helps create a stronger connection with your audience, with a more direct, clear, and concise tone.

To make this page engaging, use high-quality images and videos of your winery, vineyard(s), and wines. This can help create a powerful emotional connection with your customers. Authenticity and transparency are key when sharing your story.

Don’t be afraid to share challenges in the vineyard or winery, your success stories, and your commitment to sustainability and other values your winery stands for. Demonstrating your dedication to quality can help build trust in your brand and strengthen your connection with your customers (hint: active language!).

Adding this page is simple in Corksy’s website builder tool.?Simply select “Pages” from the left menu, and then “+ new page”. Once you’ve added the page, convey your story by customizing the page and adding content blocks for text, images, videos, and more.?

You can find all of our previous Uncorking Corksy articles here .