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Our Website's New Look And Feel

Our Website's New Look And Feel


Jennifer Brooks
Jennifer Brooks Updated:
8th of March 2023

Over the past year, we have conducted extensive research on the information brides and grooms want to find online before they shortlist or contact potential venues and suppliers. They all said the same - availability and price. Whether searching for a holiday, renting a flat or simply shopping online for clothes, this is basic information that today’s consumer expects to find, and they can’t understand why some businesses don’t show it.

Social Media Channels 

You can now easily add a link to your business's social media channels on your Guides for Brides listing. This is a highly effective feature and a great way of getting customers onto your website. Make sure your social media is up to date and full of beautiful, inspiring images in order to attract brides. 

This option is only available to paid suppliers, so if you would like to upgrade in order to have this feature, please call your dedicated account manager. 

New look and feel business blog

Availability Calendar

We know how important it is to couples so it has been interesting to hear why wedding businesses have been so reluctant until now to share the information that brides are asking for.

Some businesses tell us that they want the couple to contact them in the hope they can persuade them to choose a different date. Couples flexible on their dates said they will check all possible dates online and will be delighted when they find one that works for them, those that aren’t flexible on dates feel you have wasted their time. In both cases, allowing the couple to find the information online sets the relationship off on a better foot than if they wait for a response and find their ideal date is no longer available.

Other businesses understand the importance don’t yet show availability simply because they don’t have a way to keep the information up to date and display it online. We are delighted to say we have a simple solution. We have worked on a bespoke calendar that will work for every type of wedding business.

Follow our step-by-step instructions below on how to update your availability calendar:  

  1. Log into your business dashboard on guidesforbrides.co.uk (link)
  2. Select the pink box ‘update adverts & calendars’.  
  3. Under ‘Your adverts’ section click ‘update advert & calendar’.  
  4. Follow the simple online instructions.

If you need any assistance your dedicated account manager is here to help on 01235 770078.

It took us over a year to develop what we believe is the perfect calendar for wedding professionals.

  • It can only be seen by you; brides can check individual dates but can’t see how busy you are.
  • It suggests suitable alternative dates if a date is already booked.
  • It allows you to hold a date as provisionally booked without excluding enquiries.
  • Popular dates can be shown as limited availability which increases urgency.
  • It still works for businesses that can do more than 1 wedding per day.
  • It blocks unusual behaviour and alerts us if a competitor checks multiple dates.
  • Most importantly, it comes with a free unbranded widget for you to put on your website, or any other website, allowing customers to access the same data so you only need to update one calendar

Protected “Hotspot” technology will allow you to:

  • See which dates are being checked.
  • Know when there is high demand in your area so you don’t discount unnecessarily.
  • Automatically update your availability.
  • See trends and adjust your marketing accordingly.

If there is anything you feel we have missed please let us know.

Price

Couples want to know whether you are aimed at the luxury, mainstream or budget end of the market and your price is the best indicator they have.

Brides with high budgets want a quick way to find luxury suppliers and equally those on a budget don’t want the embarrassment of inadvertently contacting a supplier they can’t afford. Displaying your prices (ideally as an actual price range as well as £ - ££££) allows the right clients to find you. Being transparent about pricing also increases credibility and trust in your business.

We have several options for you to use relevant to your sector. Fill in all the price options you can as some are used as filters on the website and App. You can select a maximum of 2 on the £ - ££££ option.

We understand that your prices depend on so many factors so have included a notes field for you to show brides what you have based the price on.

Capacity

For venues, your capacity is the third element that couples want to find out about.

Again, we have included options for you to complete to appear in more searches.

We know it is a big step for businesses who haven’t previously displayed this information, but just like the introduction of reviews on your listings four years ago, those that are fast to adapt to the new way that couples shop will be the ones to benefit the most.

Wide image 

First impressions are everything, and online adverts are no different. We've recently updated our website so each paid advert has a beautifully eye-catching wide image. The image chosen needs to be good quality as it is full-width across the top of your profile page. The suggested image size is 1,980px * 640px, a maximum 10Mb. If you don't have an image that size it will default to the featured image. 

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Jennifer Brooks

About the author


Jennifer Brooks

A marketing expert, Jenny has the skills and knowledge to advise you about the best ways to elevate your business. With her advice, you will be reaching more prospective couples and achieving business success in no time.

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