In the age of digital advertising, a small business’s website is one of their best marketing tools. Whether you’re opening a new dance studio or revamping your old website, put in the time and effort to make it an accurate representation of what your company has to offer. The following elements are essential when creating a great dance studio website.

1. Simple Navigation Tools

When designing a dance studio website, it’s important to take navigation and user experience into account. To The Pointe Marketing recommended that all essential information is included on your site and easy to find. Every page should be relevant to your message and clearly labeled to keep your website from becoming a maze. Aim for just one navigation bar with drop-down menus if needed. Make sure a visitor can easily navigate back to your landing page. If your website is confusing or glitchy, you’ll send potential students running.

2. A Great “About Us” Page

Once a potential customer makes it to your home page, the next place they’ll likely click is on the website’s “About Us.” If you don’t have an information page, it’s time to make one. According to Dance Studio Marketing, a well-written “About” page can inform visitors of the studio’s credentials, history and philosophy, and begin to establish a rapport with potential students.

To make the most of this page, try to inject some personality into your description and be honest. Telling a short, witty anecdote about your studio or yourself can help visitors get a feel for your personality. You should also include your credentials and experience and those of your instructors. If you have a large staff, it might be best to have a separate page about faculty. Finally, include your phone number and email address on your “About” page. Even better, put contact information in your website’s footer so it appears on every page.

3. High-Quality Pictures

Students and parents will want a look into your facilities, so include a lot of high-quality pictures. These photos should be in focus (not blurry) and high-resolution. If possible, avoid using pictures taken with cell phones, as they are generally lower quality. Throughout the site, you’ll probably want to include images of the practice rooms, performance space, changing rooms, offices and staff. You can include photographs of students, but make sure you have their parents sign a release first. Videos and pictures from your best performances are another component that will encourage new business and help you get a leg up on the competition.

4. Internal Links

Dance Studio Marketing also emphasized the importance of including internal links on your website. Linking key phrases will help your site to appear higher in search engines. A good example is to have links to your class schedule and faculty profiles on your “About” page. Don’t go crazy with linking though – two or three per page is enough.

5. Analytics

Once you’ve put the time and effort into customizing your dance studio website, you want to be able to track its effectiveness. To The Pointe Marketing emphasized the importance of an analytics setup for online marketing. Analytic tools can tell you where your visitors are coming from, what pages they’re looking at, what links they’re clicking and how long they stay. Many web hosts like WordPress, SquareSpace and Blogger have analytic tools included, as do social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. It’s a powerful tool that can help tailor future marketing efforts and make the most of your budget.