Web Sites are No Longer Optional for Farm Marketing

By Jane Eckert - Eckert AgriMarketing

Tell me about your web site. What? You don't have a web site? Then I guess you just won the lottery and don't need to increase your farm revenues!

Today, not having a website is like not having a telephone.

If you want your business to grow, you can't be missing in action on the internet. Consumers rely on the internet to get information as well as organize family activities and trips. In fact, the travel industry says that 64% of consumers use the internet for all or part of their travel plans!

I am shocked at how many farmers do not have a web site! When I conduct workshops and talk with farmers around the country, I constantly stress how critical the internet is. So, if you're in this group, stop whatever you're doing. Put down your seed catalogs. Revise your marketing budget and get to work on the web.

Creating a website requires the following: an address for your website (called a domain registration), a technical connection to the internet (found through a web hosting service), a writer and technical designer to create your pages and get them up on the internet.

You also want to be sure that anyone surfing the net for farm information, for family activities or travel information, gets connected to your website quickly when they do a "search" on the internet through a search engine such as "Yahoo" or "Google."

If this sounds too technical, don't worry. There are companies that will help you build websites can handle all of this.

Whether you're starting from scratch or already have a site, let's look at what makes a farm website successful?

NUMBER ONE: Make the site very, very easy to navigate. Remember that website users want information quickly and don't have want to have to make their way through lots of pages that are of no interest to them.

NUMBER TWO: The whole look of the website should have the "feel" of a farm and be lighthearted. For example, using a red-and-white checked border, pictures of barns, tractors, animals, etc.

NUMBER THREE: Highlight your family! One of the reasons people flock to our farms is because of the family that owns it. Visitors love meeting the family and knowing the history of the farm. So give them a good taste of the family on your website.

NUMBER FOUR: Update, update, update! Keep your website fresh by adding new photos. Be sure your "Calendar of Events" is current and eliminate dates that have passed.

NUMBER FIVE: Here are some basics that should be part of every farm website:

• At the top or bottom of every page have your logo, address, phone number & hours of operation. This sounds so obvious and yet many sites don't include this on every page.

• A separate button for "Directions and Map". Be sure the map is extremely easy to follow and the directions are very specific, with the number of miles between each direction.

• A separate button for "Calendar of Events" that includes festivals, concerts, special events going on at the farm

• A separate button for "School Tours" and/or "Farm Tours" if you offer them

• A separate button entitled "About our Family" and includes photos of everybody, even pictures from the founding generations!

• A separate button for "Country Store" or special retail offerings

• A separate button for "Contact Us" as a way to send e-mails to you

• A separate button for "Sign up for our Newsletter" which will be sent via e-mail

• A separate button for "Coupons" or "Discounts" and give a decent offer there such as a free hamburger or a 2 for 1 admission on certain dates

• A separate button for "Ripening Calendar"

• A separate button for "Lodging" if you offer it

You may have other enterprises or offerings that need a separate button. The point is that somebody entering the home page of your website gets a very quick idea of everything you have to offer.

Take a look at other farm websites to get an idea of what you think works and what doesn't. But don't take your time. Get to this right away so that when the season begins, your website will be your most important marketing tool.

Jane Eckert, a national speaker, author and agritourism expert, is principal of Eckert AgriMarketing (www.eckertagrimarkting.com), a firm that helps farmers sell produce directly to consumers and develop their operations into tourist destinations. Jane can be reached at 314-862-6288 or you may to email her directly.