As yoga continues to grow in popularity, there are an ever increasing number of yoga studios operating in your area. How can you set your studio apart from the competition and let people know what you have to offer? As the first point of contact for new clients and an information hub for current students, your studio’s website plays a pivotal marketing role. Here are some simple but highly effective ways to create a well-designed, informative, and engaging website that highlights your studio.

Be eye-catching – in a good way!

We have all seen our fair share of ugly websites! For good or for bad, web design instantly conveys a strong message about a business. Imagine you are a first-time visitor to your website; does your studio appear to be professional or amateur? Fun or stuffy? Welcoming or judgmental? The following design rules help create a memorable first impression.

• Choose your font(s) wisely. Fonts can speak volumes! Old standbys like Times New Roman or Arial are generic and just plain boring. On the other end of the spectrum, fonts like Comic Sans are childish and unprofessional. Be mindful of what message you want to send when selecting fonts. A good font should be legible, professional, and not distracting.
• White space is your friend! Amateur web designers are often tempted to take a “more is more” approach. However, it is best to space out content and leave plenty of “white” space. This allows the eye to easily travel and find relevant information, and ensures that your content is easy to read on mobile devices. White space also gives your website a clean, modern, and professional look.
• Scrolling isn’t the enemy. There is an old web design adage to keep content “above the fold,” meaning that visitors should not have to scroll down the page to see important content. However, this is an outdated way of thinking! Today’s web users don’t think twice about scrolling, so there is no need to cram too much text front and center.
• Include interesting visual elements. In moderation, it is a good idea to include media such as image carousels or looping background videos. Multimedia will break up chunks of text and create visual interest.

Make your yoga studio website easy to find and easy to use

A visually appealing website means nothing unless new clients can find it! Most people will first discover your yoga studio website through a search engine such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing. With each search yielding millions of hits, how can you make sure that your studio rises to the top? That is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in! Simply put, web designers and content writers employ SEO techniques to help your website appear first when potential clients search for local yoga studios. A professional marketing firm can create an individual SEO plan for you.

Equally important, your website must be user-friendly. A frustrated web user is unlikely to stay on your site for long, and is even less likely to visit your studio in person! The following elements will help users navigate your website quickly and confidently, giving them all the information they need to access your studio.

• A navigation menu that is accessible, simple, and intuitive to use.
• Content that is concise and easy to read, with headers and key phrases highlighted, bolded, underlined, or otherwise emphasized.
• Responsive accessibility, so that clients can pull up your site on their smart devices anytime, anywhere.

Infuse your website with personality

Yoga isn’t just physical exercise; at its best, yoga is an affirming and social activity. When clients are looking for a studio to call home and a teacher to guide them on their journey of self-discovery, they want a place where they can be themselves and feel entirely comfortable. Because of this, a boring, soulless website will turn off many potential clients! Try these simple tips to project your authentic self onto your website and invite people to experience your studio in person.

• Include testimonials on your website from past or current students that speak to your passion and positive qualities.
• Write content in an open tone of voice that balances professionalism with unique aspects of your own personality, such as warmth or humor.
• Feature photos of yourself, your studio, and your classes rather than generic stock photos.

Custom design solutions for your yoga studio’s website

If you already have a responsive website for your yoga studio, look at it critically and ask yourself what’s working and what’s not. Because you see your own website frequently, it can be difficult to view it as an outsider would; that is why it is so important to enlist expert help! A proven yoga web design expert like Downdog Creative can revamp your website and implement a comprehensive marketing plan.

Whether your studio is based in Northeast Ohio or elsewhere in the United States, contact Downdog Creative today to find out how you can optimize your website and meet all your digital marketing goals.