Starting A Winery Web Site: My Recommendations

The story so far:  an existing winery (without any Web presence) is  launching a new varietal (which won't be in production until 2010) -- you can read the details in my original post Starting A Winery Web Site: What Would You Do? along with several excellent reader suggestions.

I assume an existing winery already has a logo to go along with its name, but establishing your visual identity is important.

The next important thing is to obtain your winery's matching domain name, e.g. Acme Winery should try hard to own the domain AcmeWinery.com, as well as similar domains which people are likely to search (e.g. AcmeWine.com, AcmeWines.com).  In countries, where .com is not the predominant top-level domain, readers should make the appropriate adjustment.

As Paul Mabray pointed out in a comment on the original post, the poster child for wineries without Web sites is Josh Hermsmeyer's pinotblogger.com (which is now the home for his nascent Capozzi Winery).  Josh also owns CapozziWine.com and CapozziWines.com (although it appears that someone else controls CapozziWinery.com).

 If you were to follow Josh's example, you would set up a blog at www.AcmeWinery.com and start blogging.  For a startup winery, your winery Web site is your winery blog.  The advantage of using blogging software like Wordpress or TypePad is that many of the headaches involving the mechanics of a Web site are eliminated.

I also recommend using a hosted service (e.g. WordPress.com or TypePad.com or Blogger.com), where someone else sets up and maintains the blogging software for you.  You lose some flexibility, but when you are starting out that flexibility is just one more thing to contend with.  Note that with any of these three, you will have to do a little extra work (called "domain mapping") so that www.AcmeWinery.com points to your hosted blog.

Your site doesn't need to be fancy, but it must show the following things in the header (which appears on every page):  your logo, the name of your winery, and your contact information (perhaps just a phone or e-mail if you don't have a physical location yet).  Remember, your logo will be the way most people remember your winery, so make a point of showing it.

Before ever making your first post, you must sign up for Google Analytics and install the simple tracking code into the template for your blog, so that right from the start you have quantitative information about how people use your winery Web site.

You'll also need some static "Pages" which explain what's going on (TypePad and Wordpress make this easy).  Visitors to a blog are coming in to the middle of a story in progress, where newer posts replace older ones.  You need a page that explains the story so far.  Again, pinotblogger is a great model.  I don't think Josh will mind if you copy his ideas.

Plan to create 5 - 10 initial posts before telling anyone about your blog.  Take pictures and write stories about them.  Introduce the cast of characters (again, with pictures).  In the case of this particular winery, which has an existing product, do some posting about that wine (and let people know if/how they can obtain some of that wine locally).  If this step seems hard, maybe you should re-consider blogging (see my recommendation at the end).

Once you announce your web site (you can use a free press release service, but also send a personal note to local business editors), plan to post once a week.  Have a list of ideas which you can draw on for those weeks when nothing is happening at the winery itself.  Consistency is important in building up a following for your blog.  Again, for ideas start with the oldest post on pinotblogger, and read forward.

In addition, you must create an environment where people want to stay in touch with you.  Notice that one prominent feature on every page of Josh's blog is an invitation to join the Capozzi mailing list, which offers several benefits:

• you will receive notice of the inaugural vintage, whenever it happens
• you will have first priority in allocation of the inaugural vintage 
• you are a Pinot Pioneer, giving you access to 
  • discounts 
  • library wines 
  • Pinot Points (redeemable for cool stuff)
• you receive invitation to winery events and other special happenings

These are all incentives for someone to give you their contact information so you can continue to interact with them.  Since the winery in question has a "captive market" for its existing production, it's extra-important to get these folks on their mailing list (it doesn't sound to me as if they are).

You should give your mailing list customers the option of receiving your blog updates via e-mail (ideally, they know how to subscribe via RSS, but I suspect allowing them to opt-in to e-mail copies of posts is easier for most people).  FeedBlitz is the service I offer my readers to receive blog posts via e-mail, since it integrates nicely with TypePad.

You may also want to create a standalone "Visit Us" page if you are in a position to receive visitors.  People who are interested in visiting a startup winery are potential "true fans" that you want to cultivate.  Even if you can't invite people to the winery, you may want to create some (quarterly) events where you can meet people who have been nice enough to join your list before there's any wine to buy.

One thing that I would recommend for this particular winery is to think about emulating the "wine futures" program of David Coffaro Estate Winery as they plan for their inaugural vintage.  David's approach strikes me as a pretty sharp one, as long as you are clear about its limitations.

To summarize, when starting a winery Web site, you need:

• A logo (this is the visual identity you are establishing)
• A domain name that closely matches the name of your winery 
• Hosted blogging software with "page" capability  (TypePad or Wordpress)
• A blog header with your name, logo, and contact information. 
• Google Analytics installed
• A page which tells the story that people are joining
• Five to ten inital blog posts.  No one likes an empty blog.
• A commitment to post on a regular, weekly basis. 
• A way to capture visitor contact information (and incentives for people to provide it) 
• To make people aware of your winery Web site by adding its URL to your e-mail signature, letterhead, business cards, printed materials, and any other information you send out into the world.
• To let me know about it! 

The bottom line is you want people to be interested enough that they will give you contact information (even just an e-mail).  The way to do that is to tell an interesting story about your winery, and the best way to tell stories on the Web is with a blog.  Then take good care of the people who are interested in your story.

The downside:  if you aren't writing interesting stuff, your efforts will be largely wasted.  In that case, a single static page with your logo, winery name, contact information, and the basic story (one or two paragraphs at most) will serve you as well.  Don't forget to let people join your mailing list (although I doubt you'll get many sign-ups without other promotion).

What did I forget?  Add a comment!

Comments

[rick]

Mike,

In the general case I think it's even more important to ask the basic questions:

1) Why am I creating a website for the winery?
2) What are its goals?
3) Who are the audiences?
4) How does the site fit into my overall marketing plan?

Specific questions that might fall out are:
1) If I gather names, what am I going to do with them?

2) Will I sell off the site?
3) Will I build a mailing list? What re the perks for being on the list? Do I get allocated wines? Special wines not available to the public? Just early notice of releases?

I have some friends who run a small, high quality winery of about 2500 cases. They regularly sell out. Now, they COULD allow people to buy from the site, but the advnatge to that would only be to shift some wine from distributors to direct, increasing margins. Against that, they need to weigh setting up an e-commerce presence, the overhead of processing and shipping smaller orders and the regulatory issues involved in shipping to some states. All of those questions fall out of "Do we want to sell direct from the site?"

Also, the answer to some questions will guide the structure of your site. If you don't choose to sell direct, you might want to point a list of retailers known to sell your wine (if that's legal in your state).

Most of the questions and some top level answers will only take a few hours to explore - grab a business savvy friend and use them as a sounding board.

The specific case you were asked about is, I think, a bit unique in that the winery has a cool 'we're taking over a vineyard that's been neglected and revamping it' story. That's an immediate hook and, unless they hate to write, worth starting a winery site for just to blog the story. But they should still ask themselves all of the questions above and not simply copy other sites. Most important is to think about the marketing plan as a whole that goes beyond the site. Yes, a site is a good thing... but they're increasing their production tenfold - how are they going to let people know about the wines? That's the central question.

[Fabius]

Mike, Rick,

Thanks for the really helpful advice above. I realize now that I haven't even taken Step #1 of the process, ie I need to think of a name and logo for the project!! then a domain-name, then a webpage with all the features and characteristics mentioned above, including a blog section where I can tell the story. So obvious really, if you take time out to think about it, yet there I was - ready to hire a graphic designer!!!

I'm kind of glad now that I won't have any product to sell in 2009; it gives me a whole year to concentrate on recovering the vineyard and working on the business/marketing plan. And also setting up a blog to tell the story. I've actually aalready set up a 'practice blog' (for the existing project) here: http://vinopuchero.blogspot.com/

The purpose/goal of this blog is purely so I can get to grips with the technical aspects (format, layout, features, etc) of blogs, as I have zero experience in this. I actually have no real need to do this for sales/marketing purposes (due to the 'captive market' apsect and I keep in contact with the customers via email).
I'm finding it a bit hard going, (especially trying to create 'expandable posts') but I suppose it'll get easier as I practice. I was cutting and pasting code snippets all weekend - to no avail!

By the way, not only has the new larger vineyard been abandoned (unpruned and unploughed, small trees/saplings growing), but animals from the adjoining game preserve have invaded it and eaten the shoots and leaves! I suspect boars and deer, judging by the tracks and spoor.
And as if that's not enough, this summer there was a forest fire (from the other direction) which affected a few hundred vines at the edge. I think they were just seared and not burnt up completely. All good blog material, I suppose, even though none of it is good agriculturally!!!

[Paul Mabray]

Mike,
Unfortunately I am under a time crunch but in summary I think that Fabius puts up the key - what is your strategy to your site and more importantly, how does it fit into your overall sales and marketing strategy with a focus on the customer. That will inform your web and data decisions more than anything (including whether you should do a blog, a website provider, or total ecommerce and what type). Thanks again though for leading with a flashlight in what most consider a dark and difficult road.
P