A lot of businesses don’t run the same way all twelve months. A boat repair shop is slammed in April and quiet in January. A produce stand opens in July and closes after the pumpkins are gone. Simplified Internet Design offers website design in Cottrellville Township, MI for seasonal businesses that need a website that tells the truth about what is open right now.
The off-season problem most seasonal websites have
Here is what usually happens. The website gets a big update in spring, then nobody touches it again. By November, it still lists summer hours and a July event. A customer drives out, finds the gate closed, and decides you are hard to deal with.
The reverse hurts too. When a site says “closed for the season” and nothing else, people assume you are gone for good. Nobody knows when you reopen or what you still offer over the winter.
What a seasonal business website should show
A seasonal site does not need to be complicated. It does need a few things that are easy to change when the season turns:
- A clear status line at the top of the homepage: open, closed for the season, or opening soon, with a date.
- Current hours, plus a note about holiday or weather changes.
- What you still offer in the off-season, such as storage, preorders, gift cards, or service by appointment.
- A way to get on a list for opening day, through a simple sign-up form.
- Last season’s photos, so new visitors can picture what they are coming back for.
- A phone number that someone actually answers, or a note about when calls get returned.
That short list covers most of the questions people ask before they make the drive.
Planning the year before it starts
The easiest way to keep a seasonal site current is to plan the changes in advance. We sit down with you once and map out the year: when hours change, when you close, when preorders open, and when you reopen. After that, each switch takes minutes instead of a full rewrite.
Your Google listing should change on the same days. Our article on why your website and Google Business Profile should match explains why mismatched hours cost you trust. Short updates help as well, and we have written about how Google Business Profile posts keep people informed between seasons.
Getting ready for opening day
A website that sat quiet all winter can come back with problems. Forms may have stopped sending, links may point to old pages, and the “closed” banner may still be up. A few weeks before you reopen, we check the site from top to bottom and fix anything that broke. Our Burtchville Township page describes the kind of pre-season check we run.
If you would rather not handle the updates yourself, we can make the seasonal changes for you on the dates you choose. If you prefer to do them, we will show you how and leave simple written steps.
Website design in Cottrellville Township, MI along River Road
Cottrellville Township was established in 1822, and its pioneer settlers included the Cottrell (Cotteral) family. It borders Marine City, and its beach communities, including Avalon Beach, Cherry Beach, Martindale Beach, and Roberts Landing, sit along River Road (M-29). Starville lies farther west on Starville Road. About 3,400 people live in the township, according to the 2020 Census.
Of course, we build websites for year-round businesses too. See how a project works on our website design services page, or browse our portfolio. Nearby, we also serve Marine City and East China Township. For the full list, visit our Service Areas page.
Let’s plan your website’s year
Call 810-637-1849 or reach us through our contact form. Tell us when your busy season starts and ends, and we will suggest a simple plan to keep your website current all year.