I mentioned last week that a riding instruction web site is necessary for all horse business owners. But what exactly will you do with that web site once it is live on the Internet?
So many horse business owners squander their web sites to ineffective platforms, poor organization and useless information. Fortunately, there are plenty of quality purposes to which you can dedicate your own horse business web site.
- Updates on forthcoming horse shows.
- Photographs of you teaching.
- Descriptions of your amenities.
- Horse show results.
- Biographical information about the horse business owner.
- Biographical information about instructors, trainers and other professionals.
- Acknowledgements to sponsors and affiliates.
- Links to other horse business owners and equestrian resources.
- Overview of all services offered.
- Links to social media sites and other web sites you use on a daily basis.
- Articles about horses and other topics.
- Directions to your horse business.
- Contact information for your horse business.
- Calendar with upcoming events.
- Blog about your horse business and other topics.
- Travel updates about out-of-town shows and events.
- List of barn rules and other important information.
- Product reviews for equestrian-related equipment.
- Profiles of the barn dogs and barn cats.
- Lesson plans for horseback riders.
- Primers on horseback riding in general.
- Rants about the latest equestrian philosophy fads—and why they don’t work.
- Support equestrian rehab and rescue centers with links and info.
- Advice about what to wear to horseback riding lessons and/or horse shows.
- Information about sustainable farming.
- Videos of your students in class or competition.
- Up-to-date weather information.
- Pictures of your horse business facility.
- Descriptions of your facility and the land on which your horse business is located.
- Pricing information for all your services.
- Recommendations of other horse businesses for services you don’t offer.
- Photos/descriptions of horses and equipment for sale.
- A timeline of your horse business history.
- Write about your personal goals for your horse business.
- Contract downloads for boarding, training and other services.
- Memorial pages for lost equine friends.
- Photos/descriptions of recent equine acquisitions.
- Favorite recipes for horse treats.
- Link to great articles on other horse business web sites.
- Create pages for new additions to your horse business, such as the indoor arena.
- Create a photo tour of your farm, cross-country course or paddocks.
- Frequently asked questions about your horse business.
- Map to your horse business.
- Information about volunteering for horse show assistance.
- News about clinics, seminars and other informational events.
- Profile page for all the lesson horses.
- Information about upcoming breedings.
- News about new foals born at your horse business.
- Recommendations for equine insurance.
- Favorite places to ride horses outside the barn.
If this doesn’t get your creative wheels turning about what to include in your horse business web site, I don’t know what will.
Just remember that your horse business web site should be:
- Informative
- Entertaining
- Easily navigable
- Organized
About the Author: Laura Jane Thompson is the Editor in Chief of Riding Instructor University and the Feature writer for the horses section at Suite101. Follow her EquiTips on Twitter.
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