A website is the most powerful marketing tool for any business, wine businesses included. Among our clients as well as other brands we admire, we’ve seen some amazing winery websites out there. In this post, we’ll discuss what actually makes a great winery website and highlight some examples you can use as inspiration.

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Best Practices for Great Winery Websites

We’ve found that most great winery websites use most of these features in their design. When creating a new website for your winery or giving your existing site a facelift, keep these best practices in mind. 

Use Professional Photography

As mentioned, your website is the most powerful marketing tool you have, so you want to make sure it looks its best. While smartphone photos work for social channels, they won’t do well on your main business website. Professional photography can elevate the look of any website. The photography should not only showcase your products, but also your target audience enjoying your products, your team, your tasting room, and any other elements that make your business what it is. Make sure the photos are edited in a cohesive way to maintain brand consistency.

Include Best Sellers on the Homepage

If you sell your wines directly from your site, include a few of your best sellers right on the homepage. Make it even easier for your customers by allowing them to add the products directly to their cart from the homepage. 

Advertise Your Wine Club

Wine clubs are a powerful tool for any winery. Great wine clubs generate customer loyalty and market your business at the same time. Smart wineries make sure to advertise their wine clubs right on the homepage and include a clear call-to-action to sign up for the club. 

Post Your Event Schedule

Hosting events at your winery is a great way to draw in new business and convert visitors into loyal customers. If you have a tasting room, make sure that your event schedule is clearly posted so potential visitors can see what’s coming up. A simple banner running along the top of the homepage is an easy way to let customers know what you’ve got planned.

Choose the Right CMS

The right content management system (CMS) can go a long way in developing a great winery website. If your main goal is to drive e-commerce sales, platforms like Shopify are the best choices. You can easily build visually appealing and effective online stores through these platforms. If branding, visuals, and content are your main focuses over sales, WordPress would be the better platform. 

Partner with a Professional

Creating a website can be daunting, simply because there are so many moving parts. A professional marketing agency that specializes in website building and copywriting can take the stress out of the entire process. For the best results, find a marketing agency that specializes in working with wine brands.

Integrate a Store Locator

A good store locator gives your customers a way to find your product in stores close to them. A great store locator goes further by aggregating valuable data about customer search patterns so you can find the most valuable markets for your product. Grappos is one such great product locator. The Grappos store locator is fully customizable and compatible with virtually every website builder. Furthermore, the Grappos team handles customization, data management, and updates, so your team is free to focus on running your winery.

Request a store locator demo from Grappos →

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5 of the Best Winery Websites

Here are some of our favorite winery websites that have applied these best practices and produced fantastic results.

1. Josh Cellars

Josh Cellars has a sophisticated, tasteful winery website. The homepage showcases beautiful, brand-consistent photos and a carousel of featured wines that customers can purchase. The Josh Cellars story and purpose are also prominently featured in copy throughout the site, showcasing their authenticity as a brand. Josh Cellars has multiple calls-to-action on the homepage, including signing up for the wine club, shopping varietals, and even finding their products in stores nearby.

2. [yellow tail] Wines

The [yellow tail] website is a masterpiece. [yellow tail] fully embraces their branding to create a consistent experience. The website is decked out with colorful, high-quality images showcasing customers casually enjoying their wine. Site visitors can also shop [yellow tail] wines right from the homepage by selecting the type they’re interested in, from white and red, to sparkling and more.

3. McBride Sisters Collection

Gorgeous imagery of the McBride Sisters’ stunning California vineyard greets visitors to the McBride Sisters Collection site. More beautiful, high-quality photos are posted throughout the site, showcasing the breathtaking California coastline where their wines are made. Limited edition and specialty reserve wines are featured directly on the homepage, and an invitation to join the McBride Sisters Wine community is extended prominently as well. The McBride Sisters winery website communicates openness and generosity that few businesses achieve.

4. 19 Crimes

19 Crimes is a bold and unique wine brand and they lean into this identity with their website design. Inspired by the nineteen crimes that were punishable by transportation to the Australian penal colonies in the 1700s, 19 Crimes has designed a gritty, but cheeky, website that promotes their story and community. Celebrity partners Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart appear on the front page, promoting specialty wines and merchandise for the brand.

5. Kim Crawford

New Zealand brand Kim Crawford has designed a bright, beautiful website to showcase their delicious wines. But the Kim Crawford website is more than just an e-commerce platform. They showcase recipes and ambience inspiring photo galleries, as well as detailed information about each of their wines. For brands looking to create a holistic brand experience, look to the Kim Crawford website for inspiration.

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Designed to Succeed

A great winery website can do wonders for your business. We hope these best practices and examples of beautiful winery websites have inspired you to create something amazing and unique. To find out how a store locator can improve your winery site, reach out to our team to learn more about the Grappos app.

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• 10 Best Wine Marketing Companies in the U.S.
• 5 Marketing Tips for Wine Startups & Small Wineries
• 6 Best Wine Distributors in Canada