Stop Expecting Social Media to Sell Your Wine
Your website is where the sale actually happens
When I ask incoming clients what their goal for Instagram is, the answer I hear most often is: “to increase sales.” Sometimes it’s wine sales, sometimes tasting appointments, sometimes events. And yes, increasing sales is the whole point of marketing, for sure, for sure.
But for wineries, sales can’t happen on Instagram directly. One of the jobs of Instagram and other social platforms is to get people to your website. Once they’re there, it’s your website’s job to capture the sale.
This is why, when a client comes to me saying, “We want to increase sales,” the first thing I look at is their website. How easy is it for me, the consumer, to find what I’m looking for? How many steps are between me and the thing I want?
If there are too many, you’ve already lost me.
Right now, I’m working with a web design and development firm to help one of my clients redo their site. For the record, I think their current site is already good, but there are a few things that could work better! I have another client who’s about to switch over to a new ecommerce platform, which means a full website overhaul is definitely on the horizon. These kinds of changes are normal and necessary! A website isn’t “one and done.” It should evolve as your business does.
So today, let’s talk about the 5 mistakes wineries make on their websites:
5 Mistakes Wineries Make on Their Websites
1. Too much stuff.
The number one mistake I see, particularly with older wine brands, is clutter. Too many words, too many photos, too many fonts and colors. It’s super overwhelming. Your homepage should guide, not confuse.
2. Flowery language.
If I have to wade through paragraphs of prose just to figure out what you sell, I’m gone. Keep it clear and straightforward on your homepage and save the long-winded stuff for a subpage.
3. Too many steps.
Every extra click between me and checkout is a chance for me to bail. Take me exactly where you want me to go in as few steps as possible.
4. Not mobile-friendly.
Most of your customers are visiting your site on their phones (especially if you’re using social media to get them there). If it’s clunky, slow, or unreadable, they’re not sticking around.
5. Not calling for the sale.
If you don’t actually ask me to buy, book, or join, I probably won’t. Clear (and frequent) calls-to-action matter.
What You Need on Your Homepage (In Order)
A simple, fixed banner with your logo or brand name and a simple navigation bar of the essentials. Bonus: put your primary call-to-action (like Shop Wines) in the upper right-hand corner. People read websites left to right, so having a CTA in the right corner helps.
A clear header that spells out what you offer. Don’t be cute or clever here, be super fucking clear. Example: “Rhone-style wines made in Tin City, Paso Robles, California.”
A “Shop Wines” button (or whatever your primary call to action is) above the fold. Don’t make people scroll for the thing you want them to do.
Three clickable images that take me straight to what you most want to sell. Example: Shop Wines | Book a Tasting | Join the Club.
OR
Dedicated sections for your three most important actions. The best winery sites guide visitors down the page in a clear, logical order:Visit Us. A short section that explains how people can come see you, with a Book a Tasting button.
Featured Wines. Highlight 3–5 bottles (ideally those that are on your tasting list or seasonal pushes) with a Shop All Wines button underneath.
Become a Member. A quick overview of your wine club with a Join Now button.
Some wineries also add an Upcoming Events section here if that’s a core part of their experience.
A short About section with a button that links to your full story.
A few testimonials or reviews (three is plenty). Guest feedback, wine scores, or press quotes all work here.
A mailing list sign-up banner, ideally with a lead generator (something worth trading an email for).
Everything else. Donald Miller calls this the “junk drawer.” Blog posts, more press/media, and your trade page can all live further down the page.
Wineries like Carhartt Family Wines, Buttonwood, and Clementine Carter do this really well. Their homepages are clean, easy to navigate, and move you through exactly the actions they want you to take.
Other Things Good Winery Websites Have
Once you’ve nailed the basics, here are a few elements that separate a functional website from a great one:
Great photography. Your homepage should feature strong, consistent images that show not only your wine, but the experience of visiting your tasting room, walking your vineyard, and enjoying your wine at the table. These photos do more to sell your story than paragraphs of text ever could. (Hi! You can hire me for this!)
Consistent branding. Colors, fonts, and tone should match across your site and your social media. Nothing kills trust faster than a website that feels totally disconnected from your Instagram feed.
Updated information. Your events, tasting room hours, and wines should always be current. A stale website reads like a stale brand, plus frequently updating your website (at least once a month) can help you rank higher on search engines.
If you want to go deeper into this topic, I highly recommend listening to my podcast episode with Ivy Kehoe of Hardpour Designs, where we break this all down in detail. You can also do some more reading on this kind of website architecture in Donald Miller’s Books: Building a StoryBrand and Marketing Made Simple.
Because at the end of the day, social media can spark interest, but your website is what closes the sale, and you deserve a website that does that.