Creating a Professional Online Presence for Your Yard

Today, most people will look online first when searching for equestrian establishments. Therefore, it is important for yards, riding schools and equestrian centres to have a strong online presence which captures attention and provides visitors with the information that they need.

But how can yard owners do this easily and affordably? Cheryl Johns, owner and founder of LiveryList and the Yard Owner Hub shares her tips with us.

Set up a website

It does not cost much to invest in a simple, user-friendly website. This should include a clear description of your services, high-quality photos of your facilities, details of pricing (should you wish to have these publicly available), contact details and location. If you also have social media platforms, it would be wise to also include a link to these.

You can choose to go into as much or as little detail as you like on your website, and it could even be as simple as one static landing page that gives people an outline of the important aspects of your services and facilities and provide them with the means to contact you. The simpler the website, the easier it will be to keep up-to-date and maintain.

Use social media

Social media is free and can be a great way to give an equestrian establishments an online presence. It is relatively easy to create business pages on social platforms. However, this is ideal to be run alongside a website or other online advertising bearing in mind that not everybody uses, nor is therefore able to access, social media sites.

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok can be powerful tools for business owners to reach local horse owners. You should set up a page that gives all the necessary information and contact details. It is ideal to post regularly, including photos and videos of your yard, news, updates on available spaces, or relevant advice or articles to show your expertise and knowledge. You can also follow other reputable equestrian accounts and share their content onto your own pages.

Facebook groups can also be a great way to share details of your services and vacancies. There are numerous localised and national groups covering yards, horse care and general equestrian that allow yards to advertise their services and vacancies.

Whether posting on your own pages or on groups it is important to engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages promptly.

Consider online advertising platforms

There are several equestrian specific advertising platforms such as LiveryList that allow you to promote your services, facilities and vacancies. These specifically target the audience seeking the services you are providing.

Same as with your own website it is important to include the relevant information on your adverts, and high-quality photos along with up-to-date contact details. You should check these online adverts regularly to ensure your business knees details, vacancy status and information contained therein is correct and current.

Other online options

Depending on the services you offer, other platforms may be an advantage. Riding schools for example could create a Tripadvisor profile to allow for past clients to leave their reviews. You could also create a Google listing for businesses of any type and could also search for other local (non-equestrian specific) business directories that may help you promote your services in your local area.

Whatever your method of online advertising, it is quick and simple to cross post the same information, content or photos for ease and simplicity of both uploading initially and ongoing updating. This will also ensure that the information is consistent across all advertising platforms.

It is important to keep a track of where your enquiries are generated from, particularly those that may come from paid advertisements to see how this investment fares regarding helping you fill spaces or sell services.

About LiveryList

Launched in 2011, LiveryList is the UK’s leading directory of equestrian establishments. In 2023 they launched the Yard Owner Hub, and are the industry leading and industry recognised resource for the owners of equestrian establishments.

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