Winery Website Must-Haves: What Today’s Wine Buyers Expect Online

Wine lovers still want a memorable in-person experience—but long before they visit your tasting room, they’re checking you out online.

Your website is no longer just a digital brochure. It’s your first impression, your 24/7 concierge, your wine club salesperson, and your ecommerce storefront—all rolled into one. And in today’s competitive market, wineries that invest in a strong website aren’t just staying relevant—they’re winning more visits, more signups, and more loyal customers.

So what does your winery website actually need to meet today’s expectations?

1. Mobile-First Design (Not Just Mobile-Friendly)

Most winery websites see over 70% of their traffic from mobile devices. If your site isn’t easy to use on a phone—slow to load, hard to scroll, menu buried behind confusing icons—you’re losing people before they even see your tasting room hours.

A strong mobile-first site loads fast, even on rural connections. It should be easy to navigate with big, tappable buttons, clear booking links, and visuals that don’t lag or break the layout. If it’s frustrating to use, visitors won’t stick around.

2. Clear, Compelling Content

Too many winery websites bury the good stuff. Wine descriptions read like label copy. Event pages have no RSVP options. The “Visit Us” section is just a map.

Modern wine buyers want to know what kind of experience they’ll have—what’s the vibe, who’s pouring the wine, and why they should stop at your place instead of the next winery down the road. Give them clear, specific content that reflects your voice and your space. The more real and conversational it feels, the more it connects. Generic copy makes you forgettable.

3. Smart Navigation and User Flow

Your homepage isn’t a landing page—it’s a launch point. A well-structured site makes it obvious what to do next: make a reservation, get directions, browse wines, or learn more about your story. Prioritize the pages your visitors care about most, and keep navigation clean and intuitive.

Think of your content like a wine tasting. Start with something approachable, guide them through what you offer, and leave them with something memorable.

4. Integrated Wine Ecommerce That Works

If you want people to buy wine online, the experience needs to be seamless. That starts with the right ecommerce platform.

Most wineries use either OrderPort or Commerce7. Both are solid when it comes to club tools, compliance, and POS integration—but their built-in website templates often fall short. They’re limited in design, hard to optimize for mobile, and not built for SEO. If you’re using one of these platforms, great—but the customer-facing portions of your website shouldn’t be an afterthought.

We typically recommend using OrderPort or Commerce7 as the backend, and building a custom site that connects to it seamlessly on the front end. You get the power of a wine-focused system, without compromising the user experience, design, or visibility.

Read: How to Choose an Ecommerce Solution for Your Winery

5. SEO Basics (That Aren’t Actually Basic)

You don’t need to be an SEO expert—but your site does need the fundamentals in place. Use real page titles (not just “Home”). Make sure your winery name, location, and offerings show up naturally in your headers. Interlink relevant pages—like tastings, events, and wine clubs—and keep your site easy for search engines to index.

This stuff matters more than ever. With Google’s AI-powered search summarizing results, poorly structured sites may get skipped altogether.

Bottom Line: Your Winery Website Should Work as Hard as You Do

A beautiful website is great. But if it doesn’t help people find you, visit you, or buy from you, it’s not doing its job.

Whether you’re building your first winery website or rethinking an older one, make sure it’s built to support your business. That means fast, mobile-first design, clear navigation, integrated ecommerce, and pages that actually convert visitors into customers.

If your website isn’t where it needs to be, don’t stress—we can help you get there.

Want a Website That Actually Supports Your Winery’s Growth?

At Crimson Vine Marketing, we specialize in winery websites that look beautiful, load fast, and convert visitors into buyers, guests, and members. Whether you’re on OrderPort, Commerce7, or exploring your options, we’ll help you build a site that reflects your brand—and works like your best salesperson.

Let’s talk winery websites →