Why Do You Need an Announcement Bar?
"Are you open today?" "Do you trade over the holidays?" You probably field these calls several times a day. In Australia, where there are plenty of public holidays, letting customers know about temporary closures or changed trading hours on time really matters.
This is where an announcement bar comes in handy. It's a thin strip displayed at the very top of your website — visible first on every page, no matter which one a visitor lands on. Unlike a popup, it doesn't block your content, so it feels far less intrusive.
When to Use It
- Public holiday hours: "Open on Australia Day / Closed Good Friday"
- Temporary closures or time changes: when you unexpectedly close or open late
- Promotions: "15% off lunch sets this weekend"
- News: new location, new menu, online bookings now available
How to Build an Effective Bar
1. One message at a time. Cramming in several notices means none of them land.
2. Add a call to action. Buttons like "Learn more" or "Book now" linking to a detail page turn enquiries into sales.
3. Stand out, but don't overdo it. Use your brand colours, and reserve high-contrast tones for the important stuff.
4. Provide a close button. Customers should be able to dismiss it after reading, so return visits feel smooth.
5. Always take it down when it expires. A stale public-holiday notice left up actually erodes trust.
Easy Management Keeps It Alive
The key to an announcement bar is that you should be able to switch it on and off yourself, easily. If you have to email your web provider every time the message changes, it'll end up neglected. It's best set up so you can edit the text, colour and display period straight from your admin dashboard.
PICKTECH installs an announcement bar you can manage yourself, tailored to your website. If you'd like to cut down on phone enquiries with a single notice, feel free to get in touch.