A radio station’s Contests page should be one of the most engaging areas of the website. It’s where listeners go to get excited, feel involved, and participate in the station experience. But when there’s nothing listed—no prizes, no promos, no activity—it can send the wrong message. Last week, we talked about not having “Under Construction” pages. An empty contest page can give the same bad impression for your radio station.
Why a Blank Contests Page is a Bad Look
- It looks lazy. Listeners see an empty page and wonder if your team forgot about it—or worse, if you’re just not doing anything fun.
- It kills engagement. If someone’s clicking “Contests,” they’re looking to interact. Giveaways are trust builders and attention grabbers. Sending people to a blank page? That’s a dropped ball – especially if you’re doing a contest on-air and there’s no mention of it.
- It harms credibility. An empty contests page is like a spot of dead air. It makes the station feel less active and less connected.
What to Do on Your Contest Page Instead
1. Showcase Past Winners
Keep the excitement going even when there’s no live contest. Add a section like:
“Amber from Madison just won 2 tickets to Chris Stapleton at the Amp! Could you be next?”
Include photos, quotes, or even short winner stories. This builds anticipation and shows contests are still a regular thing.
2. Tease What’s Coming
Even if nothing is live, something is (hopefully) always around the corner.
“Our next big giveaway drops November 15th. Make sure you’re on our email list so you don’t miss it!”
Add a “Coming Soon” graphic, mystery prize teaser, or countdown clock.
3. Turn Visitors Into Subscribers
Use the moment to grow your VIP list:
“Want to be the first to know about new contests? Join the VIP Club.”
Now your empty page is building future engagement.
4. Highlight Other Ways to Engage
Don’t make your contests page a dead end. Suggest alternative actions:
- Check the Events Calendar
- Sign up for the Newsletter
- Visit the Photo Gallery
5. Remove the Contests Page Link (Temporarily)
If you know for sure that you won’t be running any contests for a while, just pull the link from the menu. No harm, no foul. It’s better than sending people to a dead-end page and gives you time to build up a better experience for when contests return.
What NOT to Do
- Don’t leave the page completely blank
- Don’t just write “Check back soon” in plain text and call it a day
Final Take
Your “Contests” page should always feel like something exciting is just around the corner. If you don’t have any online registration contests, continue to list and promote your on-air contests on this page. When no giveaway is running, you can still use that space to tease, engage, and convert.
Treat it like a promo break so you’re not wasting the digital real estate.
Need help making your contests page feel alive even when it’s quiet? We’ve got strategies and tools that make this easy. Visit skyrocketradio.com and let’s make your station website work harder for you.
We want to help your radio station grow and succeed online. That journey starts with an amazing website that keeps visitors coming back often. Reach out to us to start your path to online success, or schedule an appointment to see our tools in action.