ONLINE PRESENCE NOT SO GREAT?
OR NOT ONE AT ALL?
If you are in the tourism or hospitality business, no doubt at some time you have watched The Hotel Inspector or Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares. You will have seen that two of the most important requirements in running a patronage business, is your online image and the accuracy of information you provide your visitors.
After all….. You want people to visit your establishment or stay at your accommodation.
Many businesses have the same website they came online with many years ago. Most were affordable cheapie websites thrown together. A lot still use outdated & clunky booking software. Photos of rooms or meals are the same photos taken 10 years ago. Most are not user friendly, search engine friendly, social media friendly or mobile friendly. Some are lucky enough to have a map, but many fail to have an address or phone number that’s easily found.
But it’s not just about your venue. What else is in the area? Are you partnering up with other businesses to promote your area? I may know there are wineries in your area, but are there caves as well? Are there good places to eat? Are ATM services available? How about transport in the region? Are there main roads, airports, train or bus routes? Is there a taxi service or hire cars to take me from place to place?
When you want people to visit your venue, you are inviting them to visit the town, city or region too. You can generate a lot of business around your town if you work together.
Looking Good
The best time to take photos for your website is at the beginning of your tourist season. Your rooms are looking their best, the restaurant is ready to roar, food is looking its freshest, and even you & your staff are ready for the season. So it stands to reason that this is the look you want to provide for your website viewers. So even if you are not ready to get your website built, get your camera out & start clicking. Better yet, start filming. This is also a great time to take lots of videos to add to your website & your social media campaigns.
Getting Noticed
No website? It really is time you considered having one. When customers are looking for accommodation or things to do, you really have no excuse for missing out on their trade. If you are a small business & can’t afford a website investment just yet, then set yourself up a business page on one of the social networks or travel networks. You can gain exposure, be talked about & maybe recommended. Your brand is becoming known. You now have an audience to announce the launch date of your website, and be able to promote it too.
Beautiful content. Responsive.
Tourism. Hospitality. Websites
If your business is important to you, then your website should be too. It is as much a part of your business as your front door. Your website is an investment in future bookings & trade. For what you spend on print advertising a year, you could have a website that will last a lot longer.
