If you need a website or have one…
Strategies and Guidelines for Good Web Site Management

Marilyn J Macallair
Vice President Business Development

View Marilyn’s actual Power Point demonstration here

Ask yourself these questions

• Do you have a website?
• Do you think your website is working well for you?
• Do you have enough content on your website?
• Do you update your website?
• Do you have time to manage your website?
• How important is your website?

Your website should be mighty important!

Website strategy should be an integral part of your overall marketing plans:

• Direct Mail
• Newspaper advertising/Yellow Pages
• Consumer shows and fairs
• Email Marketing
• Overall promotion of your brand

Why do you need a website?

• Because everyone else has one (close to 80% of travel agencies)
• To stay competitive
• To grow your business with your existing client base
• To add new customers

Case Studies

Gary Davis, All About Travel said:

“Close to 50% of my business ($20M in leisure sales) originates from electronic communications, my website or emails that have a call to action”

“…the sale may not be booked online but it is definitely qualified online”.

Greg Burgess, Beach Hut Vacations said having a website is essential to his business.

“Email is the key driver. I participate in any and all special supplier emails that are available at no cost…Email doesn’t necessarily generate the sale from that particular offer…Talking to your customers, sending relevant offers creates awareness. The email makes the phone ring and the agent makes the sale”.

Your website is your brochure

What does a website need most?

• Content – updated and consistent
• Customization – prioritize your offers, highlight what you want to sell, customize your message
• Ease of use for the customer – Your have 4 seconds or 3 clicks to entice a customer or they’re gone
• Clarity – what do you sell? What is your specialty? How does the customer contact you?

What should a website NOT do?

• Be busy, confusing or gimmicky – many supplier logos; too much flashy media
• Use too many colors
• Have awkward navigation – supplier booking engines
• Include link titles that don’t mean anything – “Click here!”
• Use links that take people away from your website…

Maximize the consumer experience

• Provide clear navigation!
• Key objectives – get visitors to stay on the site and find what they are looking for easily
• Important links in prominent places, preferably on top or left because this is where the eyes go first
  • Avoid putting important information on the bottom of the page
  • Primary links are all visible without scrolling and available on every page
• Limit depth of navigation
• Keep it Simple!
• Emphasize YOUR Brand – avoid too many suppliers logos
• Accurate and complelling content
• Avoid multiple, redundant supplier search engines and content
• Avoid the ‘Endless Page’ – too much data

Some tips for improving your website and working with Search Engines

• Add your City, State and Zip code to the footer area of your website
• Sign up for the agency locators on your preferred suppliers website (Remember to include a link to your website!)
• Ask companies that you like or that you work with if you can link to their website from yours and ask them to link to yours.
  • For example: If you are a honeymoon specialist and work with a wedding planner, link to your wedding planners website and ask them to link to yours.
• Include your website link on all printed material – your business cards, email signatures, invoices, client documents, even the sign on your building!
• Customize the text on your website. Your clients want to know about your agency. Some suggestions are:
  • Specialities/Expertise
  • Recent Trips – make a reviews area and include a review on every destination you visit
  • Meet our agents – include contact information, a brief bio and specialties for each agent
  • Favorite destinations
• Look at the text links on your website and change the ones that say things like Click here. You want to change the Click Here’s to a better description of what the client will be shown when they click on the link
  • For Example: If you have a honeymoon page that says Click here to see Jamaica Honeymoons, change the clickable link to Current Jamaica Honeymoon Specials
• Avoid using PDF’s for things like special groups, cruise information or newsletters. Instead, create a page and copy the text from the PDF onto the page.
• Submit sitemaps to Google and Yahoo.
• Add a META description tag. You should add a unique META description tage to each page, but start with the home page. The META description tag should be a 2-3 sentence summary about that page. A Home page example might be:
  • ABC Travel – the premier adventure travel agency in Portland, Oregon – has just celebrated 23 years in business. We are commited to making your next adventure vacation a dream come true. From rock climbing to whitewater rafting, we’ve done it all and can advise you on the perfect destination for your adventure travel interests.
• Add Google’s META verification tag

Summary

• Stand out from the clutter
• Use the tools in your arsenal
• Create or highlight unique content
• Control your message
• Prioritize your product offers
• Maximize revenues – directionally sell to reach financial targets