December 1, 2016
Be ready for the rush … increase your travel bookings this January!
Digital is playing an ever more important role in a consumers’ travel journey and yet consumers still find it too time-consuming and not-at-all user-friendly.
As we approach the key holiday booking period of January/February we have developed a short checklist of points to smooth your consumers journey and make sure that not a single booking gets away!
- Is your website responsive; i.e optimised to work seamlessly on smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC?
Why is this important?
- Ease of booking is the main expectation (after price) from a holiday company. A website which is difficult to use on a mobile will lead to consumers looking elsewhere….potentially losing you bookings
- A responsive website is also more likely to serve appropriate content to the Google ‘bots’ – the algorithms which help determine where you rank on the search pages. You need to be seen on line!
- On average, consumers are using 8 different websites to research their holiday. That is, 8 different opportunities to book with your competitors. Make your website intuitive to use and don’t overload it – keep them on your site!
- Do you know what and how your consumers are searching?
Why is this important?
- Consumers search differently for holidays than they do for consumer purchases, according to a study by GfK, the market research specialists. They are inclined to use shorter, more focused search terms in travel than they would in other sectors. If you don’t know the search terms which consumers are using to look for their holidays, then it will be difficult to implement a search strategy. Without this it may be difficult to find your business online. An expert digital agency can help here.
- Is your product – your holiday, your venue, your attraction beautifully displayed? Have you integrated video into your website?
Why is this important?
- There are many digital opportunities to showcase and sell holidays, venues, and attractions on-line; the availability of social platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are perhaps one of the biggest changes (and cost savings) in recent years. The days of brochures the size of a telephone directory are gone and replaced by immersive images and inviting photography.
- Video is a wonderful opportunity for brands to engage with consumers in the pre-holiday phase. Some studies show that websites which include video on the home page have an 80% increase in conversions1. 360 degree tours – whether of a hotel or a holiday in itself – are also a terrific way to help consumers ‘try before they buy’.
- Do you have a social media strategy in place? Does your website show customer feedback?
Why is it important?
- Social media such as Facebook and twitter can play an important role in ratifying consumer’s decisions and the more image-led media such as Instagram offer brands another opportunity to showcase their offer. It’s not always necessary to be active on all social channels, but it is important to have considered it!
If you have answered ‘no’ or ‘maybe’ to any of the questions on this checklist, then give the friendly experts at MCM Net a call for a free, no obligation chat about your digital challenges. We’d love to hear from you.
Just call: 01732 368 120
Or email: info@mcmnet.co.uk
Source: (www.eyeview.com)
