5 Reason you may need to consider a website redesign
There’s no better or more cost effective way to advertise your bed & breakfast, self catering property or hotel than on the World Wide Web. Done correctly, your web pages make your accommodation easily accessible to anyone with a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Your web presence can be one of your most valuable tools to connect with customers, build credibility and drive more bookings.
What we have noticed is that many accommodation owners understand that their website and marketing strategy may need improving, but not knowing where to start prevents them from making the first step. Because this is an all too common challenge, we have compiled five quick reasons why you should consider a re-design.
It’s outdated – Your users expect your website to be clean, simple and pleasing to the eye. With so many other accommodation providers to choose from, it is vital that your website stands out. If you haven’t updated your website in the last 24-months, the chances are that it may need a re-vamp. Unfortunately, like all technology, websites evolve at a rapid rate.
There is no call to action – Ask yourself, is it clear what you want website visitors to do once they are at your website? Obviously, we would all love them to book straight away, but in reality that doesn’t always happen. Consider adding a call to action that requires less commitment, such as signing up to your newsletter, or adding a download for a guide on things to do/places to eat. Make sure you capture their email address during the process so that you can then email them directly about special offers, an event in your area or when you start taking bookings for the next year.
It fails to build credibility – Ultimately most websites are created to establish credibility. If you’re not showing customer testimonials then you should be.
Your accommodation isn’t visible on other platforms – Are visitors connecting with you on other medias? Try to be on as many social media platforms as possible so that you can connect and build relationships with potential guests.
It’s hard to maintain – Content is king and fresh content drives traffic. You need to update your website frequently, otherwise people won’t have a reason to keep coming back. We always recommend a blog to be added to most sites. Even posting just one article a month will increase your sites visability whilst giving potential visitors a taste for your local area. If your site is hard to update it’s natural that updates will take you more time. That’s why all Web Design For Accommodation websites come with a Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress which have built-in solutions to make updating your website easier. If you have a complicated website which is hard to update we would love to help.
If some of these factors apply to your website or you are unsure of what to do feel free to contact us at info@webdfa.co.uk and we would be more than happy to carry out a free website appraisal and recommend any steps that may be needed.
Whilst website updates may seem challenging, they are worth all the effort in the end.
