9 Common Website Mistakes That Travel Businesses Should Avoid

Nowadays, many travel companies rely on their website to be the face of their business as bookings are completed online and not seated in an office with an agent.

And while your existing clients know just how great your services are, if your website isn’t properly optimized to be the impressive marketing tool it can be, then new and potential clients may not make it far enough in to see it for themselves.

Because it is the metaphorical shop window which customers peer into before choosing to enter or pass by, there are a number of common website mistakes that every business should avoid making.

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9 Common Website Mistakes To Avoid

1. You Are Not Updating The Content Regularly Enough

Just because you have set up your website, outlined your tours and added images or videos, doesn't mean you can leave it to do its thing now. The reality is that you have to continuously update it with fresh content to keep customers engaged.

A recommendation here is to blog regularly. This will help with your SEO and increase organic traffic to your site. Also, it will improve awareness and build trust for your travel brand as you can use the space to show that you are an authority in your field.

2. There Is No Clear Path To Purchase

One of the most common website mistakes businesses make is to not have a prominent call to action that provides a clear path to purchase.

Once people land on your website, there needs to be clear direction on which steps they should make next. The buttons and menus should leave them with no uncertainty as to where they can find out information about your tours, and subsequently make a purchase.

3. Write Great Descriptions For Your Tours

It is not only about having a clear call to action. The path to purchase should also address travelers tour or travel related questions. This way, when they arrive at the Book Now button, there will be nothing left unanswered which could lead to them seeking information (and then booking) elsewhere.

Put yourself in your client’s shoes. Anticipate their needs and the information they are going to require, and write it into persuasive and inspiring tour descriptions or videos. Make sure the content is engaging and sets your business apart from the competition.

Give potential clients a reason to book with you, and make sure the information provided is concise so that they have confidence in your abilities to arrange a life-changing travel experience for them.

4. Your Site Is Not Properly Optimized For Mobile

As you know, in March 2018 Google switched to mobile-first indexing to rank websites and provide a better experience for their users. So it goes without saying that your website should be mobile responsive.

However, it should go above simply being mobile responsive. Your website needs to be fully optimized for mobile to provide a great user experience. Too often, the design and experience on a mobile site is sub-par when compared to the desktop version, and this shouldn’t be the case.

Travelers readily use mobile to book, especially for in-destination planning, and if your mobile site does not provide them with a great experience, 88% of them will switch to another that does.

5. It Takes Ages To Load

You have been there, you know how frustrating navigating a slow website can be. Avoid making common website mistakes like this on your own site and ensure that everything loads quickly to provide a seamless experience for your visitors.

The usual culprits here are inefficient web hosting packages and large image files that haven’t been sized correctly. Make sure that you use a decent hosting service and size images appropriately so that they don’t slow page loading speeds.

6. Your Photo And Video Content Could Be More Appealing

This is especially important for any travel business as travelers look for images and videos to check what they are buying into.

If you are not using beautiful and inspiring imagery of your tours to hook interest, you could be losing potential customers to a competitor who does, even if you have the better travel offering.

Invest in a professional photographer to get some great images or video for your business, it will give your clients the ability to picture themselves on your tour and hopefully buy in.

7. You Aren’t Using Analytics

Google Analytics is a very handy, and free, business tool to use for your website. From it, you can track metrics such as daily, weekly, and monthly visitors, where they are coming from – direct, search or social, how long they spend on your site, and which pages they are visiting.

With access to this sort of data, you can figure out where travelers are dropping off after they land on it.

For example, if a social media advertising campaign to promote your tours takes people through to your home page, and analytics picks up that they never make it past there, you then know that something needs to be adjusted.

Either you need to take interested travelers through to your tour descriptions page, or set up a specific promotions page which provides all the information as well as a book now button for immediate action.

8. Outdated Branding And Logos

One of the most common website mistakes people make is not updating their branding over the years. You update your tours, your images, and your videos over time to accommodate changes in the market or your offering, so why not your branding and logo as well?

Think of it as remodeling your house. Aim to freshen up the look and liven up your branding every decade or so to keep up with the times and stay connected with the world.

9. Requesting Credit Card Details From An Old Site

It doesn't matter if you have the necessary measures in place to facilitate secure credit card transactions, if your site is old, you are going to have a hard time getting clients to hand over their details to you to make payments.

An old site looks less permanent and can seem less trustworthy, especially to travelers who have not dealt with you before. Therefore, it is in your interests to create a modern website that people trust so that they are willing to transact with your business.

We hope you have enjoyed our insights on some of the common website mistakes that your travel business should avoid. By knowing what to look out for, you will give visitors to your site a better experience that builds trust and secures travel bookings!