TOURISM BLOG / WEBSITE HEALTH CHECK

WEBSITE HEALTH CHECK

By Peter Freeman, Director Woof Media

After auditing (and rebuilding) many tourism websites, I’ve seen these and many other mistakes too often. How many of these are you making? Take the website health check to find out!

1) “Everyone” is your target audience

Your website must be laser-focused on your ideal customer and answer their question of “What’s in it for me” within seconds.

2) There’s no clear path to purchase

Be intentional about the journey your ideal customer should take through your website. Lose the 14 menus and 17 buttons–too many choices will overwhelm visitors into inaction.

3) Mobile experience is awful

The mobile debate is over. More travellers will use your website on a mobile device than any other. A mediocre mobile experience isn’t going to cut it in 2018.

4) Poor photography

If your visitor experience is amazing, but your website is filled with low quality photos, you will lose sales. And you won’t even know! Visitors will leave if you don’t inspire them to stay on your site.

9) Your…website…is…slow…to…load…

Slow loading times kill website conversions. Optimise your website for speed, use high quality web hosting and avoid “all in one” bloated templates.

6) No analytics

Would you employ a 24/7 sales person but never track their performance? Of course not! Don’t let your website off the hook. Use analytics to improve your visitor’s experience and your bottom line.

7) Design isn’t a priority

Research shows that design is a huge trust factor in marketing. Does your website tell visitors you’re a quality business that cares about their customers enough to give them a great digital experience?

8) You have no SSL certificate

Every modern website should be secured with an SSL certificate. It increases trust for visitors, has speed benefits for your website, and can help improve your search rankings.

9) Low quality domain and web hosting

Is that $10/month budget hosting deal really worth it if just one customer per month loses patience and leaves? With domains and hosting, you absolutely do get what you pay for.

10) Your website doesn’t support your offline marketing

Not all tourism marketing occurs online, and your website is often the first-place visitors go after seeing your print advert or brochure. Provide a consistent, on-brand experience for your potential customers.