6 Mistakes You Could Be Making with Your Hotel Website
Has your website bounce rate jumped? Is there friction on your website causing people to avoid filling out your forms? Are your conversions dropping? Has your website slowed to a crawl?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time for a refresh or a redo. To help you uncover where the issues lie, let’s look at six hotel website mistakes you could be making with your hotel website.
#1: You Don’t Pay Attention to SEO
You may have paid careful attention to your virtual tour, your professional images, and your great videography. But did you pay attention to your search engine optimization (SEO)?
Your SEO is what helps get people to your website. If you don’t pay attention to it, Google may not rank your site high in search results pages, and you won’t get any bookings.
The aim of SEO is to grab the attention of Google (and Bing). This means carefully considering your keywords, alt text on images, customized image file names, meta tags, and more. Your backend info is what tells search engines what your site is all about. (tweet this)
One tip is to add a blog and a frequently asked questions page to your website. Together, these can really help boost your hotel website’s SEO.
#2: You Don’t Have a Search Function
Yes, believe it or not, some websites don’t have a search function. This is one mistake that leaves your website visitors frustrated and makes them bounce off your website.
Make it easy for your visitors to find just what they’re looking for. Your website visitors are used to searching for what they want on the web, so make sure that function is available.
You will find that people will have little patience if they can’t easily find what they’re looking for. By avoiding this mistake, you are most likely doing better than the competition.
#3: Your Site Isn’t Mobile Friendly
When it comes to hotel website mistakes, in the digital age, it should go without saying that your site must be mobile-friendly. But you may be surprised to hear that many sites are not optimized for mobile.
According to Statista, more than 50% of all website visits are generated on cell phones. So, if your hotel website isn’t mobile-friendly, you need to fix this mistake as soon as possible.
The first impression a potential guest gets of your hotel may be on a handheld device. You want to make sure you are offering a top-notch, responsive mobile experience. (tweet this)
You can check this by looking at your hotel website on a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone. Pay attention to how everything looks. Check your navigation.
Your hotel website should load quickly and display properly on every size screen. If people can’t view it comfortably on a phone, it’s time for a change, as you are most likely losing bookings.
#4: You Don’t Have an SSL Certificate
If you don’t have an SSL certificate on your website, Google will penalize you.
An SSL certificate is what marks your website as safe. It indicates there is a secure data transmission between your website server and a visitor’s device. Make sure that your website has an SSL certificate.
Unsure? Check your browser. Your URL should have https and not http.
#5: You Have Poor Content
Another mistake hotels make is neglecting their content. The key here is quality, creative, and original content. This is what makes your hotel stand out from the competition. It also is part of what makes Google reward you with higher rankings on search engine results pages.
Use the power of storytelling to tell the unique story of your hotel, your rooms, amenities, and the local area. Use content to intrigue and captivate your website visitors. Help them through the decision-making process by providing them with the best content you can.
In addition to the text, make sure your photos are beautiful and professionally taken. Use video and a quality virtual tour to highlight the best parts of your hotel.
One last piece of advice – don’t get too wordy with your content. Using a professional writer can help you write content that engages in a concise manner.
#6: Your Call to Action is Unclear
You want your call to action (CTA) button to be clear on every page of your website. It should be the most noticeable thing on your page.
You want website visitors to be able to see it, even when they are scrolling. “Book now” should never be far from their minds.
Be clear with your copy, and use strong action verbs to encourage the click. Guide your users to the book now button in a natural manner that flows with your page.
You also want to include a reservation button in your main navigation. Give visitors every opportunity to book a room.
In addition, don’t have competing calls to action on the same page. If you are offering discounts, please make sure they are very near your call to action button, so people know just what they are getting.
Final Thoughts on Hotel Website Mistakes
If you want to increase your bookings and, therefore, your overall conversion rate, you need to improve your website and make sure you’re avoiding the mistakes mentioned here.
Your website should be quick-loading, easy to navigate, functional, accessible for people regardless of their device or special needs, and intuitive.
Your overall goal is to remove any obstacles for website visitors so they can easily book a room with you. Now that you know the six mistakes you could be making with your hotel website, you’ve got the tools you need to fix them and watch your reservations grow!
We are your hotel digital advertising specialists, and we can help you fix your website and create a new one. Along with your website, we can create a winning social media marketing strategy that also ties back into your website. As website design and redesign experts, we can also create a new or refreshed website accessible to all. And we can also help with search engine marketing, online booking, online listings, and social media marketing. We are here to help. Contact us today for your consultation!
Image: Yayaq Destination and Ciudad Maderas on Unsplash
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