Having an online presence is very important for any hotel that intends to attract the modern consumer. In this era of digitalization, the chances of attracting guests from all corners of the globe are heightened. Moreover, the most effective way these guests are to find your hotel is through the online platform.
That being said, your website is at the center of your brand’s online presence. Before prospects turn to your social media pages or YouTube channel, the first stop at your website. Your website is also the best place to convert leads to buying customers.
This being the case, you want a website that can make prospects stay on longer to accomplish what they want. And, a good website design is one sure way that you can achieve this. Once you have achieved an effective website design, you can start thinking about how to get more views on Youtube, or more followers on social media.
Here are some of the reasons why a good website design for your hotel is important.
1. It helps make a good first impression
Making a good first impression is very crucial in any situation. For hotels, however, the first impression doesn’t happen when guests arrive at the hotel. People looking to stay in your hotel will first check out your business on your website. That is where the first impression of your hotel is formed.
Ideally, your website should be a reflection of your business. If your website is cluttered, disorganized, or aesthetically ugly, the visitors will associate that with your physical hotel. If they spend ten minutes trying to book, this can easily translate to how slow your services are. That is why you should ensure that the colors, images, fonts, and other design elements come together to create a good reflection of your hotel.
2. It helps people find information easily
The ultimate reason people visit your website is to find information about your hotel. If they find that they are not able to get what they want quickly, the chances of them bouncing are very high. No one wants to hang out longer in a cluttered website trying to find a contact or any other information.
Of course, you want people to find what they want without a hassle. When a website has a good layout with readable fonts, it helps the user find what they are looking for easily and quickly.
To make this a notch higher, you must provide this information in a language that they understand. While you may be tempted to use machine translations, it can never compare to human translation. A reliable translation company, such as US Translation, or other local providers, is knowledgeable in different languages. If you want to translate your website into various languages, this saves the trouble of hiring different individuals for the job. Also, the personnel understands different cultures including cultural nuances that a machine can bypass.
3. It increases leads conversion
One function of your website is to act as a magnet for inbound leads. That is why you would go the extra length to optimize for SEO so that people can find you easily on the search engines. However, no matter how well you execute your SEO strategy, your website design matters in converting those leads.
For starters, a bad website design will put off prospects and cause them to bounce at a rapid rate. On the other hand, if your website is more user-friendly, you increase the chances of your visitors connecting with your brand and eventually taking action that you want them to. You should always aim to improve on user experience if you are to attract leads that will turn to bookings. That being said, you have to make your website user-friendly for mobile, and computer use.
4. It gives a competitive edge
With new hotels sprouting from every corner, the hotel industry faces tough competition out there. This means that your target customers have a lot of options on their hands to choose from. A little unsettling thing and they jump ship.
As said earlier, a poor website design is enough to make prospects abandon your hotel and move to your competitors. You want to avoid this by ensuring a good website design that can keep them longer. Additionally, a good website design gives you a competitive edge with hotels that are yet to incorporate it into their websites.
5. It builds a sense of trust
The modern consumer moves with how times are moving. They want to experience the latest inventions when they stay at your hotel. However, a good look at your website can convey whether you are progressing or stuck in the past. If your website has a poor design that looks outdated or information that looks like it was last updated years ago, guests are likely to mistrust what you say you are offering.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you want your website to aid your online marketing efforts. However, there is no way you can achieve that if your website is repelling the same people it is meant to attract. That is why you can’t afford to ignore investing in a good website design for your hotel.
Related article: The Role of Color Psychology in Generating Hotel Website Conversions
We are in this together!
I need to let you all know that we are in on this together. If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have some to talk with then I am here listening. Since I am working part-time at the local Kroger, I will to the best of my ability to work it out around my schedule.
But you can reach me here:
Email: hotelblogger@aremorch.com
Also, join us at our Facebook Group – Hotel Social Media Community
We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend go to CDC, WHO, AHLA, AAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.
NOTE
We are starting to reopen some hotels again (Yay!!!). Make sure you follow their guidelines and say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and helps us all get through this!! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
About Are Morch
Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Digital Marketing Coach and Customer Experience Expert that specializes in creating effective digital customer experience offer for hotels while growing and scale customer acquisition and revenue.
Get more from Are on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Instagram| Podcast
