4 Must-Haves for a Tourism Website

Not daring to wander outside of our little patch of forest due to fear and uncertainty, we’ve all been cooped up in our dwellings for the better part of the past two years. As we all know, primates are not made to be confined to a single tree. This has had a profound impact on all aspects of life and society, but probably one of the hardest hit during these troubling times has undoubtedly been the travel industry. But alas, it seems like this unrelenting beast that is Covid-19, which has kept us all immobilized for what has seemed like an eternity, has finally decided to give up its chase for good, once and for all! This means we might finally be able to stroll and swing happily and freely through the wild as we’ve always loved to do. And thus, because a happy monkey is a Cheeky Monkey, we would love to throw a few bananas your way to help you – our fellow primates in the travel industry – capitalize on this new-found freedom to the fullest, especially with spring and summer right around the corner! 

As tourism starts to revitalize again, It’s crucial for businesses in the industry to prepare for this upcoming travel season. Online shopping has grown exponentially and will continue to do so in the upcoming years. Travel and tourism websites today are the main place where people go to research, plan, and purchase their next trip. For the average consumer, the fact that a tourism company is not adequately present on the internet creates mistrust or even a lack of seriousness. This is why we would like to free you from your misfiring website and give you a few tips to optimize your online presence so that you don’t get trapped in the conformity of plainness. Because we know there’s nothing sadder than a caged monkey yearning to get out adventuring. 

1. Design & Navigation

A website is practically the cover letter of your company; it will allow you to be known throughout the land and give a substantial boost to your business within the kingdom. This is why the first and probably most important thing for your travel website is having an attractive design and Intuitive navigation. This means it should be fun and creative but at the same time useful and easy to navigate. It should have the right balance between clarity and information. In other words, it must be as balanced as possible, with a clear end goal for your visitor’s journey. 

2. Entertaining & Sharable Content

Next, you shouldn’t monkey around with what to include. Your website should integrate some helpful and entertaining content and buttons. Elements like a slideshow or carousel showcasing incredible pictures and videos that transport your visitors to the places shown just by browsing your pages! Or a trip planning tool to help ease, organize and visualize what they are trying to achieve. And all this should be easy to share on social media to improve traffic and SEO. Likewise, don’t forget to add buttons like the “Back to Top” cart and sticky menus which all, directly or indirectly, are designed to redirect all traffic to a call to action, which translates to a potential sale. 

3. Transparency & Security

Another incredibly important thing to keep your tail wrapped around tightly is clarity and safety within your site, especially anything related to monetary transactions, terms of service, and the use of customers’ personal information. Failing to manage these security aspects correctly will result in a hard fall from these branches, in an industry where trust and recognition are key to success. 

4. Value-added Services

There are many other useful tips to keep in mind, such as offering complementary services, in addition to standard services. Value-added services like reservations through mobile apps, allowing travelers to share their travel experiences in real-time, and even virtual customer assistance tools like an AI chatbot operating 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You must always be aware of the newest trends to stay competitive and offer the best experience possible for your customers. Don’t forget that your content must be reinforced with a communication strategy consistent with your brand. 

Now that the tourism jungle is back open for business, you’ll want to make sure your site has all of these must-have elements to fulfill your customer’s adventure needs… Our team of exceptional primates here at Cheeky Monkey Media would be thrilled to help you develop the most extraordinary website for the tourism jungle! Contact us today to start the conversation, and allow our expert team tackles your future web solution needs.