Is your website out of date?

At time of writing, we still have no idea when the restrictions will be lifted but the curve is flattening and there is an end in sight. What that end will look like is unknown, we will not be returning to the old normal but we will be finding a new way forward because as humans we are naturally resilient and adaptable. 

As such, now is the time to start considering your online presence and reviewing how you appear to the world. 

When did you last overhaul your website? If it is anything more than 2 years, now is the time to do it.  I spent last week reviewing my website so pop over and have a look and let me know what you think.  Google ranks websites based on the content and they like recent content so use your quiet time now to update your website. 

Why review your website:

1. Trends change
2. Your property has changed
3. Your market has changed
4. Your competitors have changed their websites
5. Your customers have changed
6. Google algorithms change

We all know that at least one of the above has changed, our customers. Therefore, it is now time to think about what our customers are going to want to see on our websites in the future.

1. Cleanliness, safety and security – how will you address this internally as we come out of travel restrictions?
2. Experiences – a bed is a bed is a bed but what is the experience of staying at your property in your town
3. Unique selling points – does your website highlight what is truly unique about your property
4. Information – does your website SELL your hotel
5. Your community – how are you working with your local community to be a good citizen

There is an exercise I always do when delivering any training and you may wish to do this with your own website or better yet, ask a friend to do this and give you feedback:

1. Go to Expedia and pretend to book a room, go all the way through until you would put in a credit card then stop.

You want to book for 2 nights on the 6th & 7th May. The room is for 2 adults and 1 child. Before you book, you need to find the answers to the following questions:

1. How much is breakfast
2. What are reception hours
3. How do I check in when arriving after 10pm
4. Is their a hairdryer in the room
5. Cost of rollaway / cot for your child
6. Cost and availability of parking
7. Laundry facilities
8. Once you have found all the answers on Expedia, then go to your website and repeat the same process. Don’t go to your book button just yet, find the answers on your website. 
9. Ask a brutally honest family member or friend to repeat the exercise for you. Could they find the information without becoming frustrated and annoyed. Where would they book in future and why?
10. Adapt your website – those questions I asked you to find the answers for are not unusual and they were not put their to trip you up. 

If you cannot find the answers quickly, easily and without frustration, it is time to review your website.   

If you want some inspiration on redesigning your website, take a few moments to Google “Top 10 award winning hotel websites”. Have a look and see what they are doing and then look at what your competitors are doing.