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Keep your customers more engaged by designing your website to be a true reflection on your business, writes Rob Burley, founder of Travelpreneur
Many high-street travel agents talk about customers who often pop into their shop for a chat and a cuppa.
Agents realise these are loyal customers who refer family and friends and have a lifetime value that goes far beyond a cup of tea and some time out to catch up.
This way of doing business is nothing new: relationships with customers are built over time, but this concept seems to be lost on many travel websites.
There’s a saying that “people buy from people” and it’s true.
Make sure your website is a true reflection of your business.
Don’t pretend you have huge offices if you work from home.
Don’t list endless email addresses like sale@, admin@ etc.
And don’t be afraid to say you are the business owner when you’re in a customer-facing role.
Price is rarely the reason someone won’t buy from you.
More often than not, it is unanswered questions that prevent customers from making a buying decision.
Invite questions throughout your website to break down the barriers that stop them from buying.
Add a live chat function to your website so that customers can ask questions in real time.
A basic service is free for a small business.
I use a Live Chat widget supplied by Zopim.
For a single user with limited use it’s free, and I’ve come across similar offers with other providers.
The idea is that you will upgrade to a paid service as your business grows.
It’s really simple to install yourself, providing you have access to your website – for example, using WordPress.
Educating and building trust is a free and simple strategy that can really get your business ahead of the competition.
Don’t confuse simple with easy.
Play the long game and the results will far outweigh any other strategy.
Think about what influences your own buying decisions.
Make videos, review products and gather customer testimonials for your website.
Many businesses have a brochure-style website that features an “About Us” page, a “Meet the team” page and an overview of products and services.
Now imagine the websites you visit often.
They are more likely to be blogs or news-style websites where the content is engaging and frequently updated.
By making your website more like an online magazine, customers are more likely to remember it, recommend it and return to it to see what’s new.
Adding just one original article, photo or video every month will give customers a reason to come back.
And don’t forget that Google loves new and original content too.
Top tips for a successful site
Keep it real Have you heard the saying “facts tell, stories sell”? Basically, people are much more likely to remember a genuine story over a list of bullet point facts. This is especially true in travel. Would you rather read a real person’s first-hand experience of a hotel or be given a list of bullet points detailing the hotel’s facilities? Imagine your website is having a 24/7 conversation with your customers. Tell stories, give opinions and share photographs just like you would if talking to a friend. These conversations will stay with your prospects and give them something to tell their friends, who may also be in the market for your services. Make it count Never underestimate the role of a copywriter and the value they can add to your website. Even the best copywriter won’t know your business like you do, so you’ll need to think about what you want to say and provide a brief and relevant resources. It’s likely that the process will require several revisions, but when you’ve got it right you’ll notice the difference and this is when people will start to comment about your website. Be available Finally, make it easy for people to call you. Nothing gets me more worked up than a business that doesn’t want to speak to their customers. It really shouldn’t take more than one click to find a phone number on your website. If you can’t always be there to answer the phone, it’s easy to set up an answering service so that your customers always speak to a real person who can take a message and pass it on. |
