5 Must-Haves for Profitable Hotel Web Design
Wireframes
Start with the basics. Wireframing is a fundamental part of our hotel web design process to ensure that your final website does what it needs to do. This is a planning stage which involves identifying the pages and sections you need as well as the key content and functionality of each page. This is where you think about usability and what your potential guests want to see and also how they would like to use the website – basically make it as easy for them as possible to book and enquire!
Here you need to include images, text, booking buttons, events calendar, etc. This is usually a paper and pencil exercise which is then presented in an online format for approval before moving onto design stage. Planning wireframes at the very beginning is absolutely key to profitable hotel website design.
Review your competitors (but don’t copy!)
Look at your key competitor’s websites for ideas and see what works well and also what doesn’t. Be very careful not to copy them as you want to ensure that your website is individual to your hotel and matches your requirements perfectly. Wireframes will help with this.
Photography
Great photography is the key to making sure that your hotel web design converts. Your website is often the first contact a potential guest has with you and first impressions count.
Ideally these should be taken by a professional photographer and updated continually with summer/winter photographs. This helps your guests picture themselves at your hotel and ultimately making their decision on whether or not to book with you. This is incredibly important for those hotels who wish to push their wedding offerings
Great tip – ask the photographer to take closer shots of food, cocktails, flowers, architectural pieces and bedrooms for use on social media.
Mobile and SEO
Don’t forget that design today MUST be responsive (usable on any device – mobile/tablet) as well as helping with search (SEO). Design is not just about the visual appearance, have you got enough space for content? Can you add content easily within the navigational and hierarchical structure?
For SEO, there must be a certain amount of text on each page to help you appear and rank for certain keywords when people are searching for key terms such as ‘hotels in Wiltshire’ or ‘wedding venues in Somerset’.
Calls to Action!
Finally, make it easy and obvious for users to book or contact you. A profitable hotel website design needs to attract more visitors and convert these into paying guests. Basically, make your website easy to use!
If people want to book online then great but if they want to telephone, email, live chat, or fill out a contact form, then let them. You have their attention, you have their interest, you have their desire, make it easy for them to do so with a clear call to action.
Thinking of updating your Hotel Website?
If you are thinking of changing your hotel website design or need some advice and top tips, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and give us a call on 0117 930 4365.
