There are always challenges for travel businesses.
It’s a part of life and it’s definitely part of running a business.
But with every challenge there is an opportunity. If something is challenging for you it’s likely also a challenge for your competition. And while they’re wallowing in their sorrow you can look for ways to improve and surpass them.
I’ve looked at 5 challenges facing travel businesses along with a few actions steps you can take to give your marketing a little tune-up. Doing so should help to get more customers for your travel business.
1. Demand For Video And Photography
Just over a year ago, people in the US watched over 50 billion online videos. That number has been steadily increasing with each passing month.
You could probably say the same thing about online photos.
People have faster Internet connections and they’re accessing the Internet more often with their smartphones. This is allowing them to view more videos and photos.
When it comes to the travel industry, videos and photos are incredibly important. I wouldn’t say it’s more important that textual content, but you can’t really have one without the other today.
To sell your travel service you really need a good mixture of text, images and video to sell people on the idea of choosing you.
Opportunity
If you’re investing in marketing this year it would be wise to invest in better photography. Hire a photographer to take photos of your business in action. You could save some money by looking for a greener photographer like a college student or new freelancer.
The same opportunity exists with video. There are videographers that can film and edit videos complete with your voiceover work.
You will use photos and video throughout your marketing: your website, social media and more.
2. Too Many Marketing Channels
Another challenge for travel marketers is dealing with too many channels. There are a million different social media sites these days.
If you’re like most travel businesses you don’t have the staff to handle it all especially if you’re the one updating Facebook, Instagram and the other sites.
Opportunity
While the competition tries to do everything on every channel, pick the best one or maybe the top three channels and dive in full on with those channels.
Facebook and Instagram might present the best engagement for your business. Close down the others and focus on really dominating the channels that are best for you.
3. More Competition In Search Results
How is your travel business doing in the search results?
There is more competition in a lot of fields and that goes for the search results too. You have other businesses gunning for the top spots for the top keywords in your industry. But you also have Google testing new formats on the search engine results pages.
They’re trying new ads and adding in more content that answers a person’s question right away instead of offering a result page with a link.
So the challenge is getting that organic traffic.
Opportunity
The big item here is fresh content. It’s good to perform a website audit on your website at least every six months and every quarter if you can.
An audit requires you to assess your sales process. Then adjust the content on your site so it acts like your online salesperson, taking visitors through the entire sales process.
I would also recommend adding a blog section or some kind of section where you can add regular content to keep your site fresh.
4. Communicating Your Value
Airbnb has been great for travelers, but it’s brought more competition into the lodging area of the travel world. And with more competition often comes price wars.
Have you had a few customers tell you that they would like to stay with you, but they have to go with someone that is on Airbnb because it’s less expensive?
Opportunity
Let your competition lower their prices. That just cuts into profit.
What you need to do is focus on selling the value in your lodging and service. Focus on the things your previous customer value the most. Talk about the difference between you and the cheaper competition.
People are always willing to pay more for something that is worth it. But you have to communicate the value to them. Determine the differences between you and the competition.
And if you feel there aren’t many differences then see if you can add things to your offering that won’t cut into margin too much, but will make visitors more likely to choose you.
Even small things can make a difference like free pastries for guests every morning. You can work out a deal with a local bakery. You could create a free travel guide for your visitors. They’re probably asking you where to eat and what to see anyway.
5. Smartphone Users
Just last year, mobile devices accounted for 55% of Internet use in the US.
Travelers probably even use their smartphones more often than people at home. When you’re traveling you likely only have your smartphone with you when you’re looking for lodging, eating and places to see.
Opportunity
Google is coming out with an update that will pressure businesses to offer mobile-friendly websites to visitors. If businesses don’t offer this Google won’t rank their website as high in rankings for mobile users.
That means it’s time to upgrade your site to a mobile version; probably with responsive design.
Final Thought
You can sit back and just let these challenges continue to challenge your business or you could see this as an opportunity to take action and jump past the competition.
Times of challenge almost always offer the most opportunity. While others give up you have the chance to step in and make your business more valuable to your customers.
Take that opportunity with the challenges above and you’ll improve your travel business.
Image: Chris Wary
