Wyoming incorporates visitor photos into their website.
Are travelers getting everything they need from your traveler website?
It’s hard to know sometimes, but a good indication of where you stand is to compare your travel websites with other travel websites.
I’ve tried to do some of that work for you.
There are some great travel websites out there. Here are some things they all seem to have in common.
The belief here is that travelers are happy with these features since they’re becoming more popular.
Here they are…
1. Trip Planners
People are busy.
They work hard to save money for travel, but they’re working so hard that they don’t have time to research all kinds of information.
After working hard they just want to relax. That’s where travel websites come in with a trip planner.
These help people plan entire trips. The Pure Michigan Trip Planner is a great example.
It’s easy for a person to fill in basic information and get great ideas of what to see, where to stay and many other things a person needs to plan a complete trip.
Take the work out of the process for people and they’ll be more likely to visit your location.
2. Fresh Content
This one is surprising to some. The idea is that places have long histories and information, but people only care about the old stuff so much.
People want fresh content. They want to know what’s happening right now.
They want to be part of it.
What does this mean for travel websites?
It means you have to write about the latest news, events and happenings in your area. Keep people engaged so they can build up their excitement for their trip.
Want a great example? Check out The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau Blog.
3. Traveler Contributed Content
This one is just starting to gain traction. It started with social media and continues there, but now travel sites are starting to take in content that travelers share.
It might be stories, photos or even videos.
This gives the site fresh content (see above) and it makes the site interactive. It turns the site into a community where people can see how people like them are enjoying their time at your location.
See the Fall Into Wyoming campaign.
4. The Wow Factor
Every place out there has something unique about it.
It might seem boring or weird to you because you live it every day, but to potential visitors it can be really cool.
Embrace your wow factor and really sell it to potential travelers.
The best travel websites out there have a completely unique style and feel.
I like the current tagline of the Colorado tourism website:
We were not born to stay inside in Colorado
That paints a picture. It means that if you go to Colorado you’re going to be doing things outside. You’re going to be active.
That’s not for everybody, but the people that get it will love it!
There are some things travel websites are doing today.
Did we miss something you’ve noticed?
Share your discoveries in the comments.
