There are different segments of travelers.
I’m sure you’ve had customers that have everything planned. They know where they want to go. They do the research and they plan out their entire trip almost down to the minute.
But you also have the other type of traveler. This person is one that is either very busy or not really that interested in planning a trip. They know they need to have a few plans, but they’re not really interested in doing it themselves.
And you also have people that know they want to go somewhere, but they aren’t sure where to get ideas.
That’s where you come in.
You can appeal to those that need help with their trip planning. You’re an expert on your area. The best places to eat, stay and visit might be just regular information to you, but to your customers it’s valuable.
Share that valuable information with them and you’ll earn their trust (and their business).
Here’s how…
Step 1: List Places To Eat, Stay And Visit
When people travel they want to eat at good restaurants. They want to stay in a nice place. And they want to see interesting sights.
Your travel business probably falls into one of these categories. If that’s the case, then you can still provide recommendations for the other two. And you can still recommend other places similar to yours as well.
For example, a traveler might visit your attraction, but maybe it’s not really common for them to visit it every day for a week. You can still provide a few other attractions as recommendations to make their visit memorable.
Step 2: Create Tiers For Each Segment
Once you’ve listed out the items, put them in tiers. You probably have your favorite restaurants that you recommend to your visitors. And you probably have your favorites for the other categories.
You know that all of the options are good, but you’re going to have your favorites.
It’s also good to categorize the options.
For example, your favorite restaurant might be an Italian one, but a guest may ask for your favorite burger joint.
Or your favorite recommendation for a place to stay might be a B&B, but your customer might want to stay at a hotel or resort.
Step 3: Create Trip Itineraries
Now it’s time to really get to helping your customers.
Create entire trip itineraries for them. Basically, you’re using your knowledge to put together a recommended daily schedule for their trip.
Most people visit for long weekends or for weeklong trips. Plan out their entire trip complete with a place to stay, places to eat and things to see.
Also include details about how they can get from each place. Maybe they’ll rent a car or maybe they can use local transportation or maybe walking is just fine.
This can take some time, but it will be very valuable information for your customers. And once it’s done you can let your customers use it over and over. They’ll love you for putting in the effort.
Step 4: Publish The Information On Your Website
Once you have the itineraries done, upload them to your site. Create a page called Trip Itineraries or something similar so they are easy to find.
Provide each template so customers can see or even print them out. Your web designer can help to make sure the content is crawlable by Google so it works to your SEO benefit.
Step 5: Share The Information On Social Media
Once you have the information on your site, share it on your social media channels from time to time.
Let’s say you’re a B&B. Every week you could share one of your favorite restaurants that you recommend to your guests.
The restaurant will surely appreciate it and maybe they’ll send you some social media love in return.
And your guest will appreciate it too. They might even be up in their room checking their Facebook page when they see your recommendation. At that moment they’ll have a place to eat.
Conclusion
This is a great way to take the knowledge that’s already in your head and put it to good use.
It takes a little effort to organize all this information, but once you do and once you publish and share it with your customers and potential customers you’ll see the benefit.
Some people struggle when it comes to planning and making decisions. If you help them with their planning you’ll earn their trust. They’ll see you as an expert and they’ll likely choose to hire you for your services when they leave on their trip.
Image: Robert Course-Baker
