Preparation for Creating a Travel Website – Step by Step

In this article, we bring you information about everything you need to consider or prepare before or during the creation of a website for your travel agency or your tourism business, as well as the key decisions you need to make during this process.

Do You (and Why) Need a Website (with Online Booking)?

If you are still unsure whether to have your own website or build your business solely through social media, consider that for various reasons, you might lose your accounts on social media platforms and thus lose everything you’ve posted and invested in them. You don’t own that account! You are simply using a “storefront” provided by the owners of those social media platforms to gather data about your followers, which they use to deliver advertisements.

If you want to build your business on solid foundations and without the risk of someone simply shutting down your profile one day, thereby affecting your business, then you must have your own “home,” meaning you should be the owner who manages your own assets.

If you are an organizer of tourist tours and activities, and you have a website that does not offer the option for clients to immediately book tours online (instead, you expect them to write to you or call you), you are missing out on a significant number of clients and, consequently, revenue.

Statistics show that you can increase the number of your clients by 30-80% simply by offering online booking! Keep that in mind if you’re planning a new website for your tourism business! In addition to online booking, your website should also provide the option for those interested in your offerings to sign up for your mailing list.

Website as a Tool for Gathering Potential Clients

During the WTM (World Travel Market) event in London, around 2006-2007, at a presentation, a representative from TripAdvisor spoke about their business. They mentioned that the value of their company is not solely attributed to the software they developed or the content on their website, but to the NUMBER of their subscribers – people who willingly provided them with their information. (At that time, they had 9 million subscribers, and today they have nearly 500 million!) What are we trying to convey with this? With your website, you can also build a list, not just of your travelers (which you probably already do through other means), but a list of all those who could potentially become your clients. Only by having YOUR OWN list (to which they voluntarily subscribed, not a list you purchased), can you successfully build your business.

In addition to collecting email addresses, your website, and other methods, can help you track your potential clients. These methods include Facebook pixel and Google tags – codes that you can embed in your website to allow these companies to gather data about your site visitors (even tracking individual pages and visitor behavior, what they clicked on, whether they started making a reservation and then abandoned it, and so on). You won’t have their names and exact identities of your website visitors, but if you pay for advertising on Facebook or Google, your ads can be shown specifically to them. This is known as “remarketing” and “retargeting.”

So, if you decide to build “your home” for your business, which will serve as your virtual office, you will need a website. On it, you’ll have a way to “recognize” those who have entered it and expressed interest in purchasing your services, allowing them to easily book your offerings. Of course, it will also be crucial for potential clients to find you on search engines without paid advertising. Therefore, considering search engine optimization is the first step in creating your website.

Let’s proceed step by step.

What Do We Want to Offer? To Whom? In Which Market? How Do People Typically Search for It Online?

Before you embark on anything, it’s crucial to define the type of content you want to present on your website, who the target audience will be, and which specific demographic you intend to address. While doing this, you can utilize Google Keyword Planner to explore how people commonly search for such information online. This will help you determine the keywords that face the highest competition and those with lower competition yet substantial demand. Such insights can prove pivotal in making decisions, particularly if you’re considering specializing in a specific market niche. The choice is yours: whether to opt for a niche (a specific segment of tourism) where you can potentially dominate the market and Google searches, or to navigate a more competitive landscape where there’s already a significant presence. This decision will influence the level of investment required to achieve better outcomes.

Next, you need to ascertain whether your website should primarily focus on facilitating reservations or if this feature could take a secondary role (similar to blogs or informational portals). This determination will significantly impact the appearance and functionality of your website.

Defining the Languages for Your Website

This decision may not be a complex one, but it holds significant importance. If you don’t predefine this aspect and initiate website development with just one language, it could pose complications down the line if you intend to add additional languages, depending on the content management system (CMS) you’ve chosen. It’s advisable to plan ahead for multi-language support to prevent potential challenges later on.

Do You Want to Build a Recognizable Brand or Specialize in a Specific Theme or Destination When Choosing Your Domain Name?

You need to answer this question before finalizing your website’s name. This decision doesn’t necessarily rule out having a website with your brand name, but building a brand requires a more substantial investment than you might allocate if you choose a domain name with high search volume. It’s essential to decide whether you want to establish a distinctive brand identity or focus on a particular niche or destination. Your chosen approach will guide your domain name selection process.

Domain Selection

Once you have an idea of the domain you would like, you should visit domain purchasing websites to check if your desired domain is available. It’s possible that it might not be, but you could be presented with several similar options to choose from. In such cases, it’s advisable to consult with an SEO expert to make an informed decision.

Choosing a Website Builder

Website builders are tools that aid in easy website creation. Opt for those that feature a Content Management System (CMS), where you won’t be reliant on a programmer to create new pages, add new sliders, or modify dropdown menu arrangements, among other things. While WordPress is the most widespread website builder, there are also alternatives like Wix, and our BOS Travel Website Builder. Unlike a typical WordPress site, with BOS, you automatically have an integrated tour reservation system ready for use, as well as an affiliate partner program that can significantly broaden your sales network. With BOS website builder, you won’t need a programmer, and you’ll have access to instructions, video tutorials in Serbian and English, as well as live support 12/24.

Considerations for Creating a Website for Travel Agencies

Trends and recent circumstances, including the pandemic, have led people to increasingly use the internet for shopping, ordering, and booking. Airline tickets and accommodations have long been reserved online, and for this reason, more people have started organizing their own trips independently. It has become necessary for travel agencies to adapt to these new circumstances and offer their clients the option of booking their services online. Our recommendation is to prioritize the selection of an online reservation system before choosing the website’s theme or design.

Choosing a Website Theme/Design – Key Considerations

Themes/designs can be purchased on platforms like Themeforest for a relatively small cost, or you can have an original theme/design developed by a programmer. While the latter is a more expensive solution, it’s justified if you aim to be authentic and build your unique brand.

When selecting a theme, don’t focus solely on the home page, as it might be the least critical part when everything is done properly.

During theme selection, you must pay attention to various factors, but programmers can address most of them. However, you’ll need to pay them for their time and services. Here’s what is often missing in themes priced between $20-60 USD:

• Lack of a reservation form with fields for collecting client information.
• Absence of a standard TOUR display.
• No tabs within the tour display or the option for a condensed view (for faster page loading).
• Search functionality (advanced) and display of search results.
• Absence of secondary subcategories (a third level is generally not recommended).
• Lack of language or currency selection (if you want to display prices in different currencies for international clients).
• No pagination (which could impede the opening of pages displaying search results).
• And more…

IMPORTANT NOTE: When browsing theme options for a travel website, you may come across many with planned search functionalities, reservation forms, and dedicated sections for entering tour programs. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a reservation system! In all likelihood, you’ll only receive an inquiry/booking form and the ability to automatically send clients an email. This won’t cover aspects like accessing departure calendars, dynamic pricing, supplements, complex package calculations, sending automated multilingual emails, or managing reservations comprehensively in one place.

Therefore, don’t expect to get a reservation system with your theme/design choice!

If you decide to use the BOS reservation system, you can choose from the provided (free) theme (design) options for your website, which won’t require a programmer. Alternatively, you can select a design you like and have it customized and integrated with BOS.

Affiliate Partnership – Key Players in Your Success:

The BOS Website Builder empowers you to establish your affiliate partner network, unlocking the potential for collaboration with key stakeholders in your destination. This goes beyond traditional promotional partners and opens doors to cooperate with local tourism organizations, accommodation providers, media outlets, bloggers, and influencers. All of them can become ambassadors for your tours, expanding your offerings to new heights.

Affiliate Partnership Program for Enhanced Visibility:

Now, let’s delve deeper into our innovative affiliate partnership program, an integral part of the BOS Website Builder. This program allows you to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with not only individual clients but also key players within your industry. Imagine collaborating with local tourism boards, influential bloggers, and even accommodations to promote your tours. This expanded network of promoters will significantly boost your reach and credibility.

SEO Optimization for Enhanced Visibility:

A perfect website is useless if no one can find it. That’s why the BOS Website Builder provides support for SEO optimization, helping you stand out on search engines like Google. Our experts will assist you in identifying keywords for each language you wish to appear in and crafting content that captures attention.

Conclusion:

Crafting a tourism website is no longer just a technical task. It’s an opportunity to create a digital experience that lingers in the minds of your visitors. The BOS Website Builder takes it a step further, providing you with a versatile and intuitive tool that not only helps you build a website but also enhances your business through improved results, greater visibility, and robust partnerships. Embark on your journey to a successful online presence with BOS Website Builder.