The US economy is gaining strength, and this will have a positive effect on the travel industry. While some did forecast the end of traditional travel agencies, we now see a steady trend in consumers leaving budget online booking sites and seeking out the professional services only an experienced agent can provide. So how can you and your company stand out online?
A study has shown that 81% of consumers research online before they make a purchase. Your web presence reflects you and your business, so think of it as your storefront. If the windows are dirty, the entry way is cluttered, and the store window display screams 90's, your potential clients will most likely take their business elsewhere. While it can be taxing for small businesses to establish a strong web presence, there are tricks as to how you can look professional and be successful online without breaking the bank.
Why a Travel Agent's Web Presence is Important and How to Stand Out!
Professional Website
This one is a must- no way around it anymore. Your website needs to be easy to use, have a professional look, and it has to be updated frequently. Mikal E. Belicove (Entrepreneur) says: "monthly is fine; weekly is better."
The time when one needed a professional web designer to create even the simplest of sites is gone. Don't get me wrong, outsourcing this to a professional will most likely be quicker for you, it will also come with a hefty price tag. One DIY option that produces great designs and has tons of options is Wordpress.
There are other free options such as Yola, Webs, Moonfruit and many more. My advice? Do your research, compare options and prices.
Mobile Friendly
Earlier this year it was reported that the number of mobile-only internet users now exceeds desktop-only in the U.S. Make sure your site is just as easy to use on a mobile device as it is on a desktop. Not only will your site have a much lower bounce rate if optimized, but it will also send a clear message to your visitors: you are a pro and don't want to waste their time!
Website Load Time
One very important aspect of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the load time for your site, both, desktop and mobile. Google pushes sites that take longer to load down in the search results, and you will not show up as often to potential customers.
Luckily there are (free) tools such as Pingdom and Mobile-Friendly Test, a Google webmasters tool available to test your site.
I highly recommend testing your existing site, even if you think it works fine.
Content
Great content is still one of the top ways to drive traffic to your site. Make sure you provide value to your readers and don't talk about yourself or your business constantly. Ask your existing clients for feedback and find out what their pain points are. It is also important that you offer visitors an email sign up option. Even if they are not currently looking to book a trip, by sending them weekly blog posts, special offers or other shareable content you will stay top-of-mind with current clients and prospects. There are numerous great (free) platforms to host your blog: Linkedin ( I use it to host my personal blog ), Tumblr, Wordpress and Blogger are just a few of the ones I recommend.
Be Visible, Be Social
The importance of social media can not be stressed enough. In my recent post "Top Do's (and Don'ts) of Successful Travel Agents" Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso called it one of the "most powerful technologies that have rocket boosted our profession."
Think of it this way: Facebook alone has currently over 1.4 Billion (yes, that's Billion, with a "B") members. The fact that you can potentially reach each and everyone on the platform is one of the biggest opportunities for you and your company to generate leads. You can target your potential audience based on information FB collects from its users or use the retargeting option to reach prior visitors to your site.
Twitter is another very important platform. You can tap into existing online conversations through hashtags, see what is trending or start engaging with potential customers. A few other "must have platforms": Instagram, Slideshare, Pinterest (all three are very visual) and Youtube, especially if you have videos to share.
Communities
Another important part of social media are communities. Find online platforms where travelers gather. G+, Linkedin, and Reddit are just a few that come to mind. Join them and interact with the community members. This will give you valuable insight into what your customers want, not what you think they want. Your engagement will start conversations that could lead to new clients but also give you tons of material for your future blog posts.
As a matter of fact, the blog you are reading right now started with a conversation I had with Stephanie Lee (owner, Host Agency Review) on her G+ community "Travel Agent Chatter.")
Analytics
While a strong web presence is a good start, you will not know what worked and what didn't unless you start analyzing your data. Looking at all the available data can be overwhelming at first, but with a weekly or monthly schedule in place, you will soon have a very good grasp of what worked and why. The best part about analytics? Most of it you can get for free. Yes, you heard right. Tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights or Twitter Analytics will give you valuable information not only relating to your content but also to your audience.
Conclusion
I know what you are asking yourself: how will I ever find the time to do all of this? Depending on the size of your team, you can set realistic goals, create a schedule and get started! The most important factor is that you work on it consistently and with specific goals in mind. Setting up social media accounts alone is completely useless. Unless you create valuable content and engage with your audience it will not do anything for your bottom line. Think creatively about how you can achieve the workload. Ask members of your team to each do a little every day. Rotate the blogging schedule so that everyone writes a blog once a month or so. Make sure the topics are addressing pain points of your clientele and that you give them content that is relevant and useful.
I hope these tips are useful for you and your company. Please subscribe to the Travel Agent blog below to stay updated on Travel Industry news.