By Emily Matras, owner of Bon Vivant Copy and member of The Travel Institute’s Professional Educators Program (PEP).
If you’re a home-based travel agent, your website is your most important marketing vehicle. Without a good website, you won’t get found by your dream clients! And in today’s digital age, a solid website is a must even if you work out of a storefront.
How do you know if your website’s up to par, though? When I’m working with travel pros on their website copywriting, I see the same website mistakes being made again and again — and it’s costing them clients. Here are the five common mistakes you may be making on your own website (plus, grab your free checklist at the end to make sure your site’s on the right track):
1. Your homepage doesn’t have a headline. Or it’s something like “Welcome.”
Your headline is the first thing your web visitors read on a page — which makes it extremely important. So don’t skip or skimp on it! Use your headline as an opportunity to succinctly describe what you do and for whom. That way, when new prospects land on your web page, they will know that they’re in the right place.
2. You don’t have any testimonials (or they’re all tucked away on a Testimonials page).
The popularity of sites like Yelp, Zagat, and Trip Advisor prove it — we trust a product or service more when we know it’s gotten the seal of approval from other people. That’s called social proof, and when your travel agency website is missing it, it makes web visitors a little weary. Can they really trust you to plan their vacation if they don’t know anybody else who has? Sprinkle testimonials throughout your website (not just on a testimonials page, which few people will read) to up your trustworthiness.
3. Your web pages don’t have a “call to action.”
Does your website leave your visitors scratching their heads and saying, “okay, what next?” It’s crucial that each page of your website ends with a call to action — a suggestion of what your visitor should do next, like book a consultation call with you. If they don’t know what you want them to do, then they’ll just “x” out of your website altogether!
4. Your website uses the word “I” or “we” more than the word “you.”
You may think that your travel agency website should be all about you and your travel business. Wrong! Your website should be about your ideal clients — what are their needs, their dreams, and how do you deliver them? In short, make it clear exactly how you can make your clients’ lives easier or better to keep visitors scrolling.
5. You use low-resolution photos.
I may be a copywriter, but I understand the power of images — especially in an industry like travel, which is all about beautiful, breathtaking locations. Entice your web visitors without saying a word by using professional, high-resolution travel photos. Your iPhone photos just aren’t going to cut it (and they make your website look more like a travel blog than a professional advisor’s site). This goes for the headshot on your About page, too. A polished, professional photo makes you look like the expert you are.
Emily Matras is the owner of Bon Vivant Copy, a copywriting and content marketing studio for travel pros who want to build profitable, sustainable businesses. Click here to get your free Travel Agent Website Checklist to diagnosis your website and make sure you have everything you need to convert your web visitors into travel clients.
