5 Ways to Help Your Website Generate More Online Bookings

Posted by Peter Hilliard on June 30th, 2016

5 Ways to Help Your Website Generate More Online Bookings

Direct website bookings are ideal for today’s tour operators. Although it’s important to be ready to distribute tickets through a range of channels – including ticket-selling partners and Online Travel Agents (OTAs) – direct bookings let you bypass commission payments and give you validation that your marketing strategies are working.

Check out these five tips to help your website secure more direct online bookings:

1.     Display Attractive Photos on Your Website

In today’s age of visual culture, travellers want to image your tour as part of their larger experience – something engaging photos help to enable.

When choosing photos for your website, make sure you:

  • Pick high-resolution, vivid shots.
  • Avoid using photos taken during bad weather.
  • Show off happy, excited customers.

You should try to post new pictures frequently, though not at the expense of their quality.

2.     Publish Testimonials from Past Customers

95% of travellers read reviews before booking accommodations or excursions. As a tour operator, you need to provide prospective customers with access to real, firsthand reviews from past visitors that show off all your tour has to offer.

Has your tour received a number of good reviews on third-party sites like Viator or Expedia? Showcase them! Whether you put links to them in the middle or along the side of your site, directing visitors there will provide external validation that your tour is worth experiencing.

3.     Improve Your Website’s Appearance and Navigability

When visitors are browsing your website, they should be impressed with its appearance and have no problem finding the information they need.

Make sure you use:

  • Large, dynamic images to highlight your tour’s amazing features.
  • Engaging content including descriptions about your tours and activities.
  • Colours that your target audience will like.
  • An easy to find and use online booking form.

Taking these kinds of actions will guarantee your website attracts prospective customers and helps them quickly book their tickets.

4.     Optimize Your Website For Mobile

More and more, travellers are booking their accommodations and activities using their mobile devices. Today’s tour operators need to make sure their websites and booking forms are mobile-ready so travellers can buy their tickets whenever, wherever.

5.     Incorporate an Easy-to-Use Online Booking Form

Integrating an online booking form lets visitors easily book a ticket for your tour from anywhere.

When choosing an e-commerce platform, look for one that will:

  • Fit seamlessly with your website.
  • Ensure secure financial transactions.
  • Guarantee a unified brand experience for your customers.
  • Generate comprehensive reports using real-time data.

Why Choose DataTrax’s Booking Solutions?

At DataTrax, our booking solutions give you access to:

  • A fully customizable administrative website to let you create products, categories, prices, agents, payment types, locations, and more.
  • An ECOM system designed to integrate seamlessly with your website, which allows you to distribute tickets 24/7.
  • Real-time analytics and to-the-second reports. Customize your own reports or choose from our pre-defined library to meet your unique needs.

Our innovative tour booking solutions put you in the driver’s seat – giving you control over what matters most to your business.

At DataTrax, our automated booking solutions are designed by tour operators for tour operators. Contact us today to learn how our products and services will make it easier to run and grow your business! 

Do you want to discover risk-free how DataTrax’s solutions will benefit your business? Click here to start your free demo! 

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Peter Hilliard

About Peter Hilliard

Peter Hilliard is the Founder, President, and CEO of DataTrax. He began his career as a tour bus operator with a single bus, until he realized that a better solution was needed for automating and tracking ticket sales. Led by Peter’s expertise in the tour industry and ticketing automation technologies, DataTrax has grown over the past 20+ years into an international leader in ticketing solutions.