It only makes sense that tour and activity companies should start focusing on establishing an online presence to keep up with the shifting dynamics of the industry. This is why you should be concerned about setting up a website, if you don’t have one, and driving traffic to it.

So, what is website traffic?

Website traffic refers to internet users who visit your website. It’s a measure of your website’s effectiveness in attracting an audience for your business.

Should you even care about website traffic?

Absolutely, yes!

Every website visitor is a potential customer. As a tour and activity company, you want to capture a broader customer base and increase your revenue. Most people are used to buying things online and ordering food online. Consumers are spoilt with all this convenience. And if you want to keep making profits, you should adapt and also offer the same level of comfort for your bookings.

You need website traffic to create awareness around your services and to sell these services to a broader market.

So, how do you increase your website traffic?

 1. Optimize your website

The first step to boosting your website traffic is by optimizing your website. It’s common to hear people talking about optimizing a website for search engines. The problem with this approach is, you’ll be optimizing your website for search engine bots instead of human beings. And last we checked, bots don’t take tours!

Our recommendation is to optimize for searchers, instead of search engines. Of course, you shouldn’t neglect SEO, but it shouldn’t be your primary focus either. You should instead concentrate on giving your website visitors excellent user experience.

Three things’ll help you make your site irresistible to your audience:

• A beautiful, user-friendly website design
• Insightful and value-packed content
• Simplified navigation

Basically, make it your goal to offer value and help anyone that lands on your website, and they’ll want to come back again and book with you.

 2. Carve out your niche and master It

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee

This quote by Bruce Lee sums up the power of focused practice and specialization – a concept you can use to boost website traffic for your tour and activity business.

Let’s say you run an escape room activity business. There probably won’t be millions of people in your audience, but you’ll have the advantage of having a small niche-specific audience. You can create content specific to people looking for escape rooms, and use keywords related to escape rooms. This would help you become the go-to website for anyone looking for escape rooms and earn you high-quality traffic.

Another neat trick to get even more traffic is using location or service-based keywords instead of brand keywords. Most searchers will use phrases such as “best (specific activity) in (specific city).” For a searcher looking for an escape room, they’d search something like “best escape rooms in Milan.” So if you’re running escape rooms in Milan, you’d use “best escape rooms in Milan” as the keyphrase, so your website pops up whenever someone searches for that phrase.

 3. Don’t be afraid to pay for ads

You’ve probably heard the phrase: “You have to spend money to make money.”

It’s true to some extent.

Paying for ads is one of the fastest ways to boost your website visits. But, you have to follow a strategy, or you’ll waste money on low-quality traffic.

You see, tours and activities are associated with relaxation – an escape from our daily drudgery. So, if you want to advertise your tours and activity company website, you need to do it on a platform where people go to relax. That’d be on social media.

Also, tours and activities tend to be visual mostly, so you need a visual platform to promote your website. Instagram and Facebook come to mind. It’s critical that your ad has some visual appeal. We recommend using a video for your ads. Statistics show that video ads drive about 2x more engagements and link clicks than image ads.

Now, the amount you spend on ads will differ depending on your platform of choice, but you should focus on Instagram and Facebook if you want high-quality website traffic. Just make sure to adjust campaign goals to “website visits” so that you only pay for people who click on your link.

 4. Collaborate with an influencer

An influencer is someone with authority in a specific niche. Influencers have the power to affect their followers’ buying decisions, so they’re people you want in your corner when promoting your website.

The good news is, most influencers are usually open to collaborations with businesses. All you’d have to do is find a legit influencer in the tour and activity niche, verify their level of influence, and negotiate a promotion deal.

You’ll probably have to offer them your service for free, so they can take pictures and videos and post them for their followers to see. But when executed correctly, influencer marketing can give your website traffic a significant boost and earn you new customers.

 5. Retarget website visitors with Facebook ads

Someone who visits your website once can visit again, provided you have a well-optimized website. So, how do you get a previous website visitor to visit again? You retarget them with Facebook ads!

Retargeting ads allow you to focus on a laser-targeted audience at a low price. You’ll keep your Cost per Click (CPC) low while accessing a high-quality audience who are already familiar with your website and are eager to book your services.

There’s also the fact that most people need to see an ad a couple of times before buying. When you retarget your previous website visitors, you get one step closer to converting them into customers.

 6. Start a YouTube channel

YouTube is the 2nd most popular website in the world, having passed Facebook to take second place after Google. You can’t afford to ignore YouTube if you want to skyrocket your website traffic. The good thing about YouTube is that it’s easier to rank videos there, and the videos will also show on Google when someone searches for your keywords.

You also have an advantage since you’re in a highly visual industry, and YouTube focuses primarily on videos. So, all that’s left is to capture your viewers’ attention and get them to click on your link.

It sounds simple, but it needs a strategy.

For starters, you’ll need to make some enticing and relevant videos that draw in your target audience. Second, you’ll need to make the videos both entertaining and a value-add to the viewer.

If your video ticks all those boxes and contains relevant keywords in the description, it should rank and get a decent number of views. Next, you’ll need to channel the viewers to your website. Remember, your goal here is to get website visits, and ultimately turn your visitors into customers. So, you’ll need to display your website link whenever you can.

For example, watermark your video with your website link at the bottom of the video. Show your link and logo at the end of the video. Also, include the link in the description, and on a pinned comment on the video. Accompany the link with a call-to-action urging viewers to click.

 7. Don’t ignore LinkedIn

Although LinkedIn focuses on professional networking, it’s still a goldmine for website traffic for tour and activity companies like yours.

Think about it. Professionals need to take a breather from their daily work stresses. So, why not offer them that service? You can get the attention of professionals on LinkedIn the same way you’d get attention on Facebook – using videos.

LinkedIn is just as visual as Facebook, and videos tend to get lots of engagements on LinkedIn. The only difference is, the LinkedIn audience expects videos to have formal undertones to them, but they don’t have to be boring. You need the video to be inspirational, informative, and entertaining. Remember to have your site link in the video and on the caption.

 8. Host a giveaway contest

People love free stuff! And you can use freebies to get massive traffic to your website. All you have to do is set up a giveaway contest and share it on your social media platforms. But before you launch your giveaway contest, let’s look at how you can get the most out of it.

First, you need to collect all participants’ emails. Just tell them you’ll need their email to contact them if they win. Those emails will be useful for your email marketing campaigns.

Second, incentivize the participants to share the giveaway contest by asking them to tag their friends or share your post with them. You can say each share or tag gives the participant an extra entry.

Third, add a scarcity element to the contest to encourage fast sign-ups. Limit the contest duration to a week or two and announce the winners shortly after.

 9. Get featured on travel podcasts

Podcasts are gaining popularity with 28% of Europe’s population tuning in to a podcast at least once a month. You can ride this wave to get website visitors to your website.

The good thing about using podcasts is that you don’t even have to start one! Instead, you can feature as a guest on established podcasts that cater to your target audience. The catch is, you’ll have to provide something of value to whoever hosts you on their podcast.

Podcasts will also offer some quality backlinks for your website in their show notes. These backlinks contribute to getting your site ranked on Google and getting more website visitors.

Conclusion

Driving traffic to your website shouldn’t be rocket science. With our strategies, you can hit the ground running even with a new website and have decent website traffic in a matter of days. With these strategies, you’ll be well on your way to scaling your tour and activity business and raking in the profits from your new-found website traffic!

You might also like: 

• How to Increase Website Conversions for Tours and Activities
• The Best Content Management Systems For Tour And Activity Operators
• Online Fraud and How to Protect Yourself with an SSL Certificate
• Website Best Practices for Tour and Activity Companies
• The 5 Types Of People Who Visit Your Site And How To Sell To Them
• Why Tour and Activity Operators Should Invest in a Great Website

The post How to Increase Website Traffic for Tours and Activities appeared first on Regiondo.

Looking for ways to increase sales that are both quick and easy to implement? Monitoring and improving conversion on your website would be our recommendation!

What Are Website Conversions?

With conversions, we mean the desired action or goals of visitors on your website. You may have 1 macro-goal and several micro-goals. An example of a macro-goal could be online bookings whereas a micro-goal could be email sign-ups for your newsletter. So, how do you track this?

Let’s say you have 100 visitors to your website and 5 of them make a booking. This means that you have a booking conversion rate of 5%. Of these 100 visitors, 10 signed up to your newsletter. Therefore your newsletter conversion rate is 10%. Essentially, the formula is the total number of completed desired actions/number of visitors x 100.

Sounds simple enough, right? But how can we persuade those who are on your website to click where you want them to? Let’s take a look at our top tips on how to increase your website conversions.

5 Tips to Increase Website Conversions for Tours & Activities

1. Excite visitors with amazing imagery

Examine your website. This is your virtual shop front and should be attracting and enticing people to book with you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Improving your content can increase your conversion rates dramatically.

We are incredibly fortunate to work in an industry that is visually appealing. Make sure that your images are of high quality and show people participating in your activity or service. Are you selling city segway tours? Include a group photo, a shot of the tour in action, an image of the segway itself, and close-ups of people enjoying themselves. Avoid using stock photos as this will be viewed as inauthentic and not representative of your product.

2. Write cool copy

Now that you have images sorted, take a look at your product/service descriptions and home page text. Make sure that you include at least 3 Unique Selling Points as to why the customer should book with you, and not take their business elsewhere.

Have you been doing this longer than other providers? Do you have a special license or certification that others don’t have? Include everything that differentiates you from the competition and that makes you stand out.

Always include a story behind your company and products. Watch marketing consultant Simon Sinek talk about Starting with Why? He claims that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. You can incorporate this into your website by explaining to your visitors why you do what you do. This personal element will surely help you to increase your conversions and add an extra level of authenticity to your brand.

3. Test, test, and test some more

Not sure which imagery works best or if you should change the text placement on your product page? No problem! A/B testing will be your new best friend. You can set up two different variations of a landing page and send an equal amount of traffic to each.

The global travel booking abandonment rate in 2019 averaged 90.74%. Use Google Analytics to see when people leave your website, and play around with testing to see if you can decrease your abandonment percentages.

Are people leaving when they see the final price? Maybe you should try highlighting the final amount in an earlier step of the customer journey. Are people leaving when they arrive at the booking form? Test a different layout with fewer questions and see if it works better.

4. Build Trust

When it comes to tours and activities, you are responsible for the safety of your guests. Potential customers may have lots of questions about the safety and security of your product/service. Are you up to date with safety regulations? Are your staff medically trained? Answer as much as you can in the individual product descriptions and also include a Frequently Asked Questions page to anticipate any blockers to booking.

Another way to build trust is to allow customers to share previous experiences. Over 90% of people planning travel read online reviews. Don’t make your visitors go off your page to search for them! Create your own review system where reviews from your clients can go live on your website. Make sure that you ask all of your clients to contribute by including it in your follow up emails and mentioning it on-site. You can also integrate your TripAdvisor profile with your website by using the free widget extension.

5. Remove Booking Pain Points

Actively search for any pain points – any areas that do not lead the visitor to convert. Imagine you are the visitor. You spend some time on the website, and finally decide on the product or service you would like to purchase. You get to the order page and there is a long and complicated form to fill in, requiring registration and a password amongst other seemingly irrelevant information. What do you do? Leave the website and find another provider.

Users do not like long forms so your booking form needs to be simple and easy to understand. You can always add a comments section and reach out to the person after booking if you require further information. Don’t require registration before purchase – this will lose you business. Provide the option to purchase as a guest, and offer registration on the booking confirmation page.

Want To See How It’s Done?

Let’s take a look at Canyon Park, an outdoor activity operator in Tuscany, Italy. They provide a variety of outdoor activities from SUP yoga to Canyon Ziplining.

Their SUP product and booking pages include imagery of people enjoying the activity and descriptive text that increases the desire to book!

By mentioning that the Straits of Cocciglia are a unique natural phenomenon only accessible by Stand Up Paddleboards, they are immediately highlighting their Unique Selling Points. They describe exactly how the activity will work and who can participate – anticipating any pain points and addressing them.

Now let’s take a look at their booking form. Simple, uncomplicated, and quick to fill in – nothing to annoy the potential customer that will make them leave the page.

There are only 3 required fields, offering a great example of how to create an easy and stress-free booking journey for your customers which will ultimately increase your revenue.

Conclusion

Monitoring and improving your website conversions is an on-going process that you should measure on a regular basis. By following our top tips above, you will discover what does and doesn’t work and constantly improve your conversion rates.

Our final tip? Know your customer and why they are coming to you. As long as you provide the best solutions and understand their booking pain points, you will never miss an opportunity again.

You might also like: 

• How to Increase Website Traffic for Tours and Activities
• The Best Content Management Systems For Tour And Activity Operators
• Online Fraud and How to Protect Yourself with an SSL Certificate
• Website Best Practices for Tour and Activity Companies
• The 5 Types Of People Who Visit Your Site And How To Sell To Them
• Why Tour and Activity Operators Should Invest in a Great Website

The post How to Increase Website Conversions for Tours and Activities appeared first on Regiondo.

From the way you display your offers to the type of content you create, you must take into account the different ways of consuming information and the buyer stage your customers are in when using their phones.

So in this article, we’re going to explore why it’s important to optimize your customer experience for mobile phones and the specific steps you should take in order to do that.

Ready? Let’s go.

The numbers: Mobile booking statistics you should know about

Check this out:

According to BroadbandSearch, 2016 was the first year when internet usage on mobile phones surpassed desktop.

And this trend hasn’t stopped.

In 2019, 53.3% of online traffic came from mobile devices, with people spending an average of 3.5 hours on their phones every single day.

But it’s now 2020 and you probably know all of that. You also know that Google switched to mobile-first indexing, meaning they use the mobile version of content to index and rank pages.

What about the leisure, travel, and tourism industry? Well, here’s some of we know so far:

• 85% of travelers use smartphones to plan their trips (Source)

• 76% of travelers say their smartphone is the most important travel companion (Source)

• 48% of all smartphone users are happy to research, book, and plan their whole trip to a new destination using just a mobile device (Source)

So we have solid reasons to prioritize mobile experiences. The question is: how will you, as a tour or activity provider, make the most of this trend?

1. Simplify your website

You might be tempted to include as much information and images as possible on your website.

However, this can have some negative effects.

People tend to ignore blocks of text so long paragraphs are not recommended if you want to boost conversions.

Similarly, too many elements can distract visitors from the main call to action you want to push, such as making a booking or signing up for your email list.

So it makes sense to simplify your website as much as possible (without omitting key information). This has a number of advantages:

• Faster load times due to fewer elements.
• Better customer experience as it’s easier to browse.
• Reduced chance of broken or misaligned content on mobile.

So when it comes to mobile optimization, sometimes less is more. In the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

2. Introduce a mobile-only offer

One of the best ways to increase your mobile bookings is offering a special incentive.

For example, you can introduce a mobile-only discount towards booking a tour or activity.

If you have a mobile app, you can also provide a value voucher to anyone who downloads it.

There are many possibilities here depending on your pricing and any merchandise you sell so consider experimenting with different offers to see what works best.

The main goal here is boosting engagement and mobile bookings – the increase in customer loyalty and satisfaction will take care of your profits later.

3. Adjust your marketing communication

As mobile devices have smaller screens, a lot of your marketing communication might need to be adjusted so it’s fully visible.

Apart from your website (mentioned earlier), there are 2 other big areas to consider:

1. Your SEO titles and meta descriptions.
2. Email subject lines.

As a rule of thumb, keep your SEO titles up to 60 characters and your meta descriptions up 160 characters. This way, you can expect them to be visible on most mobile screens without getting cut by Google.

When it comes to email, 61% of messages in 2018 were opened on mobile devices. So it’s crucial to optimize your subject lines and keep them around 40 characters or 7 words. There are differences between email clients and devices but this seems to be the sweet spot.

4. Consider investing in your own mobile app

According to Jersey Island Holidays travel conversion rates on mobile apps are 5x higher compared to mobile websites.

This finding is consistent with general e-commerce data where consumers convert 4.2x as much when using a brand’s native mobile app.

This is especially useful if you run a high-volume attraction with a significant distribution capability via social media or your email list.

If you have this sort of reach, a mobile app can make a big difference to your profits in the long run.

4. Leverage OTAs with a strong mobile presence

True, investing in a mobile app is not the right (or feasible) move for everyone.

However, you can still reach a mobile audience by using the right online travel agencies (OTAs).

OTAs have been investing heavily in mobile for years and have made easy bookings a matter of principle. So if you want to quickly access a mobile-first audience, such as millennials, consider listing your tours or activities on the right platform.

Some of our recommended partners include:

• Klook
• GetYourGuide
• Tiqets

6. Use the right technology

Nowadays, most website themes and builders are mobile responsive so the content automatically adjusts to fit the screen. And if you’re using the Regiondo booking system, your tour or activity offers are fully optimized already.

However, if you haven’t updated your website in a long time, it’s good to double-check your performance using Google’s mobile-friendly test or a similar tool. This will give you some suggestions for improvement where needed.

You should also avoid using too many tags and services on your website as they could make it slower. Stick to the basics like Google Analytics and your live chat – more sophisticated tools are nice to have but often come at the expense of user experience.

Conclusion

This was a quick look at some of the best practices you can take if you want to get more bookings from mobile devices.

It’s now 2020 and the numbers speak for themselves – the world is going mobile and so is the travel, leisure, and tourism industry.

If you want to capitalize on this trend, keep the following in mind:

• Simple is better than complex.
• Your marketing communication should reflect the medium you use.
• Mobile apps are a great investment if you’re a high-volume tour or attraction business.
• If you can’t afford an app, partner with the right OTAs.
• Use mobile-responsive technology to host your website and accept bookings.

You might also like: 

• • How to Increase Website Traffic for Tours and Activities
  • The Best Content Management Systems For Tour And Activity Operators
  • Online Fraud and How to Protect Yourself with an SSL Certificate
  • The 5 Types Of People Who Visit Your Site And How To Sell To Them
  • Why Tour and Activity Operators Should Invest in a Great Website

The post How to Get More Bookings from Mobile Devices appeared first on Regiondo.

From online travel agencies to review sites and social media, the possibilities for growth are endless.

But you know what? Relying on these external channels exposes you to risk.

What if they shut down? Or what if they decide to change their ranking algorithms, drastically affecting your sales? This has happened many times for businesses that rely entirely on sites like Facebook, Google, or TripAdvisor to drive their growth.

This is why it’s important to invest in building and developing your own website.

Not only does it reduce reliance on external platforms, but your website also gives you full control over the user experience and overall branding.

But why is that important?

Well, improving your website conversion rates is probably the biggest lever you have to increase your sales. Take this for example:

Let’s say 1 out of every 100 website visitors buys from you. If you make changes to your website that increase it to 2 out of 100, you have basically doubled your sales. That’s the power of having a well-converting website.

But where do you get started?

Whether you have a website already or you want to improve your existing one, we’ve prepared a set of best practices to help turn your website into a sales machine.

In this post, we’ll cover everything from choosing a content management system to setting up your online store and even analyzing your website performance.

Ready? Let’s go.

Start with your visitors in mind

When building or updating your website, the most important factor to consider is your visitors.

After all, you’re creating the website for them, not for yourself.

So before undertaking any changes, make sure you know who you’re addressing and make changes with them in mind.

You can make accurate and data-backed decisions only after you’re clear on your target market.

If you’re not sure about who that is, read our post about the 5 types of people who visit your site and how to sell to them.

CMS – What is it and do you need one?

CMS stands for Content Management System. These are online platforms that help you create and modify digital content.

The biggest example here is WordPress but there are many other options you can consider.

The advantages you get from a dedicated CMS are many – such as faster time to get up and running with your website, easier content management, and built-in features and plugins.

On the other hand, they might not be as flexible as custom solutions. So in case you want your website to include more advanced features, you might look into hiring a developer.

That said, modern content management systems are very flexible and allow you to modify much of the core functionality. They also come at a fraction of the cost of developing and maintaining a custom-made website.

If you’re not using a CMS already or looking to change, read our post on the best content management systems for tours and activities.

Setting up an online store

Okay, so you have your website set up using a CMS or a custom solution. Now, how do you make sales online?

Of course, you’ll need to set up an online store. There are 2 main options for you here.

Similar to content management systems, you can opt-in for a dedicated booking system that’s pre-built and ready to use. This lets you set up your shop much faster and cheaper than if you go for a custom solution.

The benefit of the custom solution is more flexibility but it also comes with higher setup costs, ongoing maintenance requirements, and no pre-built integrations to work with.

You can learn more about setting up your online store in our dedicated post on the topic.

Improving your website on an ongoing basis

If your website can make such a difference to your bottom line (see example at the beginning), why would you set it up and then just hope for the best?

Assuming you have a running website, now it’s time to look into ongoing improvement.

If you’ve opted for a dedicated CMS and booking system, making changes to your content and offers will be relatively easy without hiring a developer.

To help with best practices for ongoing improvement, we asked Margaret from TourismTiger to chip in with some tips.

The guys at TourismTiger started with a mission to build great websites for tour and activity operators that are effective from Day 1 and STAY effective in the long-run. So who better to turn to for advice and best practices?

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

1. Content quality

If your photos and videos aren’t perfect, update them. Perhaps you put in low-resolution photos as a placeholder until you rented a great camera and took some amazing photos. Now is the time to make it happen. Great photos and videos are what people need to see if they’re going to book with you instead of your competitors.

If you don’t feel confident in your ability to create high-quality content, hire a professional photographer. It will be worth the investment.

2. Create variety in how people can reach you

Travelers around the world need different ways to contact your company. Make this experience better for them by giving them a choice about how to get in touch.

Older guests may prefer to call and talk to someone on the phone about their questions and concerns. Instead of losing this type of customer, give them the option to call.

A real conversation over the phone is a great opportunity for tour operators to calm a hesitant guest’s fears and give them the personal assurance that they’re looking for.

You should also give your site visitors the option to call via Whatsapp or Skype. Travelers could be coming from all over the world and unable to reach you with a traditional phone call.

Assuming that you already have some way of getting in touch through email on your website, you should also consider offering different options. Some people prefer to see an email address and contact name listed so they can send a personal email with their inquiries, while others prefer the convenience of a contact form.

If you want people reaching out to you, you should give them these options so it’s easy and convenient to get in touch.

3. Use Google Analytics to track performance

Use Google Analytics to determine which pages on your site are being clicked and which ones are being ignored.

Perhaps you have a great tour that isn’t getting any attention from website visitors? Change the wording and photo to try to make it more attractive. Then, track your performance to see if there’s an improvement.

If yes, then good news. If no, you can revert to the old version o try different things until you see results.

4. Website spring cleaning

Perhaps you haven’t updated your website in a long time and there is still an old tour that is no longer offered displayed there. Now is your chance to remove it. Check every page of your site for information that’s no longer relevant.

– Do you have former guides on your About page?
– Are your prices up-to-date?
– Is the food offered on each of your tours still the exact same as listed on your site?

Check every detail for accuracy and take this time to update anything that is wrong, irrelevant, or misleading.

5. Add an additional language

This is pretty ambitious, but if you have the ability and if it makes sense for your particular company, you should consider adding a new language to your website.

You may already know which language you should add, as perhaps you already get a lot of travelers from a particular country or region of the world. However, there may be travelers that aren’t coming now because they are unable to.

For example, you may consider making your website accessible for Chinese travelers. China has been the largest outbound travel market since 2012 so it’s an enormous opportunity that you may be missing out on because your website does not have any information in Mandarin.

If your site needs improvements, take the first months of the new year to dedicate some time to update it. Start with these tips and, as you go along, you’ll probably discover other ways your site could be improved.

Website Security

Ok, so now you’ve got your website up and running, it’s making sales, and you know how to improve it on an ongoing basis with Margaret’s tips.

But there’s one more aspect you need to be aware of to make your website a successful sales channel – security.

Cyber attacks in 2017 were estimated at over 350,000 which is a 100% increase compared to 2016. So you need to know a thing or two about protecting your business and customer data safe.

The crucial thing is to know about the common online fraud cases and take action to prevent incidents in advance.

In addition, make sure you have an SSL certificate installed and that you monitor suspicious activity on a regular basis. Strange addresses and unusually high order values are indications that someone may be trying to commit online fraud on your website.

To learn more about website security, read our dedicated post on the topic.

Conclusion

Improving your website is a great way to increase sales with minimal effort.

The key is to always keep your visitors in mind when building or modifying your website.

Once you’re clear on who your target market is, make sure to choose a solid CMS and booking system so you can make ongoing changes easily.

In addition, avoid getting complacent with your website, and be sure to update it on a regular basis. Review your content, localize your offers, and track performance with Google Analytics so you’re always on an upward growth spiral.

Finally, don’t neglect the security aspect of your website in order to protect your data and minimize the chances of online fraud occurring.

We hope that now you have a good checklist with things to try and have the knowledge to turn your website into a real sales machine.

You might also like: 

• • How to Increase Website Traffic for Tours and Activities
  • The Best Content Management Systems For Tour And Activity Operators
  • Online Fraud and How to Protect Yourself with an SSL Certificate
  • The 5 Types Of People Who Visit Your Site And How To Sell To Them
  • Why Tour and Activity Operators Should Invest in a Great Website

The post Website Best Practices for Tour and Activity Companies appeared first on Regiondo.

To avoid falling into this trap, we have compiled a few tips to enable you to use the advantages of online ticketing features without all the trouble.

In this article you will learn:

• What are the most common types of fraud when selling online.
• How to monitor and recognize fraudulent activity.
• How to protect yourself from cases of fraud.
• What you should know about SSL certificates.

Ready? Let’s go.

Common types of fraud when selling tickets online

Wrong shipping address

If a customer address seems a bit strange, it’s worth having a closer look. Caution is especially advised if the address is to a vacant building, a hotel, or is located within a country known for scams. Have you received several bookings from different customers with the same address? Again, be cautious and check the individual bookings very carefully.

How to deal with this issue:

If you notice these types of inconsistencies, you have several options for getting to the bottom of things. Compare, for example, the customer’s contact information with the provided shipping address. If you notice deviations, enter the data into a search engine to verify the authenticity of the address in question. If there are still doubts after this research, call your customers directly to inquire about the validity of their payment.

False credit cards

The total amount due is an important indicator to consider when it comes to false credit cards. If a new customer has made an unusually high-priced booking, this could be an indication of fraud. A customer who has made several large orders in a short amount of time may also warrant a closer look.

How to deal with this issue:

To verify the accuracy of reservations, the same applies here as with the address. In case of doubt, contact the customer before accepting the booking. In addition, you can offer all relevant payment methods to ensure safe online bookings. PayPal is a very popular payment method that offers a safe alternative to credit card payments, benefiting both you and your customers.

Stealing customer data

If customers input sensitive data through your website like personal details and credit cards, you could be a potential target for hacker attacks. It’s important to take the necessary safety precautions here. Not just to keep your business and customer data safe, but also to comply with legal requirements.

How to deal with this issue:

Installing an SSL certificate is one of the most common ways to encrypt sensitive data submitted through your website. This way, it’s much harder to gain access to the information, even if you become the subject of a hacker attack.

What You Should Know About SSL Certificates

Since Google announced in 2014 that SSL Certified websites would be awarded with a boost in their SEO ranking, many site owners have made the switch to a secure HTTPS site. But some leisure providers are struggling to understand exactly what a secure HTTPS site and SSL Certificate is and how it benefits their business.

What is an SSL Certificate?

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is encryption that helps to provide a secure connection over the internet between your clients and your server. Having an SSL certificate for your online ticket shop is a must. It helps your customers confirm that your site is safe and trustworthy. SSL works to protect payment data, personal location information, and credit card information. With SSL, the extremely sensitive and private data of your customers is protected and unreadable to third parties who may be trying to steal their valuable information. Having an SSL Certificate means your site is HTTPS secured and will be displayed as a secure site on your URL address.

Authentication

SSL Certificates are important for any e-commerce shop and are used to prove the authenticity of a website owner. The certificate will prove that you own the domain and are indeed a registered business. Without this extra layer of protection, secure online shopping would not be possible.  An SSL will keep logins and signups on your site secure as visitors are shopping or logging into their accounts. The SSL Certificate can help you make your site visitors feel more safe and secure when giving permission to use their personal and private information on your site. This can turn into other business benefits; such as converting visitors into customers.

Which Type Of SSL Certificate Is Right For You?

There are several types of SSL Certificates and the prices between them will vary. Here are three types you can choose from:

1. Single Domain: This is a single SSL Certificate and is suitable for small businesses, personal websites, and bloggers. This option will secure one domain and ensures the information exchanged through this connection is safe and secure from any interception by third parties.

2. Multi-Domain: This SSL Certificate protects multiple domains and is more suitable for someone with multiple websites, service providers, and anyone wanting to secure several domains.

3. Wildcard Certificate: The Wildcard SSL Certificate is perfect for larger websites with multiple subdomains. It’s ideal for securing multiple login areas and portals.

All three types of SSL Certificates will secure your domains and block them from third parties trying to intercept private information exchanged on your site. The cost of SSL can be expensive and complex. But with the risks and costs evaluated, SSL is well worth the investment. Its benefits include a small boost in SEO rankings from Google, increased security and privacy, and receiving better referral data so that you can properly track where your traffic is coming from.

SEO Benefits from having an SSL certificate

There are a few SEO benefits involved for those making the switch to a secure HTTPS connection.

*As far as Google is concerned, sites with SSL encryption are eligible for a higher ranking score.

*With an SSL Certificate, your website is maintained through a secure HTTPS connection, versus those which are not secure (HTTP site). Thanks to this secure connection, your referral data is not lost in translation. With this secure connection, you can be sure you’ll be able to efficiently track where your traffic is coming from.

However, if you do not make the switch to a secure HTTPS site, Google displays this when visitors reach your site. This is a major drawback and may drive customers away from your business. This display is a huge red flag for site visitors and will make them feel unsafe before they even get the chance to browse your site.

Here’s an example of what internet users see when encountering an unsafe site:

How to Install SSL

Buying an SSL Certificate can be done in several ways. The pricing can range and will be dependent upon your provider.

The certificate can also be set up by your hosting provider, on your server. Once it is set up, your shop and URL will show up as HTTPS – when you click on this area of your address bar, you’ll see your SSL certificate as your site visitors would with the small lock icon, which ensures your site has been verified.

Conclusion

Ecommerce security is crucial if you’re selling tours and activities online. Whether it’s fake bookings or hacker attacks, it’s better to be safe than sorry in this area.

You should be able to spot fraudulent activities and deal with them quickly. This way, you get paid safely, provide a better service, and comply with regulations that ask you to monitor cases like these.

Apart from vigilance, a wide range of payment options and data encryption are factors that significantly increase your eCommerce security.

You might also like: 

• How to Increase Website Conversions for Tours and Activities
• Why Tour and Activity Operators Should Invest in a Great Website
• How to Increase Website Traffic for Tours and Activities

The post Online Fraud and How to Protect Yourself with an SSL Certificate appeared first on Regiondo.

But how do you get started? What are the most important things to keep in mind? In this article, we’ll cover the basics of setting up your online store so you can execute with confidence.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

With Regiondo, it takes less than 5 minutes to set up your online store and create your first offer. And if you encounter any issues, our customer success team is always there to walk you through the process.

First things first – do you have a website already?

If you don’t have a website, we recommend you check out our comparison of the best content management systems (CMS) for tour and activity providers.

Once you have an active website, here’s what you need to consider when it comes to setting up your online store.

Custom vs Platform Solution

The next thing you’ll need to consider is the basis of your online store. That is – building it from scratch or using an existing platform like Regiondo that does the groundwork for you.

If you opt for a specialized platform, you can have your store up and running in 5 minutes with no upfront costs. Security and payment processing issues are taken care of as well. The downside is you’ll normally pay a transaction fee when selling online and an ongoing service fee to maintain your online store.

The main advantage of building a custom solution is that you can customize the store elements in more depth and it’s easier to switch your hosting provider. On the other hand, a custom option requires more ongoing maintenance as you’ll have to deal with security updates and you’ll likely need a dedicated person or team to help you. In addition, the setup costs can be high unless you can build it yourself.

Which one you choose will depend on your budget and capabilities. If you are technically oriented and have good knowledge of the legal landscape when it comes to selling online, you might want to spend the time and build a custom solution. But if you’d like to avoid the hassle of creating and maintaining your online store, we’d recommend going for a specialized platform that does much of the hard work for you. This way you can focus on your business instead of the details around it.

Creating your online store

Once you have your website and you’ve decided on how to host your online store, it’s time to create it.

If you’ve decided to build a custom solution from scratch, you can learn more about it in this article by Melanie Pinola on Lifehacker.

If you prefer using a specialized platform instead, you just need to choose a provider and create an account with them. The setup process is usually quick and straightforward, depending on which platform you choose.

With Regiondo, it takes less than 5 minutes to set up your online store and create your first offer. And if you encounter any issues, our customer success team is always there to walk you through the process.

Designing your first online shop offers

Now that your store is up and running, it’s time to add your offers. To make sure as many people as possible purchase, here are a few tips on designing your first offers:

1) Title
The title must catch your visitors’ attention so they click on the offer. It should normally be positioned at the top of the offer page and should highlight the key benefits of your tour or activity. For example, mention if you have a great discount or a unique experience that only you can provide.

2) Description
The description is meant to explain your offer in detail so people feel compelled to purchase. Make sure it’s easy to read by using bullet points and short paragraphs. It’s also important to focus on your reader and how they perceive the experience. Instead of solely explaining how amazing your tour or activity is, perhaps they will be concerned with safety. It’s important to know your target customers and answer their most pressing questions in your offer’s description.

3) Pricing
The key here is to research competitor prices while keeping in mind the value you provide. Are people amazed and consider it an experience for a lifetime or is it just something new to try? Depending on the category you fall in, your price should reflect it. Last but not least, you should also consider your cost structure to make sure there is a sufficient profit margin after all expenses such as transaction fees and marketing spend. For more tips on setting prices, see our post on dynamic pricing for tour and activity providers.

4) Images
One of the most crucial elements on your offer page are the photos. You will normally have a featured image followed by multiple supporting ones. Apart from showing your tour or activity in its full glamour, it’s important to include other people who are having fun and experiencing what you have to offer. This helps visitors relate and acts as social proof so they are more likely to try out your offer.

Example: Fundoarena

Conclusion

Today we covered the main things to consider when setting up your online store.

We looked at choosing a CMS for your website and building a custom store vs using a specialized platform. We also went through tips on creating your store and best practices when it comes to setting up your offers.

We hope that now you have all the information you need to act with confidence and set up a successful online store.

You might also like:

• How to Start a Tour Company With (Almost) No Money
  
• 9 Ways to Get Business Funding for Tours and Activities
• The Best Content Management Systems For Tour And Activity Operators

The post How to Set Up an Online Store for Your Leisure Business appeared first on Regiondo.

To make your decision easier, here we present our choice of the best content management systems for tour and activity providers. Whether you’re starting out or have a well-established business, there’s bound to be an option for you.

No matter which CMS you choose, Regiondo can help you boost your online sales. Set up your store for free and start selling with Regiondo in minutes.

1. WordPress.org

WordPress is the most popular CMS out there. Powering more than 30% of all websites, it’s also the most attractive platform for plugin developers. This is important because plugins augment your site’s functionality in a quick and easy way.

Also, it’s popular among publishers of all sizes – from independent bloggers to household names like Time Magazine and Reuters. So if content marketing is a central part of your strategy, WordPress is a good choice for frequent publishing.

Pros:

+ Versatile system suitable for many use cases.

+ A large number of plugins.

+ Low cost.

Cons:

– You may need expert help to customize themes.

2. TYPO3

TYPO3 has developed a strong reputation around enterprise-level features. It boasts impressive scalability and a wide variety of extensions to supplement your website. This makes TYPO3 a good choice if you operate a large and popular tour or activity.

On the other hand, the platform’s ability to expand can also put a strain on your server resources. So if you don’t plan to drive a ton of traffic to your website, you might be better off with a simpler alternative.

Pros:

+ High scalability.

+ Suitable for different types of websites.

Cons:

– It requires more server resources.

– Hard to install and modify.

3. Drupal

Drupal is a more sophisticated CMS when compared to WordPress. It also offers more functionalities on the developer side. This means it doesn’t rely so much on plugins and extensions to augment site functionality. Still, there is a decent amount available on the website.

The downside is Drupal is not as scalable as other platforms. It’s a good option if you run a smaller activity and would like to provide a good user experience to your website visitors. But when it comes to expanding, you might need extra power.

Pros:

+ Functionality.

+ Great support documentation.

Cons:

– Making changes requires a good understanding of web programming.

4. Contao

Contao is a free and open source CMS well suited to medium and large operators. The platform focuses on ease of use and accessibility for both your visitors and developers.

So while Contao has an easy-to-use interface, it may be difficult to modify it since support documentation is somewhat limited. If you don’t require too much customization, it can be a good option for your tour or activity.

Pros:

+ Simple to use, yet functional.

+ Appealing user interface.

Cons:

– Limited technical support.

5. Joomla!

Joomla! is a good option if you want a quick, out-of-the-box website. With numerous templates, you’re bound to find something usable, especially if you’re just starting out.

For bigger providers, it might cause concerns when it comes to security. And if you want to customize a lot of the elements to fit your brand, it can prove harder than you expect. Joomla! is a good pick for most small operators. However, you might want to look elsewhere for enterprise-level security and serious modification.

Pros:

+ Multiple templates to choose from.

+ Quick and easy to set up.

Cons:

– Relatively easy to hack.

6. Magento

Magento is the only platform that’s not open source on this list. As such, it comes with higher costs to set up and maintain. In exchange, it delivers extra value when it comes to ease of use and functionality.

Magento powers some of the biggest consumer-facing brands online so it’s a popular choice for large companies. But if you’re looking to keep costs low, you might be better off with a free or cheaper alternative.

Pros:

+ Easy to use.

+ Very functional.

Cons:

– High price.

Conclusion

When choosing the right CMS for your tour or activity business, you need to keep several things in mind. If you have high demands and need serious customization, platforms focused on the enterprise like TYPO3 or Magento are a good choice.

On the other hand, if you value simplicity and ease of use more than getting the bells and whistles, Joomla! and Contao can help you get started.

And if you want the best of both worlds, versatile platforms like WordPress and Drupal are the way to go.

You might also like: 

• How to Increase Website Traffic for Tours and Activities
• Online Fraud and How to Protect Yourself with an SSL Certificate
• Website Best Practices for Tour and Activity Companies
• The 5 Types Of People Who Visit Your Site And How To Sell To Them
• Why Tour and Activity Operators Should Invest in a Great Website

The post The Best Content Management Systems For Tour And Activity Operators appeared first on Regiondo.

As a tour operator, you’ve probably seen a lot of advice on the internet about how to improve your site. This is great, BUT… all of these posts have one thing in common – they don’t put you in the mindset of your visitor.

It’s one thing to follow a random bunch of tips, but it’s way better if you fully understand WHY you’re making the changes – that way, you’ll know which things to focus on first, and the best way to implement them.

At TourismTiger, our focus is 100% on building tour & activity websites. Over time, we’ve noticed that website visitors tend to follow certain patterns – some potential customers focus a LOT on photos and others focus on price. Some take the time to read every word, while others scroll up and down rapidly looking for certain information.

Over the past 3 years, we’ve come to categorize these people into 5 distinct ‘personality types’ and I’m dying to share these with you, so let’s dive in.

Hesitant Henrietta

Who Henrietta is: Have you ever noticed that some people who come on your tour & activity seem to be… worried? Almost unnaturally so?

This is Henrietta.

What happens if it rains? Am I fit enough? Am I going to be the only person my age? Is this going to be a waste of money? Is this too scary? What if, what if, what if?

How to sell to Henrietta: Henrietta needs to be comforted. This is why having ‘great photos’ isn’t just the key – another key is to have the RIGHT photos. For example – are people worried that their children aren’t big enough for your activity? Is your visitor concerned that they’re going to get too tired? Show photos of children or less athletic people enjoying your experience.

It’s not just the photos – it’s also about the words. Do your tour descriptions clearly address Henrietta’s worries, in a prominent way? Does your business convey its credibility through its history, reviews, photos, videos, logo, design, etc?

Experience Eddie

Who Eddie is: Eddie is heavily focused on the emotional experience, the memories, and the stories.

At his core, Eddie is looking to get excited. Which means your photos, video, and descriptions need to make Eddie truly FEEL the emotions that you want him to feel.

Eddie is less text-focused and much more interested in photos and videos. Eddie will look at every single photo you have but completely miss something in the middle of your tour description!

How to sell to Eddie: Simple, yet difficult to execute.

Your tours need to really capture the fantasy of the experience.

A common mistake is for photos to be of a group standing and smiling for the camera. Don’t do this – you need to show people in the middle of the experience, not posing awkwardly.

Photos need to:

• Be professionally taken where possible (don’t take them yourself with an iPhone, this always leads to mediocre results)
• Show people in the process of enjoying the experience
• Show your company delivering the experience and making it special
• Show the context of the experience. That is to say… zoom out a little and show people the full sweep of the activity. Rafting companies make this mistake a lot – 100% of their photos are zoomed in on whitewater.

Example: Check out the site we built for Regiondo customer, Paris Day Trip. Previously, his tour itineraries were all text and no grab. Now, people have a great selection of photos to check out and really imagine the experience.

Rush-Hurry Rose

Who Rose is: Rose is the most common type of visitor to your website.

I’m a Rose! And I get extraordinarily frustrated while trying to book tours online…

Rose is the kind of person who doesn’t want to sit around and read a long tour description – she just wants the key information to make her decision.

If your website is very easy to navigate, Rose will reward you for it. In fact, Rose will actively avoid companies with dated websites, no booking systems, or confusing navigation.

I learned this in my very last job before starting TourismTiger. I was an SEO manager for over 50 different websites and had access to the Google Analytics of all of them. When you have access to so many websites, you learn very quickly what works and what doesn’t!

The biggest lesson? Simple navigation and easy to find information is the winner. Otherwise, you’ll have Rose calling to ask you a question that is ‘clearly answered on the site’. Or more likely, she’ll just give up.

How to sell to Rose: Once Rose has established that you have a credible business (with, say, a quick look at TripAdvisor), you’re in the hunt.

The home page needs to have two things: a very clear headline and extremely clear navigation. Let’s re-visit Paris Day Trip, our Regiondo customer. Notice that the home page is simple and clean? This is so important.

Now, let’s look at one of their tour pages. The gallery and basic details such as price are extremely clear and very easy to locate. This is so important.

Finally, look at their booking process. The booking button is prominent – on both desktop and mobile – and is connected to a live booking system. This means that Rose can check the availability of the tour without having to email or call. She can book straight away! Awesome.

Questioning Quentin

Who Quentin Is: Quentin is the person who makes a spreadsheet with all of their options for each day.

He’s the person who will read every detail just to make absolutely, 100% sure that this is the right company to go with.

That is to say, Quentin is a perfectionist.

How to Sell to Quentin: Quentin will punish you hard for small mistakes – poor logo? Poor photos? Spelling errors? Sale.. gone.

Now, Quentin understands that this is a tour. So they don’t expect War and Peace, but if a company is clearly nailing the details on their site, this will create a feeling of trust for him.

The problem is this – how do I balance the needs of Rose with the needs of Quentin?
If Rose doesn’t like too much text, and Quentin needs a lot of text… what do I do?

Simple – you just need to put the absolute key details at the top and help Rose get the information she needs. The tour description itself should be easy to scan so someone can answer the one question on their mind.

You need to:

• Have detailed descriptions answering every possible question
• Have a full activity description breaking down the step by step
• Make great use of ‘Good to Know’ and ‘FAQ’ areas
• Make sure you get all of your text proof-read by someone else, to catch any errors
• Pay attention to questions that come in via phone or contact form and ensure that you get them answered.

Representative Ryan

Last, and possibly the most important, is Representative Ryan.

Who Ryan is: Ryan is the person who is booking on behalf of other people – it could be their partner, their family, or a large group.

Ryan’s job is to find a great option that everyone is happy with and thereby maintain their reputation. Ryan knows that if they make the wrong decision, they’ll be hearing about it for months or possibly years after the event.

How to sell to Ryan: If something goes wrong, Ryan needs to justify his decision. This means that your website (and TripAdvisor profile) need to look highly professional and credible.

This means:
Clearly display how established and experienced your business is (incredible tours of Sydney since 2002!)
Show how many guests you’ve had – 1500 amazing tours conducted since 2002!
Show your awards
Have highly professional, modern design, photos, video, and logo
You’ll need well-written tour descriptions that are also well-structured
Show the quality of your vehicles/equipment/gear and make it clear that you only use the best.

Wrapping up

There’s nothing worse than spending a lot of time and money bringing visitors to the website – then having them leave because of some trivial issue.

It’s hard to feel this issue because on your Analytics they’re just going to be a visitor. These people aren’t emailing you to tell you why they don’t buy. They just leave. And it’s our job at TourismTiger to turn them from a meaningless statistic to a real booking. Appeal to all 5 of the people I’ve talked about and you’ll find your sales getting a nice little boost.

Now that you’ve read this, go back to your website and think about the different mentalities. Is it easy for someone in a hurry to find your information? Are you really doing such a great job of comforting Henrietta?

Put yourself in their shoes and you’ll find a lot of the potential improvements that have been escaping you. Our customers see a typical year-over-year increase in bookings of 20-80% (mostly between 40 and 70%) and this is a key part of our strategy. Hopefully, you’ll see an effect of this order, too.

You might also like: 

• How to Increase Website Conversions for Tours and Activities
• The Best Content Management Systems For Tour And Activity Operators
• Online Fraud and How to Protect Yourself with an SSL Certificate
• Website Best Practices for Tour and Activity Companies
• How to Increase Website Traffic for Tours and Activities
• Why Tour and Activity Operators Should Invest in a Great Website

The post The 5 Types Of People Who Visit Your Site And How To Sell To Them appeared first on Regiondo.