Creating a website, or even updating a website, is one of those things that’s constantly sitting on the “to do” list but always getting bumped to the bottom. With so much on their plate, it’s sometimes overwhelming for travel advisors to even think about this type of project.
It’s time consuming and has a lot of moving parts. Do you get new photos taken or use the ones you have? How in-depth should the content be? Should testimonials be included? By the time you get through the initial planning stages, you’re exhausted and no longer interested in the task at hand.
The Compass caught up with Kate Winter Cole, owner of Kate Winter Digital Solutions, to hear the latest tips and tricks for improving your travel agency website. She offers marketing and design services to small businesses, including travel agencies.
“My business is mostly referral based. I was referred to one travel advisor, then another and another, and so on,” Winter Cole said. “In the past year, I’ve been lucky enough to tag along on some travel advisor trips (Pivot and Prosper and a Mexico Fam Trip), and it really opened my eyes to the depth of knowledge and level of detail it takes to be successful in this industry.”
Winter Cole has a passion for educating business owners and entrepreneurs and helping them connect with their audiences. After spending 15 years in the marketing world and seven of those years running her own business, she knows a thing or two about optimizing a website. Here are her top tips for advisors.
Website vs. Social Media
It’s not one or the other when it comes to having a website and social media accounts. Both tools can be extremely useful. One misconception Winter Cole often hears, though, is that an online social media presence does more for business than a website.
“Social media is a fantastic tool for communication and promotion, but ultimately those platforms are in control of your content and your audience,” Winter Cole said. “Your website is the one place where you are in charge, not an algorithm.”
While social media accounts are fairly easy to create and manage, having an established website adds a level of legitimacy to a business. When consumers are looking for assistance planning their vacation and conduct a quick online search, they are more likely to choose a travel advisor who has a website to explore vs. one who only has social media pages.
Creating Copy To Reflect Your Expertise
Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start when creating copy for a website, and Winter Cole said this is the biggest hurdle she faces with the travel advisor community. When it comes to writing the text for your website, Winter Cole encourages advisors to start by thinking about what questions they get asked the most and answer them in the copy.
It’s also important to remember who this content is for. “Remember — this text isn’t just for your future clients; it’s also for search engines to crawl and rank your website,” Winter Cole said. “If you are stumped for words to include, look up social media hashtags. It’s a great way to see what’s trending.”
Your website is also an ideal place to include things like testimonials you’ve received and certifications you’ve earned. You’ve worked hard to get where you are and have years of experience under your belt, and your website is a great place to showcase this. There are a host of traits that set you apart from online booking engines and specific characteristics that also set you apart from other travel advisors. Make sure your unique skill set is highlighted on your website for all to see.
“One thing that sets travel agents apart is their expertise. I’d love to see more agents lean into that,” Winter Cole said. “I think when we work in an industry for a while, we take certain knowledge for granted.”
Winter Cole encourages advisors to take things like travel ideas, packing tips, destination guides and resort reviews and turn them into valuable content for prospective clients to read. These could easily be turned into blog posts to add additional content to a website. “This extra content goes a long way with search engine optimization and positions you as the expert. I’d always rather book with the expert,” she said.
Consistency Is Key
If you’re considering having a blog on your website, Winter Cole reminds travel advisors that keeping it up to date is always going to be important. “The key to successful content creation like this is consistency. Consistency will always win,” she said.
If consumers come across your website and see a blog post last updated five years ago, there’s a chance they might think your company has gone out of business. Be sure to keep not only the blog posts but the copy and imagery fresh and current.
“[Your website] needs to be updated often, and it should reflect you NOW, not four years ago when you built it. If you DIY’d your website or if you have a professional designer, please be sure your content is fresh, current and up to date,” Winter Cole said.
8 Things Every Advisor's Website Should Have According to Kate Winter Cole
- Great Pictures: I know you all take about a million pictures on your FAM trips. Use them! Also, find that great photo of yourself where you feel like a million bucks. People really do connect with people. I’d want to see the person I’m booking travel with smiling and ready to help.
- About Section: Tell me about your journey in the industry; include your passions, personality and favorite destinations. Don’t be afraid to let your personality come through.
- Services: Explore exactly what you do and how you help. Don’t assume your prospective travelers know anything.
- Testimonials: Please share some words from past clients (also — are you asking for Google Reviews? You should be!)
- Destinations/Travel Providers: Give me some suggestions. Maybe I was thinking Florida, but I’ll read your list and think, ohhhh, Aruba!
- Specialty Pages: Are you an expert in European River Cruising? Do you host group African Safaris? Maybe it’s theme parks and you have 101 tips for avoiding lines. Whatever makes you unique, show it off.
- Frequently Asked Questions: We all have professional questions that we are asked regularly — you might as well use that content for your website. Also, this is more content for search engines to read.
- Contact Information: Do NOT — I repeat — DO NOT only have this once or in one place. You never want someone to have to click more than once to get ahold of you. Please make it easy to hire you!
Originally appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of The Compass magazine.
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