Your website is your property’s most significant marketing asset. And we’ve blogged a lot about the importance of creating compelling content. But once your site is up and running, your job isn’t done. A website must be regularly monitored and adapted in order to remain effective. Your customers (and search engines!) will appreciate the relevant content and design. Here are five tips for keeping your website fresh:
Constantly update
You should make a habit of assessing and updating your website regularly. For most guests, it’s where a first impression is formed, and outdated content or functionality implies a lack of professionalism. Including time-sensitive information like road closures, upcoming festivals or on-site renovations (and then removing it when it’s no longer relevant) lets guests know you’re on top of things.
Write a blog
A blog is a great way to generate fresh content for your website. And as a lodging operator, there’s a lot you could write about. Highlighting other local businesses and events, providing more information about your rewards programs and other amenities, and interviews with staff members—anything your guests would find interesting and informative—would be a worthwhile addition to your site. It may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be a daily thing. Even posting once a month can offer value to your guests. Just don’t forget to promote it on your social media platforms. If you’re putting in the work, use it to its full potential.
Include a social media feed
If you are regularly posting on your property’s social media (and in this day and age you really should be), you should consider embedding feeds directly on your website. Not only will it signal to visitors that your site (and therefore property) is current, it’ll help to promote your social media pages (and hopefully result in more followers) as well.
Keep up with design trends
While it’s vital for the information on your website to be up-to-date, your web design should be current as well. We’ve all had the experience of clicking through to outdated sites and know the effect that it has—it doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. So, keep tabs on what’s coming into (and what’s going out of) style. And if you’re in need of a redesign, contact our design staff today.
Use a content management system
Keeping your website fresh is all about regular tweaks and updates. So, it’s critical you have the ability to make those adjustments easily. Using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, allows you to make changes to content (whether it’s adding blog posts, swapping out photos, or adding an entirely new page) without any technical skills. That means you don’t need to pay your web developer every time you want to make an update.
Your hotel’s website is not something to get complacent about. You should be regularly evaluating your content to make sure it’s the best reflection of your business (for a fresh perspective, services like usertesting.com allows random visitors to provide feedback on your site) and adjusting accordingly.