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Over half of all vacationers and even more business travelers are using mobile apps to plan and book their trips. Whether you are renting out rooms in a B&B or trying to sell tour packages, the question is not whether you need to ramp up your mobile strategy, but rather how you are going to do it. Here is a brief guide to mobile marketing for travel companies:

• A Mobile Friendly Website Is Only the Start

If your website is not easy to navigate on any of the mobile devices, then you are undoubtedly losing out on major sales. Not only are websites that haven’t been optimized for mobile searches penalized in Google, but your potential customers need to be able to easily click through your room options, travel plans, submit an inquiry and get a quote – all from their tablet, phone or desktop computer.

• Get Your Mobile App Ready

Many travel purchases occur in mobile apps as opposed to on websites. Instead of forcing a customer to email your reception desk to make a booking, make sure you have a mobile app where they can book air travel or make a hotel reservation directly in the app.

• Make Customization A Priority

In the past, travel companies would market their packages to different target audiences. Today’s travelers, however, want to be their own travel agents. Your website, mobile app and the communication you send to potential customers need to be personalized according to their travel preferences. Travelers have a do-it-yourself approach to travel bookings and they tailor their trips themselves from start to finish, so be sure to have easy-to-use drop-down menus where they can select their own travel dates, room preferences, tour options, or anything else your company offers.

• Offer Add-Ons That the Customer Would Be Interested In

If you are selling safari packages or shore excursions, offer relevant products and extra services as custom add-ons. You could, for example, offer an expert tour guide, pet-friendly dining options, trips to nearby heritage sites, and so forth as custom add-ons, so that the customer can further tailor their experience.

• Localization

Your website and mobile app should allow people to save local information for later viewing. Offer maps, city guides, and options for the customer to save their favorite spots for later in a ‘Travel Bucket List’ feature, for example.

WSI New Media Marketing is a digital marketing agency in Greensboro, North Carolina that specializes in mobile marketing services. Contact us to help you tailor your digital marketing campaigns in the travel industry.

Why a Responsive Web Design Matters

Responsive web design. It’s a concept you’ve heard of but might not completely understand, especially if your use of technology is limited. While most business owners have taken the plunge and had a website built, the way that website is viewed on different pieces of technology is different. From computer to computer and web browser to web browser, things generally look the same. But when you start to view a website on a smartphone or tablet, all of which vary in size, things start to get a little bit messy.

With responsive web design, your website can sense what type of device is trying to view it. It can alter the format and show a website design that is appropriate for a different type of device. Your responsive web design, or mobile format, may be completely different from your personal computer format, but with such a large percentage of people doing mobile searches it becomes critical for that display to be user friendly.

Google and Responsive Design

Believe it or not, whether or not your website has a responsive design now matters to the Google algorithm. Earlier this year, Google announced that mobile-friendly websites would receive higher ranking signals in their algorithms than those without it. The change was noted to be significant, meaning this is something a serious business owner really can’t ignore.

Responsive Designs are Flexible

A responsive web design is flexible. Once the basic format is set up, your website can adapt to any type of viewing device. You don’t necessarily have to design 3 or 4 different layouts and hope the right one hits. Someone viewing your website on a smartphone might see a single stream layout while someone on a tablet may see something with multiple columns, but perhaps still not as large as a full computer screen. The user experience is enhanced by the adaptability of your site. A prospective customer who can easily find relevant information about the products needed, is a happy, buying customer.

Oh, and it’s cost effective, too. In the past you actually used to have to design two separate websites – one for mobile and one for computer users. You can now manage all of your information on one site and it will adapt appropriately. Only one site for updates, for on-site SEO, and for off-site marketing.

Not sure if your website has a responsive design? We can help you find out and, of not, we can help you transform your website into a marketing tool guaranteed to bring you new business day in and day out. Just contact us to set up a consultation.