|
A website
dealing with tourism must, above all, be extremely explicit. It must guide the
tourist, helping him/her choose his/her destination and accommodation. The key
concept is making the tourist aware of what is going on. Basically, the
“internaut” tourist must be able to quickly and exhaustively assess all the elements
regarding a particular location, a
specific hotel or accommodation facility.
The first kind
of question that needs to be answered is therefore the following: why should I
choose your hotel? Why should I spend my holidays at your agriturismo?
One would
obviously want to amaze the tourist with some sort of flabbergasting special
effects, but it is fundamental not to make some very common mistakes.
Firstly, do
not overdo it
A hotel or
bed & breakfast website should focus on its services, its fees and
promotions rather than being a sort of tourism guide for the surrounding area.
The risk, in this case, is that of drawing the tourist’s attention away from
the accommodation facility, actually making him/her reconsider the very
location.
Secondly, don’t
cheat
This may
sound obvious, but the most common mistake in setting up a tourism website is
the desire to portray one’s own structure as unique, the best, the most
advantageous and the most suitable one. The Internet has no mercy: it is
sufficient to visit a couple of forums and ask previous customers about their
impression. It is wiser to be objective and truthful, possibly exalting those
little details that do-it-yourself tourists of the 21st century seem
to like so much.
Thirdly,
don’t be inconclusive
A website is not a flyer or a business card:
interactivity must be tangible and useful.
The occasional visitor must be
converted into a user, his/her loyalty should be fostered, so as to make
him/her a customer. Therefore, visiting a hotel or camping website, or even
just the website of the tourism promoter, must straightforwardly result into
the filling out of forms or into a telephone call, possibly directly through
the computer itself (via Skype or similar products).
Don’t fear
competition
What is it
that actually converts the mere visiting of a tourism website into a holiday or
relaxed weekend in some hotel off the beaten tracks? The website’s very ability
to genuinely depict the facility’s nature, its comforts and – why not? – its
peculiarities, even if they may be somewhat awkward. A mountain chalet offering
bed & breakfast must not fear a five-star agriturismo farmhouse or a deluxe hotel, nor must it resemble
different accommodation facilities. The 21st century, do-it-yourself
tourist is distrustful of the standard, excessively packaged holiday offer.
Hence, it is good to see some spontaneous websites that truly convey the
proprietors’ clear, precise and efficient message. The Internet rewards the
so-called “small”.
|
Web Creations 
