When building and maintaining your website, there are many important factors to consider - but it all comes down to how to convert interested customers into bookings. It’s imperative to optimize your site effectively to keep potential customers engaged and make it as easy as possible for them to find & purchase your experiences. Whether you're a seasoned tour or rental operator or just starting out, we’ve laid out a few top optimization strategies to help boost conversions - how many do you have implemented?
Book Now Button in the Header:
If nothing else, the most crucial element to getting guests to hit that "Book Now" button is to, well, include a prominent “Book Now” button! Whether it's situated in the header or overlaid on the hero homepage image (we recommend choosing one of these options, so as not to overwhelm guests with “decision fatigue”), make sure it's eye-catching and easily accessible. Utilizing contrasting colors will help ensure it stands out and draws visitors’ attention immediately upon landing on your site.
Floating Book Now Button:
Complementing your static "Book Now" button, a floating version ensures that the call to action remains visible as visitors scroll down the page. This persistent presence serves as a gentle reminder to encourage conversions without being too intrusive. Remember, the goal is to make it as easy for the guest to book when they decide they’re ready!
A floating or “sticky” button is a simple and common feature to add to any website - if you’re not sure how to implement one and don’t have a webmaster to help, try searching “sticky CTA + [your web hosting platform]” into your search engine, or asking ChatGPT for a step by step guide!
Don’t forget: When using a booking software widget like Peek Pro, make sure that the link from your Book Now button creates a “pop-out” widget instead of opening a new page -- it’ll create a better experience for your guests and keep them on your site in the event that they drop off.
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Integration with Google Analytics:
Gain valuable insights into visitor behavior and website performance by integrating Google Analytics. Track key metrics such as traffic sources, conversion rates, and user engagement to inform your optimization efforts and marketing strategies. Make sure to connect via Peek’s GA4 integration to add in essential tracking data from your Peek Pro booking flow - such as drop-off points, add-ons and cart sizes. Your site is your #1 salesperson, and you or any marketing/web consultants will need this information to properly test and iterate on your site and improve sales.
Dedicated Pages for Each Experience:
Enhance user experience by organizing your offerings into individual pages for each tour or activity: While your main goal is to have your booking widget opened on the homepage (via your now super-clear Book Now button), you want to ensure customers who are exploring your offerings are kept moving via clearly marked activity pages. This not only improves site navigation but also allows for targeted SEO optimization, driving relevant search engine traffic to specific experiences which in turn increases the chances of conversions from interested parties.
Note: It’s best to try to avoid changing up your existing page URLs so as not to disrupt direct traffic from Google. Try to work within your site’s existing structure and make sure all pages are clearly linked from your homepage nav. If you need to add a couple of new pages or redirects, that’s okay!
High-Quality Visual Content:
It’s all about getting guests to visualize themselves on your experience, so investing in high-quality images and videos will help immerse potential customers and propel them to book. Some top tips for your site’s visual content:
- Optimize all assets for web viewing to ensure fast loading times without sacrificing quality. If you have larger, professional images, consider compressing them using tools like JPEGoptim, PNGOUT, or TinyPNG.
- Consider using “lazy loading” (as visitors scroll, images load just before coming into view) to increase site speed.
- Check your images are optimized for mobile devices - most website platforms will help do this automatically, but it’s always worth previewing how your site looks on mobile before making changes.
- Include engaging images or gifs in your booking flow - Peek Pro’s new Product Feed has an image-led design optimized for mobile bookers.
Remember, compelling visuals can significantly influence a visitor's decision to book.
A Compelling Tour Description that “Pops”:
Craft engaging and informative descriptions for each tour that capture the imagination of potential customers. Want to incorporate SEO keywords, engaging language and include clear calls to action prompting visitors to take the next step? Try plugging your content into ChatGPT to help boost its potential! Some prompt ideas:
- Take this tour description and improve for SEO optimization, focusing on customers looking to book a boat tour experience in San Diego: [paste current description]
- Create a 150 word, SEO-optimized activity description for a 2-hour kayak tour on the Crystal River - include a highlight of seeing the manatees.
Extended & Last-Minute Booking Availability:
Anticipate and accommodate future bookings by displaying availability well into the next year. While most bookings may occur within a shorter time frame, catering to those planning ahead can increase your conversion potential. The same can also be said for leaving availability open until the last minute once your tour minimums have been met, in order to maximize revenue on each experience. Using Peek’s Smart Cutoffs to do this, operators gain an average of 4.5% extra revenue!
Gift Card Booking Option:
Gift card purchases can help give your revenue a boost even during quieter periods, such as in the run up to the holidays, so if you offer gift cards make sure to place a CTA directly on your website. However, you want to avoid overwhelming visitors with too many choices by strategically placing the gift card booking option without overshadowing the primary "Book Now" button, so consider adding a section further down on your homepage and activity pages, as well as a dedicated option within the booking flow. During December, Peek’s gift cards have been shown to help boost revenue by an additional 4%!
Showcase Reviews and Testimonials:
Leverage the power of social proof by prominently featuring reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers. Consider incorporating a dynamic scrolling feature to display a continuous stream of positive feedback, reinforcing trust and credibility. Services (including Peek Pro) can do this for you. At a minimum, include some top reviews and Google/TripAdvisor logos to boost credibility. Bonus points for user-generated photos!
3 Optimization Non-Negotiables:
Google Search Console:
This is one step every online business should take advantage of to optimize visibility in search results and help improve search engine rankings.some text:
- Sign in to Google Search Console, add your website as a ‘Property’ and verify your ownership.
- Upload your sitemap.xml URL path or file (this can be found from your website host).
- Make sure to update this file if you make significant changes to your website's structure or content.
Website Security & Proper DNS Configuration:
Prioritize the security of your website by implementing HTTPS protocol and ensuring proper DNS configuration to avoid potential errors. Check with your web host who may offer this, or look up an SSL certificate provider.
Mobile Optimization
On average, Peek operators see 50%+ of bookings coming from mobile devices meaning seamless and visually appealing mobile experience is essential for maximizing conversions - if it doesn’t look good, guests won’t convert! Most web hosting providers will optimize for mobile automatically, but make sure to review any changes to fix any image sizing or page order issues!
Optimizing your tour operator website may seem overwhelming, but small steps that take a few minutes to implement can have a huge impact. As online booking for tours and activities and mobile discovery continues to rise, your website presence is the best representation of your business - so you want to provide as delightful a guest experience as you do on your tours! Refer to this checklist and try to make some small changes ahead of your busy season - and let the results speak for themselves!
Table of contents
When building and maintaining your website, there are many important factors to consider - but it all comes down to how to convert interested customers into bookings. It’s imperative to optimize your site effectively to keep potential customers engaged and make it as easy as possible for them to find & purchase your experiences. Whether you're a seasoned tour or rental operator or just starting out, we’ve laid out a few top optimization strategies to help boost conversions - how many do you have implemented?
Book Now Button in the Header:
If nothing else, the most crucial element to getting guests to hit that "Book Now" button is to, well, include a prominent “Book Now” button! Whether it's situated in the header or overlaid on the hero homepage image (we recommend choosing one of these options, so as not to overwhelm guests with “decision fatigue”), make sure it's eye-catching and easily accessible. Utilizing contrasting colors will help ensure it stands out and draws visitors’ attention immediately upon landing on your site.
Floating Book Now Button:
Complementing your static "Book Now" button, a floating version ensures that the call to action remains visible as visitors scroll down the page. This persistent presence serves as a gentle reminder to encourage conversions without being too intrusive. Remember, the goal is to make it as easy for the guest to book when they decide they’re ready!
A floating or “sticky” button is a simple and common feature to add to any website - if you’re not sure how to implement one and don’t have a webmaster to help, try searching “sticky CTA + [your web hosting platform]” into your search engine, or asking ChatGPT for a step by step guide!
Don’t forget: When using a booking software widget like Peek Pro, make sure that the link from your Book Now button creates a “pop-out” widget instead of opening a new page -- it’ll create a better experience for your guests and keep them on your site in the event that they drop off.
Integration with Google Analytics:
Gain valuable insights into visitor behavior and website performance by integrating Google Analytics. Track key metrics such as traffic sources, conversion rates, and user engagement to inform your optimization efforts and marketing strategies. Make sure to connect via Peek’s GA4 integration to add in essential tracking data from your Peek Pro booking flow - such as drop-off points, add-ons and cart sizes. Your site is your #1 salesperson, and you or any marketing/web consultants will need this information to properly test and iterate on your site and improve sales.
Dedicated Pages for Each Experience:
Enhance user experience by organizing your offerings into individual pages for each tour or activity: While your main goal is to have your booking widget opened on the homepage (via your now super-clear Book Now button), you want to ensure customers who are exploring your offerings are kept moving via clearly marked activity pages. This not only improves site navigation but also allows for targeted SEO optimization, driving relevant search engine traffic to specific experiences which in turn increases the chances of conversions from interested parties.
Note: It’s best to try to avoid changing up your existing page URLs so as not to disrupt direct traffic from Google. Try to work within your site’s existing structure and make sure all pages are clearly linked from your homepage nav. If you need to add a couple of new pages or redirects, that’s okay!
High-Quality Visual Content:
It’s all about getting guests to visualize themselves on your experience, so investing in high-quality images and videos will help immerse potential customers and propel them to book. Some top tips for your site’s visual content:
- Optimize all assets for web viewing to ensure fast loading times without sacrificing quality. If you have larger, professional images, consider compressing them using tools like JPEGoptim, PNGOUT, or TinyPNG.
- Consider using “lazy loading” (as visitors scroll, images load just before coming into view) to increase site speed.
- Check your images are optimized for mobile devices - most website platforms will help do this automatically, but it’s always worth previewing how your site looks on mobile before making changes.
- Include engaging images or gifs in your booking flow - Peek Pro’s new Product Feed has an image-led design optimized for mobile bookers.
Remember, compelling visuals can significantly influence a visitor's decision to book.
A Compelling Tour Description that “Pops”:
Craft engaging and informative descriptions for each tour that capture the imagination of potential customers. Want to incorporate SEO keywords, engaging language and include clear calls to action prompting visitors to take the next step? Try plugging your content into ChatGPT to help boost its potential! Some prompt ideas:
- Take this tour description and improve for SEO optimization, focusing on customers looking to book a boat tour experience in San Diego: [paste current description]
- Create a 150 word, SEO-optimized activity description for a 2-hour kayak tour on the Crystal River - include a highlight of seeing the manatees.
Extended & Last-Minute Booking Availability:
Anticipate and accommodate future bookings by displaying availability well into the next year. While most bookings may occur within a shorter time frame, catering to those planning ahead can increase your conversion potential. The same can also be said for leaving availability open until the last minute once your tour minimums have been met, in order to maximize revenue on each experience. Using Peek’s Smart Cutoffs to do this, operators gain an average of 4.5% extra revenue!
Gift Card Booking Option:
Gift card purchases can help give your revenue a boost even during quieter periods, such as in the run up to the holidays, so if you offer gift cards make sure to place a CTA directly on your website. However, you want to avoid overwhelming visitors with too many choices by strategically placing the gift card booking option without overshadowing the primary "Book Now" button, so consider adding a section further down on your homepage and activity pages, as well as a dedicated option within the booking flow. During December, Peek’s gift cards have been shown to help boost revenue by an additional 4%!
Showcase Reviews and Testimonials:
Leverage the power of social proof by prominently featuring reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers. Consider incorporating a dynamic scrolling feature to display a continuous stream of positive feedback, reinforcing trust and credibility. Services (including Peek Pro) can do this for you. At a minimum, include some top reviews and Google/TripAdvisor logos to boost credibility. Bonus points for user-generated photos!
3 Optimization Non-Negotiables:
Google Search Console:
This is one step every online business should take advantage of to optimize visibility in search results and help improve search engine rankings.some text:
- Sign in to Google Search Console, add your website as a ‘Property’ and verify your ownership.
- Upload your sitemap.xml URL path or file (this can be found from your website host).
- Make sure to update this file if you make significant changes to your website's structure or content.
Website Security & Proper DNS Configuration:
Prioritize the security of your website by implementing HTTPS protocol and ensuring proper DNS configuration to avoid potential errors. Check with your web host who may offer this, or look up an SSL certificate provider.
Mobile Optimization
On average, Peek operators see 50%+ of bookings coming from mobile devices meaning seamless and visually appealing mobile experience is essential for maximizing conversions - if it doesn’t look good, guests won’t convert! Most web hosting providers will optimize for mobile automatically, but make sure to review any changes to fix any image sizing or page order issues!
Optimizing your tour operator website may seem overwhelming, but small steps that take a few minutes to implement can have a huge impact. As online booking for tours and activities and mobile discovery continues to rise, your website presence is the best representation of your business - so you want to provide as delightful a guest experience as you do on your tours! Refer to this checklist and try to make some small changes ahead of your busy season - and let the results speak for themselves!
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