A Guide to the Design Characteristics of the Best Hospitality websites
If you want to succeed in the hospitality industry, a well-designed website is essential. While some people may book their hotels on third-party platforms, others prefer to visit a hotel’s website before making a reservation. This allows them to get a feel for the place they will be staying. Your website is the first step a customer takes into the world of your hotel. In this article, we will look at some of the design characteristics of the best hospitality websites.
10 Essential Design Characteristics of the Best Hospitality Websites
1. Clear Navigation
Navigation is one feature of hospitality website design that you cannot ignore. Since you ultimately want people to make reservations through your website, you should make it as easy as possible. Prospective guests should be able to find any information they need related to bookings, amenities, and services. The easier it is for them to find what they are looking for, the more likely it is that they will stay on your website.
2. Balanced Layout
One of the popular design characteristics of the best hospitality websites is the strategic use of text, visual elements, and white space. Maintaining a good balance of these three factors will improve the experience for your guests. Since your website is the face of your establishment, a clean and professional layout will show your visitors that your property is tidy and professionally maintained.
3. Quality Content
You have to ensure that your website’s content is practical and informative. It is, of course, essential to include the types of rooms you have and their rates. You should also put up good-quality photos and videos that give visitors to your website a clear idea of what to expect. You have to make sure that these images align with your brand identity. Incorporating a map will help your guests plan their travel better. In addition, you should include a list of amenities and activities that are available at the location. If your establishment is in a tourist location, you could talk about popular sightseeing spots as well.
One section of your website should be entirely dedicated to your refund and cancellation policies. Stating these policies clearly will not only make it easier for your guests, but it will also reduce the strain on your customer service representatives.
4. Call to Action
One of the essential design characteristics of the best hospitality websites is a prominent and visible call to action on the homepage that encourages your visitors to take the next step. One example is buttons that say Book now or Check availability. You could also display the number of remaining rooms. If you have any deals or discounts available, make sure that you display them distinctly on your homepage as well.
5. Contact Information
Of course, you need to have your email and phone number on your website so guests can easily contact you. In addition, live chats have become one of the popular design characteristics of the best hospitality websites. Using a feature like this makes it even easier for your guests to contact you. You can even have a chatbot that will answer common questions without the need for a human to be present. This shows that you are committed to supporting your guests no matter what time of day it is.
6. Social Proof
You can (and should) use positive reviews and comments to show visitors your website is trustworthy. If people see that others before them have had a positive experience, they are more likely to opt-in. When it comes to reviews, you should make sure that the option is there for any guests who have stayed at your hotel. You can also create a forum where guests can interact with each other. In addition, you can display user-generated content from social media sites such as Instagram or Twitter. This shows your visitors the authenticity of these comments.
7. Technical SEO
SEO is a cornerstone of web design and development. You need to keep it in mind while creating your content. However, you also need to ensure that you take care of the technical side. Use compressed images so your pages load fast, and do not forget to optimize your page titles, URLs, and meta descriptions.
8. Responsive Design
These days, many people book their accommodation on the go while using their smartphones or tablets. You have to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly so that your visitors will not need to zoom in and zoom out to access all your content. You should also ensure that these versions have all the essential features of the best hospitality websites. Having a responsive design is also beneficial to your SEO.
9. Accessibility
You have to remember that people come from different parts of the world and have diverse struggles. Having the option to change your website to multiple languages will widen your reach and you will be able to cater to many more people. Bonus points if you can make this happen based on your visitors’ locations. In addition, you could make sure that your website is easily accessible to screen readers. This will help those of your visitors who may not be able to see very well.
10. Easy Checkout Process
This is the last item on our list of characteristics of the best hospitality websites. After a customer has done their research and decided that they would like to stay at your hotel, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to complete the transaction. Having an easy checkout process that lets customers pay however they desire will lead to a higher conversion rate.
Want the Design Characteristics of the Best Hospitality Websites for Your Hotel?
iTrobes is here for you. We are a web development company and we offer our hospitality website design services all over the world. We will work with you closely to make sure that your hotel’s personality comes through. Contact us today to level up your website design!
