A tourism website should help someone picture the experience and plan a visit. For accommodation, tours and activities in the Blue Mountains, that means combining useful photos with clear information about the offering, location and booking process.
Start by checking what a prospective visitor needs to decide. More promotion will not help much if the website leaves basic questions unanswered.
Describe the experience clearly
Explain what visitors can expect, what is included and who the experience is suitable for. Be specific about the accommodation, tour or activity rather than relying on broad descriptions such as “something for everyone”.
Include practical details that affect a decision: duration, check-in arrangements, facilities, access information and any requirements people need to know before they book.
Use photos to explain, not just decorate
Show the actual property, rooms, facilities or experience where you have suitable images and permission to use them. Include different views that answer different questions rather than several near-identical photos.
Add short captions when they help. A picture of a room is more useful when the visitor knows which room type it shows. Keep essential information in readable page text as well as the photographs.
Make location and arrival information useful
State the actual location and explain any arrival details customers need. If your business is near Katoomba, Leura, Blackheath or another Blue Mountains town, describe the relationship accurately rather than implying it is in the town centre.
Keep opening hours, contact details and website addresses current across the profiles you use. Explain how visitors should check for changes or ask a question before travelling.
Check how booking works on a phone
Follow the whole route from a service or accommodation page to the booking system. Check that the correct experience opens and that people can read important details on a small screen.
If the next step is an enquiry rather than an instant booking, say so. Explain what information you need and what happens after someone contacts you.
Write useful content for planning a visit
Articles can answer questions about the experience, facilities, preparation or arrival. Choose subjects you can explain accurately from your own business knowledge and keep seasonal details current.
Avoid promising availability, conditions or access arrangements that you cannot confirm. Where another organisation controls the information, direct readers to the current source.
Review enquiries as well as traffic
Keep a record of genuine enquiries or bookings and the changes you make to the website. Consider seasonality and availability when reviewing results; a single busy period does not establish that a design change caused an increase.
- Check the main experience descriptions.
- Replace outdated or unclear photographs.
- Review arrival and contact information.
- Test the booking or enquiry route on a phone.
- Update details when the offering changes.
If you would like help organising the site, you can explore the Blue Mountains website design service and explain your current booking process to Blair.
