Ken’s Corner
Mary C. | 15 September 2004 |
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Ken’s Corner
Question: I have noticed a lot of Hotel and B&B sites have maps; is this an effective feature to have on my site?
Answer: A map, or maps, can be a great addition to any website - especially for the lodging industry. People tend to be very visual and it is not enough to give your address and describe the distance to attractions, users will want to see exactly where they will be in relation to the reasons they will be in the area.
Adding a map to your site can be done one of two ways; we can simply scan in maps that you may already have in your marketing materials, match them to the site in color scheme or design, and add them to your existing directions page or area attractions page, or Blizzard can create for you a map that lets the user zoom in for detail and zoom out to see your area’s features. For more information on adding maps to your site visit http://www.blizzardinternet.com/design/maps.htm .
Question: When is the right time for me to redesign my site? What are some signs to look for that my site may need a redesign?
Answer: Redesigning a website is something that seems to scare most clients a little; they tend to believe it will be costly or time consuming, they may feel a little insulted at the thought of having a sub-par site, or they may be attached to the current version. In truth, redesigning a site is something that can be done quickly and easily and does wonders to make the site work better. When determining whether your site could use a redesign you need to look at a few different factors:
First and foremost: how old is your current design? The internet is a constantly evolving entity and the life of a design is relatively short - if your site is over 3 years old it needs a redesign with almost no further questions asked. Users are savvy these days and will shy away from older style design sites.
What are my competitors doing? If you look at the sites from your 10 most direct competitors does your design stack up? Remember that an attractive design may be the final factor your prospective customer uses in deciding, whether they realize it or not.
Does the site still reflect an accurate view of my business? In the case of a Hotel or Inn this is of particular importance - maybe you have been keeping the content up-to-date on your site and the redecorating you have done has been documented in the photos on your site, but now the overall “look” no longer jibes with how your property actually looks. People will appreciate all the improvements you have done even more when they are reflected in your new design.
In the design department most of my designers look forward to a redesign; the site is established and all the content is already there, we need only build a new “package” for all the information. The end result is always quite satisfying with a before and after to really showcase the effort. This is the attitude to have in mind while looking critically at your site to determine if you need a new design, think of how nice the new one could be and if it would be an improvement worth your money.
Click these links to read more about some recent redesigns:
Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites - A Redesign combined with a Promotion Plan
Villas by the Sea Resort Condominium Hotel & Conference Center - A Redesign combined with a Custom III Promotion Plan
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