It is hugely important for a hotel to have a good website, one that is well structured and has an optimal booking engine, projecting an image capable of crossing borders and reaching millions of people around the world.
Your website is your brand image
"If your business is not on the Internet, then your business will be out of business", Bill Gates predicted. Digital transformation is an investment, and having a website is vitally important for small and medium-sized businesses, which are playing their cards in a highly competitive market.
Being on the Internet implicitly means better communication and better customer service, since the brand, products and services we offer will be better positioned in front of our target audience.
On the other hand, customers will be able to get up-to-date information on everything new at any time of the day or night. Having such a direct connection translates into more sales and will allow us to reach potential customers whom we would otherwise almost certainly be unable to contact. And let's not forget the most important one: it allows us to build loyalty among the customers we already have.
In the digital world there are no second chances, and users are increasingly demanding. Having a website is as important as the quality of that website. The user's first experience in the online environment is decisive. When users come to visit our website, they must know where they are at all times, they must be able to navigate easily and cleanly, and, most importantly, they must find what they are looking for. That is why building the website should always be left in the hands of a professional. Let's not forget that you never get a second chance to make a good impression.
Our business website is the face and shopfront of our company on the Internet. It must be in keeping with what we offer and must be understood as an extension of our company. It is neither an independent nor a dispensable element.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE
Choosing your hosting
Having hosting geolocated in our own country, or in the country where we plan to sell our products, is an essential thing to think about before contracting any hosting or domain + hosting service. It is important to be clear about this even before creating the website, since search engines value it more and more, and this way we will achieve a better position in Google's search ranking.
In addition, our website must be in a reliable place. When a technical problem occurs (they always do) we need someone effective and trustworthy to help us solve it.
Another factor that makes the choice of hosting so important is that it determines the website's loading speed.
Web design
A clean, simple web design that is easy for users to understand. Choosing the right design is fundamental to creating a good website.
A user will form their opinion of our business in 5 seconds. That is why a web design with a polished, organised look will always help. There is no point in having magnificent copy if the user does not read it.
An intuitive, easy-to-use design is indispensable if we want our users to stay on our website for as long as possible, find what they are looking for and enjoy it. What's more, if what they see is unappealing, they are very likely to end up leaving the page, which is why aesthetics matter. The best approach is to strike a balance between simple navigation and an attractive website.
The overall look and feel is what shapes a first impression. A good website is put together as a whole and conveys that overall vision.
Responsive website
It is extremely important that the web design is responsive. A website that does not adapt to different devices (PC, tablet or mobile) means fewer users, fewer visits, less visibility on Google and fewer conversions.
As the saying goes: "Mobile First". Around 80% of traffic comes from mobile devices, so a design conceived for them first helps us improve both ranking and usability.
Working with a good content management system
The famous CMSs make things easy for us and for our users alike. The most popular is WordPress, because it has the most web optimisation and usability plugins. We also recommend the Yoast SEO plugin, one of the best rated by users when it comes to optimising a website.
Website structure
The website's structure must be simple and highly intuitive. The most important points of a good website are:
1. A navigation menu:
- Home page.
- The company presentation, containing: who we are, the team, our history, etc.
2. What we offer (products, services)
3. A corporate blog.
4. Contact (a contact form, telephone numbers, email addresses)
5. Geolocation: where we are (a map, street, postcode, town or city).
6. A good page body:
- The main content, which should always highlight whatever interests us most and be easy to update. The more information the website offers through keywords, and the more useful and intuitive it is, the better it will rank in search engines and the better it will be rated by users.
- The header of the home page must be eye-catching to invite the user to browse it. The first image visitors get of our website needs to be attractive.
- The logo must be in a prominent position. It is advisable to use the corporate colours without straying too far from this colour range across the rest of the website.
- Access to other sections, for example, an attractive image linking to the services we offer.
- It is advisable to include positive comments from our customers, recommendations, etc. on the home page.
- Social media buttons
7. A good footer:
Include a contact telephone number, an email address, etc.
The information on the website must always be up to date
Regular updates to a website are highly valued by Google. We must try to make them easy to carry out, even if we do not do them right from the start.
Conclusion
Building a good website that meets its objectives involves many decisions at a technical, content and strategic level.
Let's always take advice from professionals. We need to assess the person or company to see whether what they offer fits our needs.
Working with someone who understands us is fundamental. The results are better and the process of creating the website is more enriching and constructive.
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