It’s important to tap into the mind of your customer and show them what they are looking for.
This will help you with advertising through word of mouth and on social media. Not only will this help with the user experience but it also gives you an opportunity to up-sell other products.
If the tour comes with other options that you wish to show off to your guest then these must be easily filtered and searched. Adding in multimedia, ads and push notifications to the most relevant areas of the site will also help keep the user on track and ready to book up. If a guest was interested in visiting your city to see Beyoncé for example, then you don’t want them to find themselves on a calendar of entertainers appearing at every one of your available areas.You want them to find themselves on a single page that contains the booking information and any other relevant information.
Arranging the digital content around search preferences will ensure that each customer gets the targeted information that they are looking for. Remember that not every customer will take the same paths to your brand so you have to show them as many routes to the information as possible.
For many customers the day spent on a tour is just one of many in the area and they will be looking for other experiences to fill the time. Showing them other tours and hotels in the area can be key when it comes to adding more to their experience.
Which Channels are Most Important?
Website
For me, the most important channel is the web, as web bookings are now the norm. Alongside the rise of web booking comes the rise of the mobile user, which is a valuable stream of income to have. Most customers will see at least a 40% increase in their bookings through mobile devices. By giving customers all of the information that they need there should be no hesitation when it comes to booking on any device.
Social Media
This platform has huge value to tourism based clients, whether they tend to interact with the brand pre, during or post trip. The amount of customers that will post pictures or tweet about their experience is staggering and it’s important to know how to take advantage of that. By inserting your brand into their experience you can ensure that this form of advertising is working for you. You can do this by suggesting extra trips and experiences as well as engaging in conversation with the customer.
Stay on the lookout for requests on social media like ‘Hey, where do I go when I’m in Washington DC?’. You need to start making recommendations natively. You want to respond with helpful information such as “You should take a tour of Washington DC and Night, go to Ambar’s to eat, check out the Red Derby bar”.
I love email because it works by creating the most direct and intimate pathway to guests. If they haven’t unsubscribed, they want to hear from you and may be looking for a reason to visit once again. When it comes to writing your email don’t be tempted to simply take information that’s already on the site. You want to treat these customers as VIPs and give them special offers and discounts in advance, as this will give them the VIP experience.
Above all else…
As much as the digital world can offer so much it’s still essential to give the customer the best possible physical experience. This will lead to repeat business, referrals and positive reviews for the brand, which can be equally as powerful as a good site. To make the most of this asset, you must walk in the shoes of the customer and ask yourself how you are facilitating the customer’s good experience to your online platforms.
Before business was conducted online the first impression that a customer would have would be through a travel agent. Now they have a wealth of ways to interact with the business, whether it’s on social media or through the website. This has led to an increased number of digital engagements, rather than physical ones, but the customer still looks for the same values.
The customer experience should be the main thing you are evaluating, by organising your brand around the customer experience you are able to sharpen your focus on solutions that make the business better.
Develop part of your guest experience strategy by looking at how customers are greeted and how your staff interacts with customers on tour or in your hotel.
Look at the digital pathways that customers would use to research and book tours, rooms or events and other travel-related activities. Each of these features has to be examined to understand how it contributes to the customer experience. If you’re coming up against issues in any of these areas then it’s time to revaluate and look for ways these could be changed for the better.
These all tie into the brand identity that you are crafting as a business owner.
It is essential to get all these elements right and get your message across effectively in all aspects of your business. By doing so, you will create a customer for life making them a great sales person for your business.
Need more free advice?
Chris and his team will send you a weekly email offering high-value insight and advice about a variety of marketing and business development topics related to the tourism industry. We address specific destinations, tours and activities, and the hotel industry. We also provide important travel industry news and updates.
