Thinking of a new website? Review these important components and elements so your new site can be optimized, analyzed, and performing at its best right away.
2. Table of contents
๏ Making the investment
๏ Measuring the SEO value
๏ Selecting a website solution
2Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
Lyles Armour
3. When is it time
to make the
investment in a
new website?
3Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
5. Symptoms of an outdated website
Poor SEO Metrics
High bounce rates
Low number of new sessions
Low conversion rates
Little traffic from the organic channel
Poor SEO Implementation
Missing meta data
Missing header tags
Domain errors
Poor content
Design Limitations
Not mobile-friendly (responsive)
Old design layout /outdated imagery
Poor of calls to action
Lack of an online booking engine
Business Challenges
Low number of direct bookings
Paying high commission fees
Branding changes (remodel, colors)
New markets (millennials, business, weddings)
5Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
6. 1 of 3 ways to
prepare for a new
website
Implement website tracking tools
Itโs difficult to make changes if you donโt
understand how your website is currently
performing.
Added these items to your website;
1. Google Analytics
2. Google Webmaster Tools
3. CrazyEgg (heat maps & scroll maps)
4. Event Tracking (measure clicks)
Webinar: Design tools for beginners
6Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
7. 2 of 3 ways to
prepare for a new
website
Create a content sitemap
Content sitemaps help you organize and
understand the content and depth of your website.
With it you can;
1. Establish the navigation structure
2. Map content goals & calls to action
3. Understand size of site (# of pages/sections)
4. Establish your feature set
7Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
8. 3 of 3 ways to
prepare for a new
website
Establish a budget
Setting a realistic budget starts with having an idea of
what you want the website to do.
Think about;
1. The design
2. The content
3. The functionality
Donโt forget to seek multiple
design proposals!
8Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
9. Measuring if a new website will help
maximize your SEO potential
9Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
11. Online booking engine
Calls to actions (buttons/links)
Quick booking widgets
Individual unit calendars
Foundation of a SEO-friendly website (basic)
Basic features
SEO flexibility
Website tracking (Google Analytics)
Search engine friendly URLs
Meta data (title, description, keywords)
Responsive website design
Revenue tracking
Technical requirements
Google Speed Test (85+)
Sitemaps (HTML & XML)
Structured Data (schema)
Content management system
Secure website (Https vs. Http)
11Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
12. Foundation for an SEO-friendly website (advanced)
In todayโs market most website offerings
include and/or support:
โข Internet marketing
โข Automated performance reporting
โข Ongoing technology updates
โข 3rd party flexibility
โข Support
12Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
13. Whatโs your potential ROI (over a year)?
Website?
Marketing?
Total
Organic Channel Revenue?
Overhead (20%)
Revenue
ROI
$ 5,000
$ 15,000
$ 20,000
$ 300,000
$ 60,000
$ 240,000
80.95%
13Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
16. What are your goals?
What results are you looking for?
Drive more direct bookings
Attract more mobile visitors
Reduce operational cost
Increase conversion rates
Manage your own website
Expand website with more pages
Increase visitor time on website
16Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
17. The three types of website solutions
17
Templated Website
Custom Website
D.I.Y. Website
Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
18. D.I.Y. websites provide an easy drag and drop
editor with some design considerations.
Advantages
โข Low monthly cost
โข No development time
โข WYSIWYG editor
โข Support
โข Hosting included
โข Financial backing
Do it yourself websites
Disadvantages
โข Not industry specific
โข Do not tailor to your individual needs
โข Slow in addressing major changes
โข Poor customer service
โข Marketing limitations
18
Cost: $2,000 Annually
Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
19. Templated websites
Templated websites are pre-designed design
themes that include the basic functionality of a
lodging website.
Advantages
โข Low monthly cost
โข Multiple design options
โข Technology updates
โข Reduces development time
โข Faster deployment
โข Ongoing support
โข Features included
โข Hosting included
Disadvantages
โข They all look the same
โข Limitation of customization
โข You may not own the content
โข Slower to get updates for specific needs
19
Cost: $2,000 - $4,000 Annually
Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
20. Custom websites
Custom websites are developed from scratch
based off your specific brand and business
needs.
Advantages
โข Unique design
โข Personalized experience
โข Emphasizes your brand
โข Focus on specific business needs
โข Professional agency
Disadvantages
โข Higher cost
โข Longer to deploy
โข May not include hosting
20
Cost: $5,000 + onetime purchase
Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
22. New website checklist: Remember your goals
๏ฑ Is it designed by a lodging expert?
๏ฑ Is it built for conversions or looks?
๏ฑ How does it integrate with your booking
engine?
๏ฑ Is it search engine friendly?
๏ฑ Does it include website tracking?
๏ฑ Does it include multiple templates?
๏ฑ Can you manage your SEO?
๏ฑ What features does it come with?
๏ฑ Is support included?
๏ฑ Are you charged for additional pages?
๏ฑ How customizable is it?
๏ฑ Is it flexible?
22Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
25. Is it Time to Switch to a
Cloud-based PMS?
Catch our next webinar Thursday, November 16, 2017
25
Sign up for future webinars at
www.rezstream.com/webinars
Updating your website? What to be Mindful Of Before Starting
Editor's Notes
Are you thinking about buying a new website?
Yes - I want to own it!
Yes - Renting it sounds good!
No - Not in my budget.
No - My current website works just fine.
Poor SEO Metrics
High bounce rates (should be below 40%)
Low number of new sessions / NEW VISITORS (should be between 60-70%)
Low conversion rates (should be 1.5% and above)
Low organic traffic (should be 60% and above)
Poor SEO Implementation
Missing meta data (title, description, keywords)
Missing header tags (H1, H2s, etcโฆ)
Domain errors (404, duplicate content, errors, broken links, plug-ins, flash)
Poor content (low # of pages, quality of content, missing detail pages [rooms, specials, activities])
Design Limitations
Not mobile-friendly (responsive) ๏ 60%+ search on mobile device
Old design layout /outdated imagery ๏ table based, fixed width, flash, small images
Poor of calls to action ๏ not focusing on driving results bookings/forms submissions
Lack of an online booking engine
Business Challenges
Low number of direct bookings
Paying high commission fees ๏ %per bookings, PMS vendor charging additional fees, lack of an online booking engine
Branding changes ๏ remodel, new logo, added additional units, opened a winery
New markets ๏ millennials, business, weddings
Added these items to your website;
Google Analytics ๏ Visitor and revenue tracking
Google Webmaster Tools ๏ Site errors, duplicate content, keyword assistance
CrazyEgg ๏ eat maps & scroll maps, see what visitors are clicking on
Event Tracking ๏ measure clicks, maybe people are getting to the pages the convert to the most bookings (RFP forms, rates pages, event calendar, etcโฆ)
Think about;
The design ๏ How will it establish trust?
The content ๏ How does it represent my brand?
The functionality ๏ How does it drive more revenue?
Donโt forget to seek multiple design proposals!
Let them fight for your business, show you they understand your needs and that theyโll be there when you need help. TEAM
When was the last time your website was Search Engine Optimized?
Never.
Years ago...
Begging of the year.
Within the last 6 months.
Internet marketing
One-time
Automated
On-going
Automated performance reporting
Google Analytics
Account team (monthly, quarterly, yearly)
Ongoing technology updates
AMP
Speed/ Performance
Https
Features
3rd party integrations
Opt-In Monster
Abandonment
Widgets
Online changes
Support
Account managers (marketing effort)
Webmaster (changes on your behalf)
Support (software & booking engine)
Website cost? ๏ Includes, website, hosting maintenance, security, images
Marketing cost? ๏ SEO, PPC, remarketing, blogging, social media, print
Organic Channel Revenue ๏ Our marketing clients see on average $300k from this channel per year
Overhead (20%)
Income
ROI
Whatโs your ideal annual budget for a new website?
Less than $2,000.
$2,000 - $4,000.
$5,000 and up.
Templated Themes
Low monthly cost
Reduces development time
Faster deployment
Multiple design options (themes/layouts)
Feature updates
Ongoing support
Advantages include
Reduce development cost
Design already taken into consideration
Faster deployment
Multiple options (themes/layouts)
Templated Themes
Low monthly cost
Reduces development time
Faster deployment
Multiple design options (themes/layouts)
Feature updates
Ongoing support
Advantages include
Reduce development cost
Design already taken into consideration
Faster deployment
Multiple options (themes/layouts)