How To Create A Tour Operator Website: A Step-By-Step Guide
When it comes to travel and tourism websites, there is a lot of competition to navigate. That's why designing and maintaining an easy-to-use, user-centric website is so crucial to the success of your business, regardless of what types of tours or travel services you offer. Unfortunately, for many new travel agencies, building a travel company website from scratch can be downright daunting.
But it doesn’t have to be.
In this exhaustive guide, we’ll walk you through the must-do 5 steps for how to create a tour operator website, as well as some actionable tips you can use to take your online success to the next level. So, let’s dive in!
1. Choose A Website Builder
Before you can start creating your website, you need to know which platform you'll be using. There are quite a few web design platforms to choose from, and each one comes with its own advantages. Currently, the top DIY web-building platforms include:
- WIX
- Duda
- Squarespace
- GoDaddy
- WordPress
Tip: Pick a web builder with travel-specific templates.
Whether you choose a no-code platform like Duda or a more involved provider like WordPress, picking the right template for your site can make a tremendous difference in your site’s performance, as well as the amount of time it takes you to get up and running. We suggest looking for builders that offer a tour operator website template so you can get started fast.
Hire A Tour Operator Website Design Company
If you prefer a more hands-off approach or seek a highly customized design, hiring a website design company specializing in tour operator websites can be an excellent choice. This option is particularly beneficial for tour operators aiming for a unique and tailored online presence. By entrusting the design process to professionals familiar with the intricacies of tour and travel industry websites, you can focus on other aspects of your business while ensuring a polished and effective online presence.
As an example, take a look at cascaderaft.com to see how ResmarkWeb has successfully crafted a tour operator site. This showcases not only their expertise in web design but also the functionality required for tour operators, including seamless integration of booking systems, captivating visual elements, and an overall user-friendly experience.
2. Secure Your Domain Name
Next, you’ll need to pick a domain name for your tour company website. Although this might seem like a fairly simple task, there are some key points to keep in mind:
Research Competitors
No matter what your business name may be, you’ll need to make sure that a particular domain name (or something similar) is not being used by any competitors in your niche.
Keep It Simple
Remember that potential clients may be looking at multiple tour operators. So, keep your domain simple and easy to remember for your guests.
Use Basic Spelling
Similarly, don't get too creative with your spelling in your domain name, especially if you're trying to appeal to a diverse range of potential visitors.
3. Pick an Online Booking System
Your tour company's website serves as more than just an informative space; it should seamlessly function as a booking platform for your tours. Therefore, the choice of a booking tool becomes crucial, and it's essential to opt for one that seamlessly integrates with your web design, providing a smooth and unified user experience for your customers.
For a truly comprehensive solution, consider using a platform such as Resmark Systems – an exclusive booking platform meticulously crafted to meet the specific needs of tour operators. This powerful tool allows tour operators to efficiently manage tours, events, rentals, and guest experiences all within a unified platform.
What sets Resmark Systems apart is its integration with ResmarkWeb, ensuring a cohesive system where data is seamlessly pulled from the tour booking platform. This dynamic integration not only simplifies the management process but also allows you to consolidate all your essential information in one centralized location.
While many other site builders lack a built-in booking platform, Resmark Systems and ResmarkWeb provide an integrated solution designed to elevate the efficiency and effectiveness of your online presence.
4. Write Your Website Copy
Once your layout is in place, you can start writing copy for your site. If you’re not an experienced writer, we’d highly recommend enlisting the help of a professional copywriter who has worked with travel and tourism websites previously. With that in mind, here are a few of the elements you’ll definitely want to incorporate into your website copy:
- Clear benefits of choosing your tour services, including any features that make your agency unique.
- Detailed descriptions of your services, packages, and pricing.
- Reservation cancellation and refund policy information.
- Other FAQs that your guests may want to address before booking.
5. Optimize Your Site For Search Platforms
Along with writing high-quality copy for your website, you'll also need to optimize it for SEO purposes. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a series of practices you can use to help your site rank higher in organic search results on platforms like Google and Bing. Now, SEO can be an incredibly complex topic that often requires an exhaustive amount of research. To keep things simple, these are the top 3 tools you'll need to succeed at SEO for tour operators:
Keyword Research
When guests search for a service like yours, they'll use specific keywords to help them find what they're looking for. By using keyword research tools, you can incorporate these exact words into your website content, making your site appear higher up in their search results.
Backlinks
While no one definitively knows how the Google search algorithm works, one thing is for sure: backlinks are vital to helping your site rank. Most experts speculate that backlinks, or links to other websites on your site and vice versa, give Google more confidence in the legitimacy of your site. So, you should do your best to utilize as many internal and external links as possible within your tour company website design.
Meta Description
If you choose to use sponsored ads on Google, having SEO-friendly meta descriptions can be a game changer. Meta descriptions are brief attributes that describe the information on your page, allowing visitors to get an idea of the services you offer before they even visit your site.
Images With Text
Contrary to popular belief, SEO for tour operators isn't all about words and links. Images also play a key role in your site's ranking, and choosing the right image files can significantly improve your rank. Whether you use your own pictures or purchase images from another source, make the image descriptions match your SEO goals.
How To Create A Tour Operator Website In 30 Days (Or Less)
If you’re looking to streamline your web design process, ResmarkWeb is here to help. We offer specially tailored travel website design services made with the needs of tour operators in mind, giving you the freedom to serve more guests with ease. With our seamless design and integration process, we guarantee that your new website will be fully operational in 30 days or less.
