Do You Make These Travel Website Marketing Mistakes? Part II Video
How Did a 1-Year Old Tour Operator On The Verge of Failure… Make Some Important Website Changes That Increased Travel Sales 200% and Got Expedia Selling Their Trips?
Boy have I been getting a lot of website marketing questions and comments via Email and on my blog from tourism professionals all over the world. If I haven’t gotten back to you yet, I apologize.
I have been in Vancouver, Canada for two business meetings with The Canadian Tourism College who want new cutting edge and interactive educational tools to improve their online sales and marketing programs for their students. They got a sneak peak of something I have been working on for almost a year and really liked it.
Back to your questions, suggestions from me, and JJ’s story with Magic Day Adventures. In part II of this special video interview, find out how JJ transformed his Barcelona tour business from certain failure to amazing bookings in less then 1 year – just by changing his website marketing message.
Top 2 Tourism Website Marketing Questions/Frustrations
Most of you have this in common:
- Why I am having such a hard time getting new clients online?
- What can I do to improve my website marketing?
These are important questions. And I am sorry to see so much frustrations and struggle.
I think I am a lot like you.
When helped my brother Kevin start his Baja, Mexico adventure travel company almost 20 years ago, boy did we struggle at first. We had lots of passion for travel and to have our own business. We had great trips and a spectacular destination we knew well. We were sure we’d have no problem getting people to buy our trips.
We were wrong…
And we started our before the Internet, which has turned out to be the #1 best tourism marketing tool and strategy for tourism – especially for small to medium sized travel businesses and destinations – EVER.
When you do it right…
So many of you are a lot like JJ too, the Barcelona tour operators in part I of this interview, who almost went out of business because they did not understand what “Turns a Travel Shopper Into a Travel Buyer online.”
Over the last 18+ years, after studying 1000’s of travel websites (both Websites that Sell and websites Dead on Arrival), and the buying habits of 10’s of 1000’s of travel consumers (and travel trade), I have discovered the key psychological buying triggers of 98% of all travel consumers.
This is what JJ learned from me, applied to his travel website marketing message that turned his business around and what I want to give to you now.
Watch part II of this very important video interview with JJ. See how he found the answer and applied the solutions to your top 2 tourism website marketing questions.
Now his website is his #1 source of new inquiries and sales from both consumers AND travel trade.
Want to Work With Inbound Travel Agents and Tour Operators?
If you have any type of tourism business, lodge or destination and want to get travel agents or other tour operators to work with you, you must watch this interview. JJ went from the travel trade totally rejecting him; to Expedia pursuing him and now gets inquiries from travel agents too. All because him implemented from what he shares in this interview and part 1.
Highlight in Part II: What Helped JJ Sell More Travel Online and How You Can Too
- Found a guide, invested a little time and money and followed it step by step
- Changed his marketing message to get quick clarity for the “time challenged” travel shopper
- Added “social proof” elements to “get his clients selling for him” and convince prospects he was legitimate and a good choice
JJ’s Results
- Inquires and Sales up over 200% in 2011
- 2012 advanced bookings – double again
- His website is now his #1 source of new clients and bookings
- Gaining search engine ranking
- Tripadvisor #6 out of 122, 5 star ranking
- Expedia approached him and is now promoting and selling his trips,
- Now being taken seriously.
- Now he can Dream of expanding into other parts of Spain
Do not miss the fantastic simple, free tip JJ shares to get his happy clients giving great reviews on Tripadvisor. It’s brilliant.
JJ loves seeing people leave with a big smile on their face. His dream of having a fun profitable tourism business are taking off and he is smiling all the way to the bank.
The New 2011 Tourism Marketing Success Course is now LIVE
To your success, Tourism Tim
PS You can see lots of great questions, comments and advice from fellow travel peers, below each individual Tourism Marketing TV show and blog posting on Travel Business Success and me.
PPS I am going to give you more specific examples of “Social Proof” and how to get your clients selling for you in a couple days which will help you sell more travel AND lower your marketing costs.
PPPS If you haven’t posted your #1 travel website question or challenge BELOW in the comments box below, please do it now because I am assembling a list of questions, resources and help for you soon that will transform your travel website and business just like JJ’s. 🙂
I bought this business about a year ago, and I knew that the web page and the marketing was all wrong, but I needed to get my feet under me, and understand the business I bought before really making big changes. So I have one season behind me, and it is the slow season, and I am ready to really make this work. I am redesigning the web page with your tips in mind, but I need to figure out how to do the SEO and key words. I am contemplating hiring someone to do it, but am curious about your program and if I can do it myself. Also, we don’t fall into any regular tourism categories; we sell a package that is really a self-guided historical tour with an interactive story line. Any ideas on how to go about marketing this?
Hello from the Sunshine State. I was contacted by Viator, a large travel portal. The contact asked me (in her email) what my General Liability Insurance coverage was. With a new business, GLI is on my to-do list; however this inquiry has turned up the heat to find proper coverage. What suggestion(s) does a tour operator have for this type of insurance?
Thank you,
Jack Ferrell
Tour Guide Florida
407-374-2352
Greetings from Wine Country N. CA.
Liability insurance and risk management for tourism is a big topic.
I did interview Rick McKinley with Alameda Associates who specializes helping travel providers and vendors get liability insurance. It’s been a while but I think Ricks advice is solid. Hey helped me set up a $5MM plan for Maverick Business Adventures 4 years ago.
Listen to the audio interview here
Check with Sattler Insurance
I will also check with Nancy Prichard with Sea Kayak Adventures and see who she uses.
Please let me know what you uncover Sir Jack because this is a topic I would like to update myself on and share.
To your success, “Sir” Tourism Tim