Making your website work for the kiwi customer

With COVID-19 still gripping the world and the international tourism market having ground to a sudden halt, many New Zealand tourism operators are wondering how they can better engage with customers here at home. We’ve spent some time collecting and analysing some fascinating data, and through this process learnt that over 50% of kiwis planned to travel domestically before the end of July. If there was ever a time to make sure your website is as appealing and attractive as possible to New Zealand customers, that time is now.

We’ve compiled a list of strategies to help you leverage this opportunity—many of which are backed up by data and research undertaken by universities, economists and industry bodies. Your website is the digital ‘face’ of your business—the best tool you have to share your story, sell your product or service and gain loyal customers. A few simple tweaks could be all it takes to see you all booked out over the coming months and gaining a strong footing within the domestic market that will stand the test of time.

Showcase your value clearly and visually

Interestingly, most kiwis perceive travel within their own backyard to be expensive. To bust this perception, you need to highlight the value of your unique offer—and one of the best ways to do this is through attractive imagery and video.

Websites are an incredible opportunity to offer customers a glimpse into the experience they will have when they choose to book with you. It is well worth investing in professional photography or videography that is high-quality, unique to your business, and showcases your best in a way that evokes emotion.

Do you claim that your accommodation has a breathtaking view? Prove it with stunning photographs that capture the beauty of the view at the most picturesque time of day.

Are you offering a thrilling experience? Why not invest in a short video clip that makes your audience feel as though they are in amongst the action?

When added to your homepage, these sorts of videos and imagery capture peoples’ attention from the outset and demonstrate exactly why booking with you is worth the expense.

Promote appealing offers

To attract customers to make a booking via your website, have a think about what special offers you can include that will appeal to the kiwi traveller. We’ve learnt that kiwis are most likely to take a trip that is three days long or less, and that the biggest reason for travel will be to reconnect with friends and family. Can you offer a special rate for a three-night stay, or offer a family or group discount?

Once you’ve decided on your special offers, make sure they are promoted prominently on your website. Each offer should have its own landing page, with dedicated content describing that offer specifically and clear instructions on how to book. That landing page should be accessible via your main menu and through a special feature displayed on your home page. We want your creativity and hard work to get the glory it deserves!

Connect through language and conversations

Kiwis are doing their own research and booking directly with suppliers now more than ever. This presents an opportunity for you to connect with your customers in a warm, authentic and appealing way. Read carefully through the content on your website and look for opportunities to demonstrate what we call ‘kiwi care and kindness’—a way of communicating with warmth, respect and—in these times specifically—a subtle acknowledgement that we are all navigating this crisis together. This doesn’t mean oversharing or begging for bookings—just writing in a way that is honest, friendly and accessible.

In these times, it’s also a good idea to be responsive and prepared for more questions than usual. This can be done in any number of ways: you can add an instant messaging or ‘chatbot’ function to your website, promote an option to contact the manager via text message, or advertise an 0800 number. Whatever strategy you choose, just make sure you are closely monitoring incoming message or calls and responding as soon as you can.

Step up your content

Remember that kiwis have gone months without being able to travel, so now that they have the opportunity to do so again, they want to make sure they’re planning an experience that ticks all the boxes. How can you help assure customers that booking with you is the right decision? By offering more detail!

Blogs are a great way of doing this – they can offer extra details and anecdotes about your business, the local area, or your industry more broadly that can be the difference between securing and losing a booking. Blogging also gives an insight into your brand and is another important way to showcase value. If you don’t already have a blog on your website or yours hasn’t been updated in a few months or more, now is the time to dive back in! Try planning your posts in advance and setting time aside to update it regularly. An interesting and dynamic blog signifies professionalism, credibility and currency.

Give the gift of confidence

Research has revealed that for the consumer, the biggest barrier to domestic travel is the fear that they will contract or contribute to the spread of COVID-19. To help overcome this barrier, it’s important that you utilise your website to share information on how you’re looking after the health and safety of your employees, your customers and your community. This can be as simple as adding a new page on your website that lists some of the actions you have taken and procedures you have introduced in the wake of the pandemic. Contactless check-in? Great! Sanitising stations throughout? Fantastic! Just make sure the information is clear and easy for your customer to find: a prominent link from your home page is a must.

Another aspect that will give your customers the confidence to book is clarity on your terms and conditions. With the ever-present risk of another lockdown or uncertainly for many in their own personal financial circumstances, customers need to be comfortable that making a booking doesn’t have to mean taking a huge risk. We recommend allowing customers to cancel (and re-book for another date) up to 24 hours before arrival—but whatever your policy, make sure it’s clear and—(again)—easy to find! A pop-up alert with a link on your home page and your booking page can make sure this information isn’t likely to be missed.

Check that your site is responsive

Your website needs to look good and function well regardless of the device your customer is using. Mobile phones especially are being used for web browsing now more than ever, so get out your mobile phone, type in your website address and see what you can see from the mobile customer’s perspective.

Is all of the key information visible? Is it fast to load? Easy to navigate? Does your booking system function well? It would be a shame to lose customers due to frustration with a website that isn’t optimised for the most popular devices, so this is a quick check well worth making.

Want to know if your current marketing is a hit or miss?

No problem! We're currently offering a FREE consultation & domestic marketing health-check for your business. If you're keen to find out how you're currently doing and what could be improved, book a consultation below.