Your website traffic may be booming, but it means nothing if no one is actually booking a tour.
Tours and attractions can’t survive off web traffic alone. They need to convert those visitors into direct bookings.
In this post, you’ll learn why your website has a low conversion rate and what you can do to fix it.
- What is a low conversion rate?
- How do you calculate your site’s conversion rate?
- 6 site factors that can lower your conversion rate
- Bad first impression
- It’s difficult to navigate your site
- You’re ignoring SEO
- It’s not mobile-friendly
- Your photos aren’t great
- The tour descriptions are poorly written
- Make your call-to-action visible
- Provide guests with a seamless checkout experience
- Use images
- Build trust
- Quickly address concerns via live chat
- Share your company’s story
- Make it easy for potential customers to find you on social media
What is a low conversion rate?
Your website’s conversion rate refers to the percentage of visitors that complete a desired call to action, like making a booking. So the conversion rate would measure the percentage of users that end up making a booking on your website.
A low conversion rate means that most website visitors choose not to book with your company.
There could be something on your website that’s causing them to second-guess their booking decision, such as a slow checkout experience, or they may be leaving to search for a better deal. Whatever the issue, analyzing your conversion rate will help you better understand how users are interacting with your site.
How do you calculate your site’s conversion rate?
To calculate a conversion rate, divide the number of conversions by the number of total interactions. For a tour and attraction operator, the formula would look like this:
- Number of website bookings / Number of website visitors = Your website’s conversion rate
Overall, the average conversion rate for ecommerce businesses across all industries was around 1.6% as of August 2022.
You might be surprised to learn that the conversion rate for travel websites is even lower. Littledata recently surveyed 165 travel companies and found that their average conversion rate was around 0.2%.
Of course, this number varies from sector to sector. Customers might visit an airline’s website several times before purchasing a plane ticket, mostly because they’re searching for the best flight deal.
Tours and attractions, on the other hand, don’t cost nearly as much as a flight. Customers may be more willing to bite the bullet on activities, so your conversion rate could be higher than the average.
6 site factors that can lower your conversion rate
You have looked into your website’s conversion rate and realize it’s lower than what you expected. Here are five reasons why that may be:
1. Bad first impression
Your conversion rate may drop simply because customers don’t like what they see when they land on your website. If your website takes forever to load or you have annoying pop-ups, it can quickly make a bad first impression.
2. It’s difficult to navigate your site
Your navigation menu is another big factor that can make or break a visitor’s user experience. If visitors can’t find what they’re looking for, they’ll likely look for another site that’s easier to navigate.
3. You’re ignoring SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the process of optimizing your content and web pages to appear on related searches online. The goal is to appear among the first 10 search results on Google for keywords related to your business. For example, a duck boat tour in Austin, Texas would create content around the keywords “boat tours in Austin.”
4. It’s not mobile-friendly
With the rise of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and easy-to-use booking apps, travelers have become more comfortable booking everything from hotels to activities on their phones.
A recent Google study found that 48% of experience bookings happen after a traveler arrives at their destinations — and most of those bookings are made via mobile. Without a mobile-friendly website, you risk losing a lot of potential customers.
5. Your photos aren’t great
Pixelated or blurry photos can create a bad first impression. If your website isn’t advertising your tours and activities through engaging, high-quality photos, you’re selling yourself short. When guests find big, beautiful photos on your competitors’ websites, they’re likely to choose them over your company, even if your services are better.
6. The tour descriptions are poorly written
If your tour description simply consists of an itinerary, pricing, and a quick paragraph about the experience, there’s plenty of room to improve. A compelling tour description uses imagery and storytelling to capture the customer’s attention. It also features a catchy title, beautiful photos, and guest reviews, all of which make the guest excited to book with you.
How to increase your site’s conversion rate
The good news is there are several ways to fix a low conversion rate — and you can start improving it today. Below, you’ll find seven tips on how to write a tour website that converts.
1. Make your call-to-actions visible
As soon as a customer lands on your website, they should be able to locate the “Book now” button. This is the most important call to action on your site because it encourages visitors to become customers.
Another important call to action could be the “Learn more” button. New customers may not know enough about your tours to book right then and there. By making this button stand out on your homepage, your customers can quickly learn more about your company and services.
Both buttons should stand out from the rest of the page. Consider creating big, colorful buttons that are brighter than the rest of the text on your website.
2. Provide guests with a seamless checkout experience
Did you know that the travel industry has one of the highest online cart abandonment rates? Eight in every 10 customers abandon their carts before completing a booking.
Many people abandon their bookings at the first sign of difficulty — like if the checkout page loads too slowly or if they have to re-enter their payment information.
Your customers are looking for a quick and easy checkout experience: They want to book and pay for their tour in just a few minutes, without having to jump through any unnecessary hoops.
Here are three tips to improve your checkout experience:
- Allow customers to make a booking without having to create an account on your website, also known as guest checkout
- Make sure the checkout page is mobile-friendly
- Provide various payment options
3. Use images
Instagram is among the top sources of destination discovery for young travelers. These travelers are driven by visual inspiration for where to go and what to do when they’re there.
With that being said, photos can largely influence a traveler’s decision to book one experience over another. One of the best ways to appeal to new customers is to show them pictures of previous customers having an amazing time.
If you’re an outdoor adventure operator, you can also showcase beautiful photos of the landscapes you operate in. A cooking class operator, on the other hand, can feature detailed shots of the ingredients and final dishes. In both cases, you’re highlighting the most exciting parts of your experience to get guests excited to book with you.
Pro tip: Fotaflo is a helpful tool that helps you leverage photo marketing to drive more bookings.
4. Build trust
As new customers are getting to know your brand for the first time, there are a few ways to start building up that trust:
- Showcase user-generated content
- Feature guest reviews on your homepage or tour pages
- Add trust symbols like TripAdvisor badges
- Use rating widgets to showcase positive ratings on your tour listings
- Display social media follower counts on your homepage
5. Quickly address concerns via live chat
If a customer has a question about your tour or attraction, they may not want to pick up the phone and potentially be put on hold until they find the right person to speak to. Yet with live chat support, customers can easily communicate with your company to settle any doubts or concerns before making a booking.
6. Share your company’s story
When someone lands on your website from a Google search, they likely won’t know much about your company. Sharing the backstory of your company can help set your business apart from others in the industry.
You can create an “About” page on your website where you tell new customers about yourself, who you are and why you started this company. Feel free to explain to them why you’re the most qualified person to lead this kind of tour, and where you found the inspiration to start your own business. This helps viewers connect with the people behind the brand.
7. Make it easy for potential customers to find you on social media
While your website provides customers with the most important information about your tours and services, social media can provide them with a fun and personal perspective.
On Instagram, for example, potential new customers can view photos of past tours and read previous customers’ comments. They can also get a feel for your company’s personality by looking at your Instagram bio and the way you interact with followers on your posts.
Give customers a chance to find your company elsewhere by displaying your social media icons on your contact page or somewhere on your homepage.
***
Whether it’s addressing customer concerns via live chat or using beautiful photos to persuade them to book, these seven tips will help you drive more direct bookings through your website today.
