From amusement parks to boardwalks to historical sites, it seems there are almost as many travel destinations as there are travelers. Whether you are on a trip, planning a trip or fondly remembering a favorite trip, here are some lessons that traveling can teach us about eCommerce.
1. Tourists like excitement
The longest lines at DisneyWorld is often Space Mountain. People will wait an hour or more for roller coasters and thrill rides.
Does your website offer any thrills? Granted, it does not need to be as adrenaline producing as a 100 foot vertical drop, but a video, infographic or blog post can provide an unexpected jolt of excitement.
Keep your customers engaged and entertained and they will return again and again.
2. Tourists like to learn
Vacation options range from the pyramid in Vegas (Luxor Hotel) to the Pyramids in Egypt – yet wherever people go, they want to learn. In Vegas they may learn how to play blackjack while in Egypt they may discover how the pyramids were built.
Your website visitors want to learn as well. The more value you offer your clients in the information you provide, the more they will trust you.
When someone trusts you for solid, actionable advice, they are more inclined to purchase from you as well.
3. Tourists like a good deal
Hotwire and Priceline are just the beginning of the hundreds, if not thousands, of websites that offer travel savings and last minute deals.
Your potential customers are no different, and they want to ensure they are getting the best value for their money. Value does not mean cheap. In fact, sometimes the more expensive option is the better value, because it is from a trusted source or includes extras and add-ons you will not get in a bargain basement deal.
Show your clients the real value in your price.
4. Tourists like things easy
A vacation is a break from the daily grind. If you’ve ever been on a vacation where things go wrong, (I once discovered my “all inclusive” Hawaii vacation excluded every activity I was interested in doing) than you quickly realize how much you were looking for things to be simple and easy.
Visiting your website should be simple and easy. If your clients are confused with navigating your site, you will lose them.
Your website should have a clearly defined purpose, and each page should have a specific call to action.
You can’t spend all of your time on vacation but you can learn lessons from those times you have gotten away. A well designed website that is fun, easy to navigate and provides information and offers value, will go a long way in building the like, know and trust relationship you need to get your potential clients to become actual clients.
