Jamie Biesiada
In a world where social media has become de rigueur, do you still need a website if you're not offering clients an online booking option?
I think the answer is yes. Purely from a consumer standpoint, I'm much more likely to trust a business if it has a website in addition to a social media presence, especially if that website is up to date. It adds a layer of professionalism and builds visibility and credibility.
Based on some numbers from Passport Online Inc., which powers nearly 5,000 advisor websites, I'm not the only one who likes to browse businesses' presences on the Web. Passport Online delivers content for advisors in a variety of ways, including via websites, dynamic affiliate sites and email channels.
Last year, president Jeanne Colombo said, "millions of unique customer visits" each month were directed toward travel advisors' websites.
Passport Online tracks what visitors to the websites it runs are looking at via Detailed Offer Views (DOVs). DOVs are created when a visitor "clicks through to the complete description of the product, itinerary, maps, photos, pricing and other details."
In other words, it's a data point that indicates interest and engagement -- and could help advisors shape the kind of content they want to feature on their websites.
For instance, last year, European destinations accounted for the most DOVs, 41%. Considering how hot Europe has been in recent years, this isn't surprising, but suggests an advisor's website should have content related to Europe (so long as it's a destination they sell, of course).
The second most popular destination DOVs last year were in the U.S., with Alaska and Hawaii leading the way. In third was the Caribbean.
Europe was again the top DOV-earner when it came to land products (47%), followed by U.S. destinations (28%) and African destinations (5.5%). At 5% each, Australia and New Zealand were close behind.
Large, oceangoing ships that carry 2,500 passengers or more were the highest DOV-earners for cruising, garnering 43%. They were followed by river cruises and luxury and ultrapremium cruise lines.
Some non-website food for thought from Passport Online: In the entire year of 2023, the top social media posts promoted Prague and Bora Bora. They had appealing photos and descriptions, with inspirational messages ("Get out there and explore," and "Where would you go if your trip were completely paid for?").
Posts with high engagement tended to invite interaction, Passport Online said, like asking what destinations the viewer has visited or which destination photo matched their mood.