In an oversaturated travel agency market you need something interesting to stand out and create a wow effect, because travel agencies win customers with more than low prices, they win with a higher level of service, a personalized approach, a touch of luxury and memorable moments that clients love to share on Instagram. Our development team has wide experience building unique websites for the tourism industry in Toronto and beyond and this article shares the design guidance, the API choices and the best features for a travel agency website.
As a Canadian company serving businesses in Canada and the USA, IDL Web Inc designs and builds travel agency websites in Toronto, ask for a FREE audit or a FREE quote and we will tell you which features bring you the most leads.
Travel Agency Design Guidance
Live, vibrant images
When visitors see images like this they are halfway to buying the ticket and jumping into paradise for a week or more. Choose images with real light, color and people, compress them for speed and keep one style across every destination page.
Clean colors, not too motley
Do not grab too much attention with website elements, even the calls to action and give users a chance to focus on your tours and promotions.
Fast pages
Speed matters for every website and especially for a travel agency, because high-resolution pictures and many API integrations with ticket and booking systems can slow it down, so keep the design simple and light on resources.
Reflect how your customers buy
Roughly 2 types of travel clients exist. The first buy their trips just before the flight, want special promos and ask less of the service. The second plan their trip, search for the best hotel and want more service and perks, so give them a wish list, a login page with viewing history and emails with valuable information.
Travel Agency Website API Integrations and Traps to Avoid
APIs simplify the work of a travel agent greatly, however, keep the number of APIs under control to keep the website fast. The 3 most common services to integrate are:
- Booking.com.
- Expedia.
- Tripadvisor.
The reason is simple, each of them covers all the travel services, from ticket booking and accommodation reservations to additional services and the testimonials that help to choose the best hotel or destination. To avoid overwhelming your users with too many services and too much choice, pick one core service, sync its data through the API and leave the rest as a manual search that your travel agents use when needed.
Not sure which APIs your travel website needs?
IDL Web Inc can audit your website speed and your integrations and tell you what to keep and what to cut.
Trendy Features to Grab Leads on Your Travel Agency Website
Trendy features are not bad or expensive, they just need a deep understanding of your ideal customers and of what creates a wow effect for them.
Personalized content and recommendations
With AI and additional tools you can create a unique customer experience, so send personalized push notifications and customize the search results and the trip filters. You win much more than you spend on these options.
User-generated content
Let clients share their experience, create blog articles and build custom galleries and your website KPIs rise. Clients like to be heard and with friendly moderation you build unique content that competes with AI.
Real-time chatbots and live chat
Well-developed message chains bring leads even when your team sleeps or enjoys a weekend, however, chatbots need thoughtful planning, continuous adjustments and a learning curve and AI and process automation add 24/7 support.
Gamification elements
Interactive quizzes and games make booking another adventure, loyalty programs reward your loyal customers and turn one-time clients into long-term ones and loyalty points can reward testimonials and photos.
Voice search
Voice search shortens the path to booking and stops you from losing leads to Google, because your visitors are already used to it.
To Wrap Up
To succeed with your travel website you need a good mix of personalization, process automation and a simple path to purchase. By investing in trendy features and emerging technologies and implementing new technologies first you win a client who is brave, curious, open-minded and eager to contribute ideas to your business as well as buying from you.
Want to know what a travel website will return?
Tell IDL Web Inc about your travel business and we will estimate the features, the development ROI and the price.
How to Choose Your Core Booking Service
Booking.com, Expedia and Tripadvisor each cover a wide range of travel services, so pick the one that matches the way your clients buy. Choose the service with the inventory, the reviews and the commission rules that suit your agency, sync its data through the API and keep the others as a manual search for your agents.
What Travel Customers Expect from Your Website
Travel clients expect a personalized approach, a touch of luxury and memorable moments, so your website should feel like the first moment of the trip. Images, clean colors and a fast booking flow set that mood and the features above give you ways to keep the conversation going after the first visit.
Travel Website Checklist Before Launch
- Test the speed on mobile with your high-resolution images and every API switched on.
- Check that the search and booking flow works from the first visit to the confirmation email.
- Limit the number of APIs and name one core service.
- Check that the wish list, the login and the viewing history work for clients who plan their trips.
- Check that the chatbot answers are accurate and that a human can take over.
- Add tracking so you can see which features bring leads.
How IDL Web Inc Can Help
You can start with one feature and add more as your leads grow and IDL Web Inc helps at every stage. We are a Canadian company and we help businesses in both Canada and the USA.
WordPress development
We build the booking and content features on WordPress, see our WordPress development.
API integrations
We connect your booking systems and CRM through APIs, see our custom development services.
SEO
We help travelers find your agency, see our SEO audit.
Don't forget
Remember to test the speed of your travel website after every API and every high-resolution image you add.
If you are not sure which features bring better lead generation or how to calculate the ROI of your website development, leave it to the web specialists at IDL Web Inc, ask for a FREE audit or a FREE quote and we will go through the pros and cons for your business case. IDL Web Inc is a Canadian company that serves businesses in Canada and the USA. Keep up with us to know more of web design news/fixes!
Schedule Consultation with An Expert
IDL Web Inc designs and builds travel agency websites in Toronto, ask for a FREE audit or a FREE quote and we will tell you which features bring you the most leads.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top travel agency software options for small businesses?
Rezdy, TrekkSoft, Vagabond, TravelCarma and Rezgo are among the top options, DotSquare and TravelOperations are CRM choices and Salesforce, HubSpot and Zoho are also top rated in the tourism business.
Do you have travel website templates?
Yes, our agency has a frame for travel agency websites that you can start with and then move to a unique design later.
What is the best website builder for a travel agency?
WordPress is one of the most affordable and suitable options, because it covers blog and ecommerce features, has many payment gateway and other integrations and has the potential to grow with your business.
What is the best travel booking plugin for WordPress?
WP Travel is considered one of the most popular and widespread plugins for a WordPress travel agency website.
Which interactive travel website elements add engagement?
AR and VR elements, trip budget calculators, trip planning forms and search, questionnaires with prizes and interactive testimonials with photos and videos increase engagement and build trust before and between purchases.
