First impressions are important for any business, but with hotels, it’s especially true.
NB: This is an article from We Are Arise
A hotel website needs to showcase the beauty and the character of the hotel, encouraging custom right from the very beginning. Bespoke websites are often seen as the perfect way to showcase this uniqueness. Custom layouts, bespoke imagery, flexible features and a seamless user journey can all be tremendous deciding factors when a customer is browsing a website.
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However, with the sophistication of certain self-build, template-based sites like Squarespace and WordPress, some may argue that this out-of-the-box solution can prove just as successful for hotel websites of all shapes and sizes.
It’s important to note that the term ‘bespoke’ here doesn’t necessarily mean coding from the ground up. Although this is an option, bespoke sites can also make use of CMSs like WordPress. Bespoke just means that they’re customised, rather than entirely relying on out-of-the-box templates and designs provided by these builders.
This, therefore, begs the question, do hotels really need a bespoke website in 2023?
Bespoke hotel website advantages
There are many advantages to having a totally bespoke website for a hotel, some of which we’ve explored below.
Stand out from the crowd
A bespoke website will allow hotels to have a unique and professional online presence that differs from its competitors and other hotels within the space. At the end of the day, each independent hotel is unique and its website should be too.
A bespoke hotel website can help the hotel stand out in what is already a very competitive marketplace.
A recent study showed that 46% of consumers base their decisions on the credibility of a website based on visual appeal and aesthetics – so having a template used by many probably won’t help here – it’s going to be key to providing a different offering!
Fully customisable and flexible
Bespoke websites can be fully tailored to the hotel and its unique offerings. This means that whether the hotel offers the ability to purchase gift cards, spa treatments, golf slots, or restaurant bookings, a bespoke website can be built to accommodate each and every service the establishment provides, integrating seamlessly with other booking and reservation systems. It’s something that’s not always easy with generic, template-based sites.
This in turn provides a better online experience and user journey for visitors, keeping them on the one site and increasing the potential for upsells and bookings.
Responsive
Although out-of-the-box solutions are becoming more sophisticated and are often very clever, a bespoke website can be fine-tuned to perform exactly where your customers will be using it.
Nowadays, most people are browsing the internet on mobile devices and it’s imperative that websites are mobile-friendly to encourage conversions. A bespoke solution can be built with mobile design at the very forefront, encouraging mobile conversions and sales.
