Tourism & Web 2.0: Improve your Web 1.0 first

Never have I enjoyed a job as much as teaching "Web publishing" at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. The more I teach how to write for the (tourism) Web, the more I realize that most tourism websites are really bad. Yes, I confess, this has been more of a surprise that I had expected. I have seen: awful writing, broken links, poor readability, bad navigation and most often no content scope nor real object. I cannot believe the poor status of writing for the web. Good online copy is important. Much more important than flashy screen design and beautiful pictures. Even more so in the area of Web 2.0.

This is what I tell my students:

• Tourism websites are essentially marketing websites.
• The way you present information has to sell. That is the main goal!
• It is not an information website about your hotel, destination or service.
• Keep the potential customer in mind.

Make your tourism website a marketing conversation!

I have asked them to always remember this drawing by Hugh McLeod:

Always keep in mind, what “is in it” for your reader?
Remember: "I am the most important person in my life!"
That holds true for everybody.  So provide value to your reader.

What kind of value? Think about these questions?

• What is his or her pain?
• What is she/he trying to achieve while visiting your site?
• Address him/her directly. Do not talk about your guests, since your site visitor is your potential guest.

Here is a slide show of the campus and my very motivated students. They are wonderful! I had them scan tourism websites for worst and best practices. Some were so bad, I thought they made them up to pull my leg (see for yourself). The only one I liked - from the point of view of a lecturer for Web publishing - is this one by the Danish Hotel Fox.

Find all my English posts about the Social Web and its implications on the tourism industry here.

Comments

[Kommentiert von: ronald]

Fox hotel website is great. I like this one as well: http://www.jdvhotels.com/
they even use a branded utility tool/matchmaker, to adjust their offering of the right hotel to you/your mood/your purpose etc.

[Kommentiert von: Karin]

Ronald, I am so thankful for reminding me of them. I had already forgotten. Will show my students! Thanks, again. Ronald do you want to contribute to the Berlin presentation?

[Kommentiert von: Claude / Les Explorers]

One on my fever communication book come from a radio speaker in France.
Title in French : "parlez-moi de moi il n'y que çà qui m'interesse"

could be translate as : "talk about me, that's the only thing that interest me" ;-)

Other : Karin, tell me the date line for the slides about Berlin 2.0

[Kommentiert von: ronald]

i will try to send you some slides, however i am busy in spani this week, but will do my best.
i liked your idea about a toerism blog for europe. i can sponsor the blogsite, how do we take it from there? Let continue about this once i am back form Spain and you are back from Berlin, ok?