Going on holiday this summer? Apply these top travel plans to your website.

School’s out, the sun’s out and summer holidays are getting underway. If you’ve got a holiday booked this summer, you’ve probably planned it in advance and given some thought to where you want to go, what activities you want to do, who you’re going with and how you’re going to get there. We’re saying that you should use the planning style for your holiday to plan your website too (although not if you’re a spur-of-the-moment last-minute booker).

Setting up a website without planning its aims are like booking a holiday without knowing what sort of holiday you want to go on. See how these questions might be able to help with your planning (of your holiday and your website!):

• Why?

  Do you need a week of relaxing, somewhere by a pool with a book and all-inclusive food, do you want to visit a new country and see a new culture, do you want an activity-filled break?

  Same with your website, why do you need a website? For people to be able to buy your products, sign up to your services, see your portfolio?

• Budget?

  How much do you have to spend on your holiday, this could seriously limit or open up your options for the rest of the planning?

  For your website, your budget will also define how much you can do. Complicated eCommerce systems, reservation systems sites where customers can create accounts can really rack up the costs, keep your overall aim in mind when planning your budget.

• Destination?

  If you’ve answered the question above, then you can start to narrow down the destination. Package holidays to destinations such as Spain and Portugal would satisfy a relaxing break, or if you’re looking for some culture then a city such as Barcelona or Budapest.

  And with your website, the above question should help you decide what type of website you’re planning. Then this is what you should plan to get to, if the aim is to make sure people can find your contact details, make sure that’s the focus of your site.

• What do you want to do?

  Day trips, shopping, sightseeing, watersports, learning a new skill? Once you’ve decided where you’re going you’ll probably want to start planning the activities that you’ll be doing when you get there.

  As well as the main reason for your website, what else do you want people to be able to do? Sign up to a newsletter, follow you on social media, get in touch with you, get a quote, download testers? If so, include these. But make sure they are clear and don’t clutter your site.

• Travel agent?

Do you use a travel agent to book the holiday in one go, or are you a DIYer booking travel, accommodation, activities and food yourself?

You already know our opinions on DIY websites, if you’re going to do it at all, do it properly, it will save you money in the long run. Or it should do if you choose a good agency/developer. (Note – this is not necessarily a representation of our holiday style ;))

If you’re in need of a ‘travel agent’ and could do with some planning help, get in touch: hello@webfwd.co.ukhello@webfwd.co.uk