Redesign
When should you redesign your hotel website? 7 signs guests notice too
A hotel website often stays unchanged for years because “it works”. Guests, however, compare it with other properties within minutes, and an outdated site makes them wary. These signs show it is time for a redesign.
1. It is hard to use on a phone
If guests have to zoom in on their phone, the menu falls apart or the booking button is not visible, they will most likely book on a portal. Today this is one of the most important factors.
2. The photos are small or old
If the rooms have been renovated since but the website still shows the old pictures, guests do not see what they would get. And small, dark images make even a beautiful room look bland.
3. Prices and offers are in PDFs
PDFs are hard to read on a phone and hard to update. On a modern site you can easily change prices and packages yourself, without a developer.
4. The browser shows a “not secure” warning
If a warning appears in the address bar, or the site’s back end has not been updated for years, guests find it suspicious and it is also a security risk.
5. The language version is missing or faulty
International guests who cannot understand the site book on a portal, where they can read in their own language. A good language version has its own address and is correctly marked up for Google.
6. Booking is cumbersome
If guests have to write an email or fill in an old form that opens in a separate window, many give up. A booking bar at the top of the homepage, connected to your existing booking engine, helps a lot.
7. A portal outranks you on Google for your own name
If your own website is not the first result when people search for your property’s name, it is often a sign of a slow, outdated site. A fast, well-structured site and a well-maintained Google Business Profile improve this.
Will a redesign cost you your Google ranking?
It does not have to. Old page addresses must be redirected one by one to the matching new page, and well-performing content should be kept. Nobody can guarantee rankings, but with a careful migration your existing ranking is preserved as well as possible.
See what you would get, with your own hotel
Send us your website address or the name of your property, and within 2 working days we will build a clickable concept of your new homepage. Free, with no obligation.