Website - charter services’ sales generator

• 22.05.2023.
• Sale, Marketing

Website is a key for every business, especially for yacht charter because through it you can generate sales. But if your website it’s outdated or hasn’t been set up well for the end user, you can lose much more than you can imagine...

Nowadays, in a contemporary digital world, in order to gain success in almost each industry it requires a strong and constant online presence. Industries like nautical charter especially depend on it because their success is directly linked to popularity among guests.   
  
In case your yacht charter company still doesn’t have a website, or you have it but it’s not bringing you the desired results, find out what and how changes should be made it and make a website one of the main generators of charter service sales.  

Why website increases charter service sales  

By now, it has become clear to everyone how the Internet is an integral part of our lives and it is almost impossible to live or work without it. In marketing, traditional marketing strategies are increasingly being replaced by digital marketing, which is more successful with contemporary clients.  
  
Your potential guests always have their mobile phones nearby, and when something interests them, such as "which is the best charter company from which I can charter a vessel for my upcoming annual vacation", they will most often first check the offer on Google.  
  
If you're not on Google, your target audience will have a hard time finding you. Charter companies that have ensured their information is at the top of the search engine will answer their questions and doubts. If you want to follow the demands of modern consumers and gain a competitive advantage, having a website is an absolute must-have, and here's why:  
  
With a quality website, you increase your clients' trust 
Let’s be honest, in today's world, when we establish contact with anyone, whether it is a person or a company, either because we need a service, product or we want to collaborate with them in business or privately - the first thing we will do is check what information we can find about them online. If we don't find anything, it doesn't exactly build confidence. What's being hidden and why?  
  
Use website to reach more potential clients  
The number of bookings in the charter business will always depend on the number of guests you have access to - the more, the better. If you limit your business and marketing to physical locations only, you significantly reduce your chances for booking. With a website, you can reach anyone who has Internet access, even if they are on the other side of the world.  
 
A website gives clients access to your charter company 24/7  
Traditional sales methods and customer service are limited by working hours, but with a website, you're available to your potential guests at any time. On the website, you can have prepared answers to most of the questions guests are most often interested in. This way, you can stop losing contacts that were looking for you regardless of working hours.  
 
These are just a few general reasons why a website can increase the number of reservations, but they are enough to see the difference. The question is what exactly you can do to make your website quality and successful, and to secure its place in the vastness of the Internet.  

Creating a future website for your charter  

Yes, the place on the internet occupied by your charter company is important, but a "better something than nothing" approach to a website can do more harm than good. To make sure your guests find everything they need on your website, ensure you cover as many elements as a good website should contain:  
  
Visual design - Do you know how your potential guest, within approximately a tenth of a second (!) after opening the website, will form an opinion about your company? People are visual beings, so choose your design very carefully to build your visual identity as it signifies your reliability and professionalism. 
 
Simplicity of search - The website menu should be simple, clear, and accessible from almost any place on the web, so that your guests can quickly find what they are interested in.  
 
Content - Do not neglect the content because it plays a huge role in where your site will be placed in the search engine. Also, the content will often be the very reason why someone came to your web at all!  
 
Accessibility of information - Not every visitor will have the time or interest to explore the entire website, so make sure to clearly and openly highlight the information most often searched - for example, how they can contact you, what your working hours are, what popular vessels you offer, etc.  
 
Interaction - An effective website design immediately invites visitors to interact and keeps their attention on whichever page they are on and encourages them to make a contact. Let that be the ultimate goal of your website!  

How to create a website that sells  

Now that you are familiar with the basic elements that make a good website, let's take everything to another level. Here are some simple tricks to make a difference in the number of reservations at the end of the season:  
  
Optimize the website for mobile devices - Unfortunately, many still ignore the fact that currently most searches are performed on mobile devices, about 60%. This number is growing year by year. Don't be one of those who ignore this fact, adapt your website to mobile devices and provide your guests with an optimal user experience.  
  
Share your guests' reviews and impressions - People have a natural need to follow others and check their impressions of a product or service before deciding to purchase themselves. Chartering and boat rental are no exception. Be sure to take every opportunity to gather positive impressions from your guests and post them on your website (with their consent, of course). This way, you will increase trust among potential future guests and build a good reputation for your charter company.  
  
Inform your guests well - You can easily lose a booking if a potential guest gets confused on your website because they do not understand or cannot find the information they are interested in. Therefore, you need to provide excellent support to visitors when they come to your website by dispelling any doubts and uncertainties. You can do this by preparing and posting answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) in advance. Or you can integrate a chat into your website where clients can directly contact you or receive pre-prepared automatic responses.  
  
Create a sense of urgency - If people have a limited opportunity to try or buy something, they will naturally make a decision faster because they do not want to miss it. So create a sense of urgency on your page by putting up limited-time offers. Mention that there are only X vessels left for rent for a certain date, add a countdown till the end of the offer, etc., to create a sense of urgency for your visitors.  
   

10 most common mistakes on websites  

And finally, pay special attention to the most common mistakes on websites:  

1. Too much information that confuses visitors, especially if it's crammed onto the same page.  
2. Many different elements (colors, fonts, shapes, and images) that are not interconnected at all.  
3. Unclear calls to action.  
4. Avoiding the usage of analytical tools and data on how visitors use the website.  
5. Ignoring optimization of website content for search engines (SEO).  
6. Creating a website for yourself instead of for your target group.  
7. Inconsistence in publishing content and letting the website just exist without any work on it.  
8. Forgetting to modify the design for mobile users.  
9. Hidden, unclear, or incomplete information, especially for contact.  
10. Slow website loading.   
     

Whatever you decide to apply to your website from the above, remember that your website exists for those who dictate trends, your visitors, so make each decision by looking at it through the eyes of your guests. Does your website and the information on it make their lives easier?  
  
If the answer is affirmative, that is the surest way to get satisfied guests. It's also a confirmation that investing in a quality website ultimately pays off multiple times.  
 
Contact us if you need advice on how to create a good website for your charter business, if you want to optimize an existing site, or to have quality content on it. 
 

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