Before anyone reads your copy, sees your prices, or clicks your booking button, they have already formed an opinion. These five chapters cover the fundamentals that determine whether a visitor stays on your site or leaves within seconds. Get these right and everything else works harder.
Section 1 · Chapters 1–5
Hello
The
Basics
A couple in Berlin found you on Google, clicked your site on a phone, looked at two photos and one sentence of text, and decided whether to book within about eight seconds. The Basics exist to make sure those eight seconds go the right way.
The Basics
After this section
you will be able to
Assess your first impression honestly, understand what today’s visitor expects, check that your site works properly on a phone, know where your visitors are coming from, and make sure your site works even when you are not available.
The Basics
Chapters 1 to 5
Chapter 1
First Impressions
A couple in Berlin found you on Google. They clicked your site on a phone. You had about eight seconds.
Read the guide
Chapter 2
Who Is Your Website Actually For?
Most operators write their website for themselves. The visitor who needs convincing is a completely different person.
Read the guide
Chapter 3
The Homepage Problem
Your homepage is doing too many jobs at once and probably doing none of them well.
Read the guide
Chapter 4
Mobile First Is Not Optional
More than half your visitors are on a phone right now. Here is what they see when your site is not ready for them.
Read the guide
Chapter 5
Speed, Trust, and the Basics of Credibility
A slow site and a fast site feel completely different to a visitor who has not decided yet.
Read the guide
Section quick-check
How well are The Basics
covered on your site?
Ch.1
Does your homepage look professional and inviting within the first three seconds?
Ch.2
Can a visitor find your price, availability, and what is included without calling you?
Ch.3
Have you checked your site on an actual phone in the last month?
Ch.4
Do you know which source sends the most visitors to your website?
Ch.5
Does your website answer the questions you get most often by phone or email?
Your experience is worth
a website that does it justice.